Monthly Archives: September, 2010


Baylor University Ranks No. 2 in Nation for Entrepreneurship

September 22, 2010

September 21, 2010

The undergraduate Entrepreneurship program at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business ranked No. 2 among the more than 2,000 schools surveyed by The Princeton Review for Entrepreneur Magazine in its eight annual “Top 25 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs of 2010″ rankings.

“We’ve long been seen as a pioneer in entrepreneurship,” said Dr. Terry S. Maness, dean of Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. “We started one of the first programs in the nation decades ago and it continues to provide thought leadership across the nation.”

“Innovative initiatives in Baylor’s program include an Entrepreneurship Living and Learning Center on campus and the development of several international programs in China, Africa, the Dominican Republic and Europe,” said Dr. Kendall Artz, director of Baylor’s Entrepreneurship program and chair of the department of management. “In addition, the Baylor Angel Network and the Technology Entrepreneurship Initiative bring Baylor’s program further dimension and engagement.”

Baylor was evaluated based on key criteria in the areas of teaching entrepreneurship business fundamentals in the classroom, staffing departments with successful entrepreneurs, graduating students who actually create new ventures, excellence in mentorship, providing experiential or entrepreneurial opportunities outside of the classroom, as well as non-traditional, distinguishable aspects of their programs.

“Behind the top ranked schools is not only a great formal classroom experience, but a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching entrepreneurship that embraces and encourages a student’s vision to build a successful business,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s senior vice president of publishing.

“The right education enhances and reinforces curiosity and creative thinking in entrepreneurs,” said Amy Cosper, vice president and editor in chief at Entrepreneur. “This ranking provides a unique look at top schools that offer the type of training, encouragement and direction that nurtures entrepreneurial skills. It’s an excellent resource for those interested in academics as a pathway to their goals, and it can help tremendously in the discovery process to finding the right program.”

Serra Ventures, LLC is a financial and strategic partner of Baylor’s Entrepreneurship program and also a member of the Baylor Angel Network. Tim Hoerr, CEO of Serra Ventures, is a charter Board member of Baylor’s Technology Entrepreneurship Initiative and has served in that capacity since 2008.

To view the entire article and complete rankings click here.


UI Patents Top 10 Ranking

September 21, 2010

The Universities Patent Scorecard™ represents the universities and university-based laboratories from around the world in patenting their research in all disciplines within the United States. The University of Illinois was ranked #9 in 2010 (up from #16 in 2009) and was ranked as having the highest Science Linkage™ of the Top 10. The University of Illinois’ individual patent with the highest scientific referencing is related to nucleic acid biosensors, with over 88% of the journals cited being in the fields of Biomedical Research and Chemistry. The ranking appeared in Intellectual Property Today


Dennis Beard Presents at MDEA Program “Leading Through the Recovery”

September 16, 2010

Dennis Beard, Principal with Serra Ventures, was one of four featured speakers at the Millikin/Decatur Executive Association’s program titled “Leading Through the Recovery.”  The program features a different speaker over the course of six months, beginning on October 1, 2010, and ending on March 23, 2011. Each night will hosts a different topic on how to engage in leading others out of the economic recession. Dennis’ featured topic was hosted on November 14, 2010, and will was titled “Current State of Capital Markets and Trends for Closely Held Companies.” The presentation touched on the topics of the current state of the Capital Markets for Closely Held businesses, mergers and acquisitions, valuation trends and issues, and exit and recapitalization, to name a few. To take a closer look at the upcoming programs on the MDEA website click here.

To view the handouts from this presentation, please click here.


Tim Hoerr to Speak at U of I’s Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership FastTrac Program

September 15, 2010

Tim Hoerr, CEO of Serra Ventures, will be the kickoff event speaker for the University of Illinois’ Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership FastTrac program.  This unique program serves as an educational component of the Academy’s “Illinois Launch” initiative. FastTrac, a 10 week program intended to provide growing small companies with important concepts and tools, was developed  by the Kaufman Foundation in Kansas City, MO.  Download Tim’s presentation by clicking here.


TECH Cocktail Returns to Champaign, IL

September 15, 2010

TECH Cocktail returned to Champaign, IL on September 7, 2010 at the IHotel located at the University of Illinois Research Park. TECH cocktail featured an energetic gathering of the local tech community, and showcased several start-up companies in the area. TECH cocktail offers the unique opportunity to several local start-ups to demonstrate their company in an expo-style to the rest of the Champaign entrepreneurial community for no cost. Serra Ventures acted as a Gold Sponsor of the event, along with Illinois Ventures, Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, and Singleton Law Firm. For the official article click the following link: Tech Cocktail