vol. XV no. 2

				"Entrepreneurial success is about behavior - the decision you make - learning to innovate." Herman J. Russell, Sr. Over the past four years, the Herman J. Russell, Sr., International Center for Entrepreneurship has been committed to quality education, research and community outreach in support of entrepreneurs throughout Atlanta and the world. The center is named for Atlanta's noted entrepreneur and civic leader, Herman J. Russell, Sr., who built a family subcontracting business into one of the nation's largest minority-owned firms and one of Atlanta's top real estate and construction companies. Frances W. Rushing, an economics professor, started the center. However, the Economics Department and the center relocated in 1996 when Georgia State launched the School of Policy Studies. Two years later, Dean Sidney E. Harris, new to the College at the time, and a group of determined management professors shared a vision that brought the center back to its original home. In October 1998, Ben Oviatt, management professor, was named director and today, through coursework and other programs, the Russell International Center for Entrepreneurship provides students a balance of theory and practical experience. At the graduate level, students can choose between an MBA concentration in entrepreneurship and a career path in international entrepreneurship, offered in conjunction with Robinson's nationally ranked international business program; classes are also available at the undergraduate level. And according to Oviatt, there has been such a heightened demand for undergraduate courses that work is underway to develop a formal program. With the help of grants from the Kauffman and Coleman foundations, the center pairs students with area entrepreneurs through its field study program. This hands-on course provides students with the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of what it takes to start, expand, change and turn around a business. Many of the business owners and managers working with the students are members of the Center's Society of Entrepreneurs, directed by Dr. Deborah Butler. This select group of Atlanta-area business owners is given the opportunity to enhance their entrepreneurial skills while contributing to the success of future entrepreneurs. Members meet once a month to share ideas and hear from top speakers in the field. The center sponsors two awards for students and the community at large. The Moses Lee Reid Business Plan Competition (funded by alumnus Kenneth Reid) and the New Enterprise Award recognize students for original business plans or concepts that demonstrate excellence in entrepreneurial innovation. In 2001, the Center served as sole educational sponsor of the Resource Forum's New Enterprise Award. Open to students and the community, the award is given to individuals or teams who generate new ideas in technology businesses. Award-winning research, an extensive curriculum and close ties with the entrepreneurial community have helped the Herman J. Russell, Sr. International Center for Entrepreneurship catapult the Robinson College of Business to Success magazine's list of Top 50 Schools for Entrepreneurship. Top

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