Testimonials from Delegates:

Dear Dr. Michael Morris;

I am most appreciative of being a delegate at your Experiential Classroom VII. The experience was most rewarding. As a neophyte in Entrepreneurial Education, I learned valuable affirming and correcting concepts, which I trust, set me in the "right" direction. The outstanding classroom sessions and the mingling with the multitude of experienced delegates that took place throughout the event combined powerfully to create a supercharged learning atmosphere for me.

I sensed a sincere and genuine interest in promoting and improving the quality and content of the teaching of Entrepreneurship Education. I was exposed to useful techniques and styles, materials sources, and pedagogies that will enhance my own teaching effectiveness. I believe that I will be a better teacher having been well taught at the Experiential Classroom.

I also found your professional staff and your student support staff to be kind and considerate and most helpful. I found intelligence and a "servant's" heart in every one I met on your team. Their efforts added to enriching the experience.

Again, please accept my most sincere gratitude for allowing me to participate in this year's Experiential Classroom.

Sincerely

Hector Homero Galicia

College of Business Administration
The University of Texas at El Paso

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Dear Experiential Classroom Co-Directors:

When I read the acceptance letter to attend the Experiential Classroom, I was thrilled. After attending, I'm honored. Thank you for accepting my application to participant in this exciting and innovative program.

By Sunday morning, I felt like an over-soaked sponge. You and your colleagues certainly provided a rich experience both in content, presenters and participants. I'm sorry that I did not get a chance to personally say this to both of you before leaving so I hope you accept this as my sincere gratitude for sharing the Dream, Believe and Pursue philosophy.

I will discuss this program with the Department Chair, Dr. Adrian and the Marketing Professor, Dr. Magnini in hopes that others from Longwood can be future participants. Attached are their home pages in case you would like to add these names to your mailing list.

Thanks again for all that you, your colleagues and students did to make these days extra meaningful.

With sincerest appreciation,

Diane Ritchie Howerton

College of Business & Economics
Longwood University

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Mike,

I want to thank you and your staff for a truly remarkable workshop experience. The program, presenters, facilities, and support were all top notch.

Steven W. Pharr

Associate Professor of Marketing
Department of Business
University of Idaho

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Ron,

As I told you yesterday this was the most fantastic learning experience I have ever had. So much so that I am afraid it has turned me into somewhat of a zealot. In addition to you, Lou, Ben, and Gina; I have buttonholed Diane, Eric, Lonnie and Jullette in the past 24 hours. While the work load was intense and there was little free time, I think everyone of our Entrepreneurship and Strategy folks would benefit from attendance. While the primary focus was on teaching entrepreneurship I think in fact, that those of us that have attended should put some type of presentation together just on Experiential Teaching for all faculty that may want to consider using more of it in the classroom. I have used it in two classes already and the student response has been very positive. It could be useful in a variety of settings. I also would like to talk to you some more about Academic Entrepreneurship. I promised you an executive summary, but as I went through my notes I realized there were pages I wanted to copy entirely for you, so the summary report will follow this week as a hard copy with attachments. Again, I want to thank you and the school for affording me this great opportunity. I know it will make me a better teacher and I am confident it will enhance our departments' approach to entrepreneurship teaching too. Must run, I have one more class at 3:30 to put through my new process.

David

David M. Ford

Clinical Instructor
Department of Management and Marketing
Culverhouse College of Commerce & Business
The University of Alabama

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Michael,

I want to complement you and your team for sponsoring an outstanding program. We are in the initiation stage for our undergraduate entrepreneurship program at NC State. Although we have many entrepreneurial activities underway at the graduate level, we do not have formal course concentrations in either the undergraduate or graduate programs. One of my goals after stepping out of the Dean's Office is to launch both undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship concentrations/minors.

The Experiential Classroom provided me with many good ideas that will help us move forward.

Thank you,

Jon

Dr. Jon W. Bartley
Professor of Accounting & Business Management
College of Management
NC State University

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Michael.

Thank you for a wonderful experience. You and you staff could not have been more gracious. What a wonderful program. Your faculty did such a great job, not only in conveying the material, but they stressed the importance of the implementation and how they had successfully accomplished these methods in their classes. I brought back so many new and improved ideas, and ways for my students and myself to be more creative, innovative, and see learning from a different perspective. You are to be applauded for your assembled staff and the effort each of you committed. I also enjoyed the attendees and each of them had so much to offer as we discussed our various programs. I am reviewing all of the great handout course material and the ideas just

get better. I also want to thank The Kauffman Foundation for their participation and especially for their contribution/scholarship that made it possible for me to attend. They are a fabulous foundation and their efforts have made a real impacts on our entrepreneurial students and programs.

