Sun Mar 21 2010
by Holly Schoenstein
Reporter
Aurora -- The city and the College of Business Administration at Kent State University have joined forces and created an entrepreneur-in-residence program.
It is an initiative to attract and foster new businesses in Aurora and nurture students who have the desire to start and run their own businesses.
John Burge, an Aurora resident since 1985 and owner of Holsman Sign Co. on South Chillicothe Road, has been selected as the first entrepreneur-in-residence.
He has almost two decades of experience owning and operating businesses. He was to begin the job today (Nov. 18).
"I'm looking forward to it as being an exciting time at this stage in my career, and me being able to interact with the students," said Burge, 70
"I think there's a lot of opportunity as Aurora grows to attract new businesses to town."
According to Mayor Lynn McGill, five candidates were considered for the part-time position, which is funded by the city's general fund and Kent State -- each paying $5,000 per year.
Dr. Richard Kolbe, associate dean for the College of Business at Kent State, heads the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, through which students get first-hand experience with start-ups.
"He had a mix of all the right attributes we were looking for -- an energy and an availability of time, a disposition to work in the Aurora and Kent State arenas, and the connections within the Aurora business community," Kolbe said.
McGill said Burge was selected because he "has a strong and extensive background in the entrepreneur field."
The entrepreneur-in-residence will give students advice regarding various aspects of launching and running their business, such as creating business plans.
According to Kolbe, there are about a dozen student-run businesses affiliated with the center each academic year.
"The one thing I want to accomplish right away is being able to discuss things with the students on their level," Burge said. "It's been a long time since I've been on a college campus."
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Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3152
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