The Entrepreneurial Fellows Center is a program of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh. The mission of the Institute, founded in 1993, is to be the innovative leader of economic renewal and growth serving enterprising people and businesses in the region. The Entrepreneurial Fellows Center, started in 1999, is designed to provide the founders and presidents of high growth companies with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the business challenges faced on a daily basis. The program assists entrepreneurs manage rapid growth, develop strategic plans for sustained success, network with successful entrepreneurial peers, propel their businesses to the next level and match business founders and leaders with established entrepreneurial mentors. The curriculum was developed by Institute founder and executive director Ann Dugan, also assistant dean in the Katz Graduate School of Business. Participants in the yearlong program are designated as Fellows. They utilize custom designed programs and materials, mentoring, and opportunities for peer learning and sharing. Each class is limited to 30-35 Fellows and more than 350 individuals have graduated from the program since its inception. A certificate is awarded by the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz School Graduate of Business to all Fellows successfully completing the program. Read the Case Study: http://universityeda.org/value-to-members/best-practice-sharing/awards-of-excellence/awards-of-excellence-2013-finalists/entrepreneurial-fellows-center/

1. Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence
Entrepreneurial Fellows Center
UEDA Annual Conference
October 28, 2013

2. Pathway to Connect Enterprising People and Community to the University
Customized education, consulting, mentoring, peer forums, connecting and community infrastructure
Entrepreneurial Life Cycle
Self funded and continually
innovating
Small Business
Development
Center (SBDC)
Family
Enterprise
Center
1987
1994
Entrepreneurial
Fellows Center
1999
PantherlabWorks
2001
Entrepreneurship
Information
Technology
2007
2007
Agricultural
Entrepreneurship
and prison
release
2009
Institute
Membership
2010
Distressed city
governance
and oversight
2012

3. Institute Impact Highlights 2007 – 2013 (through 9/30/13)
60
60
New
Businesses
Established
Funds Raised
For New
Businesses
(In Millions)
40
20
40
20
0
0
59
57
49
56
39
$28.1
16
$10.1
$9.5
$10.8
12,848
9,948
8,006
10,924
2,524
1,828
2,333
2,413
$6.5
10000
500
Consulting
Hours
0
759
921
968
798
635
824
5000
0
9,626
498
11,012
4,763
3000
100
Educational
Programs
$21
15000
1000
Consulting
Clients
$44
Educational
Program
Attendees
50
0
86
100
76
55
41
56
37
2000
1000
0
2,303
1,417
1,793

4. Implementing the new definition of the
role of Higher Ed
Purchaser
Employer
Redirecting institutional
spending toward local
business
Offering employment
opportunities to local
residents
Real Estate
Developer
Operating
Workforce
Developer
Using university real
estate development
to anchor local
economic growth
Addressing local
and regional
workforce needs
Advisor/Network
Builder
Source: Leveraging
Colleges and Universities
for Urban Economic
Revitalization
Channeling university
expertise to increase
local business
environment
Incubator
Offering services to support
start-up companies and
expedite research
commercialization

5. Entrepreneurial Fellows Center
Founded 1999
“The Entrepreneurial Fellows
Class covers all topics to
entrepreneurs, even some
that we may not think about.
Learning about
governance profoundly
impacted me and my
business.”
-Arnie Burchianti II
Celtic Healthcare, Inc.
Revenue: $50 million
Employees: 200
Market Focus
• Founders and owners of businesses with the following
characteristics
• Minimum of $1 million in sales
• Business has been established for more than three years
• Business employs more than three people full time other than
the founder/owner
• Classes of 30-35 Fellows
Overall Goals
• Education, mentoring and peer learning
Products and Services Offered
• Custom curriculum including strategic and operational
planning, finance and accounting, marketing and leadership
• One-on-one confidential mentoring
• Peer learning
• Graduation with certificate from University of Pittsburgh

6. Custom Curriculum
Getting Ready for Prime Time
Building a Strategic Foundation is the Key to Success
Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Moving from Strategic Planning to Implementation
Keeping Your Finger on the Pulse of Your Business
Financial Metrics and Dashboards that Work
Great Leaders Do Great Things
Leadership Competency: Practices and Styles
“The opportunity to work
with Entrepreneurial Fellows
Center mentors is priceless.
My mentor understands
what I am going through as
an entrepreneur . You
can’t pay for this kind of
guidance.”
Building and Growing Your Dream Team
Your Ultimate Competitive Advantage
Marketing and Beyond: Setting Your Strategy Apart from the Rest
Find Your Marketing Niche
The Quiet Killers in Your Processes
Effectiveness is Doing the Right Thing, Efficiency if Doing Things Right
Developing the Ultimate Sales Machine
Building Effective Sales Processes
- Emeka Onwugbenu,
E Properties &
Development
The Six Powers of Purpose: Breaking Through the Entrepreneurial Ceiling
Moving from Chaos to Sustainability
Ready for Prime Time
How Does This All Fit Into My Life?
Revenue: $2 million
Employees: 4
Graduation Dinner and Ceremony

7. “The peer interaction in the
Fellows Class is informative
and challenging. My
business only had a web
page and I didn’t think it
needed more until a
classmate described her
company’s social media
plan. It made me think
about my business’ social
media plan and how it must
be updated.”
-Susan Ardisson,
bit-x-bit, LLC
Revenue: $1 million
Employees: 8
Results to Date
• Over 400 Graduates
• Over 300 Dedicated Mentors
• In the last 5 years, EFC alumni companies represent a
combined revenue of $1.8 billion and 13,000 employees
• Significant number of graduates and mentors remain
involved with the Institute via the Alumni Association
(2004-2009) and now as part of the Institute Membership
Program (2009-present)

8. A Seat on the Board:
Providing the Voice of the Entrepreneur
Bridgeway Capital
Innovation Works
Pittsburgh Gateways
Pittsburgh Opera
Redevelopment Authority of Washington County
Regional Development Funding Corporation
Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (TRWIB)
TiE Pittsburgh
URA Loan Review Committee
VisitPittsburgh
Washington County Council on Economic Development
Western Pennsylvania Association of Guaranteed Lenders

9. Celebrating 20 Years of Regional
Economic Development
15,000 closely/family held businesses served
•
Supported the creation of over 800
start-up companies
•
Impacted 7,000
•
Obtained $300 million in new funding for client company growth
new or existing jobs in the region
• $245 million in increased revenue reported by client companies
•
Developed and delivered more than 1,400
educational programs
attended by 40,000+ business leaders

10. We are all in this together
Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence
University of Pittsburgh
www.entrepreneur.pitt.edu
412.648.1544
Ann Dugan, Founder and Assistant Dean – adugan@katz.pitt.edu
Dione Cahillane, Director, Entrepreneurial Fellows Center – dscahillane@katz.pitt.edu