Regards,

Mickey Gee

Executive In Residence
Director of Internship Programs and Instructor
The University of Alabama at Birmingham

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Dear Abhijit, Leslie, Michael, Minet, Nola, Rajiv and Susan,

Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936) wrote the recessional:

The tumult and the shouting dies,-

The Captains and the Kings depart,-

Still stands thine ancient sacrifice,

An humble and a contrite heart.

The same author also wrote the words "let we forget!" And in that vain please allow me the time in your day (or eve) to say a sincere and very BIG thank you to you, each one, for the pivotal role you played in the success of the Experiential Classroom V last month. From what I could observe you engaged the audience, surmounted all hurdles and achieved the impossible ---on a daily basis! From my perspective the time with you was life changing, reaffirming and thoroughly enjoyable. I am so grateful that I had the chance to share a little of your road with you and hope I can walk some of your journey and even carry your bags one day.

Abhijit, Well done, and thanks for your ongoing assessment efforts. Leslie, your energy and ability for calm action amidst the storm was wonderful! You are also a budding bus driver who began as "dodg-em car" racer, I can see that. Thanks for taking care of us so lovingly day and night. Michael, you are an inspiration and your passion for your scholarship is enthusing. Thanks to you for your leadership and your encouragement. I strive to emulate those qualities with my team here. Minet, I love what you are about and felt a sense of empathy for you. Keep up the outstanding endeavors. Thanks for sharing some glimpse of your techniques and approaches in the classroom. I really could relate to those. Nola, you are the backbone of the matter and I applaud your achievements. Funding for the operation is key and thanks for sharing some insights in your presentation. Rajiv, I take my hat of to you and thank you for your tireless work in support of the Classroom from woe to go. What a wonderful experience for you and we all appreciated your dedicated work. Susan, good to meet you and good luck in your scholarly advancement. Your contributions were less formal but just as important as others on your team, and your participation throughout the days (seemed like a month so much happened!) was appreciated.

You are together quite an extraordinary gang and your engaging classroom experience has a quantum effect on my own pursuit of learning, teaching and contributing. I thank you sincerely, one and all, for your tremendously successful event. I carry with me some keys to your success and ponder others.

Hoping this finds you all in good health and excellent spirits and send you fond regards from Diane and myself,

Peter Golding

Univerity of Texas at El Paso

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Hi Lindsay,

Thank you so much for letting us be part of an exceptional learning experience.

My sincere appreciation and personal thanks to you, Mike (Professor Morris), Margaret, Uma, Ujjwal, Dave, Casey, and Mike (from Rhode Island) for making my stay and learning so memorable. I apologize if I missed anyone else's name - please convey my thanks to them.

Regards,

Dev.

Dev K. Dutta
Ph.D. Candidate (Strategy)
Richard Ivey School of Business
The University of Western Ontario

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Lindsay,

I just received my box of books and I wanted to thank you for getting them out to me. The clinic was very informative, much more than I ever thought it would be. I came back and completely re-vamped my Entrepreneurial Ventures class to make it more meaningful for the students. Again, thank you for everything and please be sure to pass the thank you on to all.

Dave Causgrove

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Sorry for the belated email, but THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the incredible learning experience. I was honored to be there and appreciated your welcoming me to the "fraternity". I am a better educator as a result.

I look forward to seeing you in future meetings and events. I hope you don't mind if I ask you for advice here and then.

Thanks again,

David Y. Choi Ph.D.

Loyala Marymount

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I have to tell you I keep thinking about the conference and what a fabulous experience it was. Thank you again for giving us this opportunity.

Thanks,

Brent Nicholson

Bowling Green State University

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Thanks sincerely for one of most productive and enjoyable learning experiences that I have had in years, maybe ever. The information, faculty, exercises, and support from your staff were excellent. If you ever need a testimonial, let me know.”

Thanks again,

Lynn Neeley

Northern Illinois University

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The program was wonderful! I probably learned more during this weekend than in most other entrepreneurship learning experience I’ve attended and heard the same comments from many of the other participants. Congratulations on the excellence of your program!

Regards,

Janet Nixdorff

George Washington University

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First all I just wanted to tell you how impressed I was with the workshop on entrepreneurship. It absolutely blew me away! The sessions were all very stimulating and I am already putting into place the things that I learned. I also established some excellent contacts, not only with other delegates, but also with your faculty. Frank Moyes invited me to Boulder to observe his classes as I am teaching our first new venture course next spring. I am planning to go sometime this fall. I only wish I could attend again next year, but I’m sure we will want to send other people. I am now highly motivated to contribute significantly to entrepreneurship! Thanks again!

Again many thanks for the best workshop I have ever attended. I would be pleased to assist you with entrepreneurship when the opportunity arises.

Regards,

Michelle Lane

Bowling Green State University

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Hi Mike,

Can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate having been part of EC4.You, the faculty and your support staff did a simply incredible job. It was an exceptionally worthwhile learning experience. Thank you

Paul

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Mike:

The Experiential Classroom was probably the most influential force in my decision to change careers from law to teaching, which I really love. Best wishes.

Giles Hertz

Xavier University

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Hi Mike:

I just wanted to reiterate my sincere appreciation for all the time, energy and intellectual capital that you expended to organize and produce the experiential classroom. The program provided me with tremendous value, including useful classroom tools and content as well as valuable social connections. It also fueled my desire to continue teaching my marketing issues for new ventures course and sparked a new desire to refocus some of my research energy to entrepreneurial issues.

I wish you and the program continued success in the future.

With best regards,

Dan

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Dear Mike and team,

Being from a small college, we have limited resources for faculty development. Over my 4 years as a doctor student and 2 years teaching. I have never experienced a more powerful or helpful training/conference. You team pulled off an amazing growth opportunity for us/me.

Between Michael’s opening session, Don Sexton, and Karl Vesper, my eyes were opened to the unique and powerful theoretical content embedded in entrepreneurship. Yes!

Ray Smilor, Minet Schinchutle, and Jeff Stamp were amazing. They brought new life into the terms imagination, and creativity. And pushed me in these areas (including reinvigorating my lecture format). Wow!

Don Kuratko fueled a passion, helped direct it, and made me proud to be an entrepreneurship educator. Go for it!

Dave Rosenthal and John Altman helped us see teaching rise to the level of an art form. This note does not begin to cover all that I was able to take from this training.

With profound thanks.

Ervin Starr

Robert Wesleyen College

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Dear Dr. Morris,

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to attend the experiential classroom as a guest. I learned so many useful strategies and projects to implement, compiled a wealth of resources, and most importantly, met some really wonderful people.

In both this program and your WISE program, I have witnessed your magic in producing the most professional, enlightening, and entertaining conferences. You seem to pull it off effortlessly.

Maybe “magician” should be you metaphor-you walk your magic and your audience is mesmerized.

Sincerely,

Linda Dwyer

CNS High School Business Teacher

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Dear Prof. Mike Morris.

As the experiential classroom IV draws to an end, I would like to share with you the impact this wonderful program made possible through 9 months of toll and sweat on your part has had on me.

Teaching and entrepreneurship have been my 2 loves. I spent the last 25 years of my life helping entrepreneurs as a banker and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. Over the last one year, I have been seriously considering going back to teaching. I started my career as a teacher but left because I didn’t have any credibility teaching business subjects as I did not know what the business world was all about then. Your passion and the passion of all the master teachers that you brought together in this program have convinced me that taking the plunge to teach entrepreneurship is a worthwhile cause.

This program has motivated me not to just dream about teaching entrepreneurship but more importantly to work on making this dream to reality. I am seriously considering doing that . Having left formal schooling for more than 20 years. I have some reservations. Which professor should I convince to act as my mentor and supervisor for my PhD if my intention is to teach entrepreneurship?

For my PhD program, I would like to research on global entrepreneurship drawing on examples of Asian entrepreneurs who have built global companies. I had some discussion with Dave Rosenthal on the difficulty I encountered locating case studies and Asian entrepreneurship when I was teaching entrepreneurship to student in Singapore on a voluntary basis. I am considering taking up the challenge to write the case studies myself. I do not have answers to all these questions but in the entrepreneurship spirit, I know that I will find a way. I would really appreciate if you can offer some advice a possible mentor/supervisor for my PhD program who share the passion for teaching entrepreneurship and have an interest in global entrepreneurship and especially Asian entrepreneurs engaged in global business.

Scon Kuan Chen

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Hi Mike,

Thank you for the follow up items. The Experiential Classroom program that you and your team put on was outstanding. The content, practice and relationship building that took place are unmatched in my experience. I hope that the program can be offered to many more entrepreneurship educators in the future.

Susan Duffy

The George Washington University

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Hi Mike:

Let me thank you again for a wonderful experience at the experiential classroom! I had high expectations coming in, as two other faculty from Iowa had attended previously, and the program still managed to exceed my high expectations.

Daniel Cohen

University of Iowa