Dr. Eric Liguori is a professor in the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center at The University of Tampa. He also teaches innovation and entrepreneurship in Aalto University's Global Bachelor's Program in International Business. Liguori works daily to help students and startups succeed. He's on the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship's Board of Directors, the National Faculty Advisory Council of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization, is Co-Director of the Entrepreneurship Education Project, and is a Startup Weekend, Startup Week, and 1 Million Cups Community Organizer in Tampa, FL. Liguori's been quoted or featured in USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, The Tampa Tribune, The Business Journal, and on Forbes. com, Monster.com, Digiday.com, ABC30, and LinkedIn Pulse. Liguori is the recipient of the 2014 Lyles Center Entrepreneurship Education Excellence Award, a student-chosen award given to the individual who has made the largest impact in the lives of entrepreneurship students. He is also the recipient of the 2015 Small Business Institute Best Conceptual Research Paper Award, the 2014 Southern Management Association Outstanding Strategy Paper Award, and took 3rd place in the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence's 2012 National Experiential Entrepreneurship Education Competition. In their own words, here is what Liguori's students have to say about him: "Professor Liguori is, bar none, the best professor I have had in my college career. He has been an absolute game-changer for me and the direction of my business. He is completely dedicated to each and every student and will stop at nothing to help one achieve the goals set ahead of them." - Laura Facciani Sanford, Class of 2013 "Dr. Liguori is by far one of the best professors I've had the honor of meeting outside of the classroom. His overall enthusiasm and drive keep him busy and he never avoids a challenge. He is very friendly and knows exactly what he's talking about. By far one of the most influential people in my life!" - Gurbhupinder "Gary" Sahota, Class of 2013 "Dr. Eric Liguori has truly facilitated entrepreneurship inside the Fresno State campus, more so than anybody else. Whether organizing a global event like Startup Weekend or leading Fresno State's Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO) to numerous national awards, Eric has helped foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship inside the Fresno State campus. In a school better known for its achievements in the agricultural industry, Eric has inspired a movement in entrepreneurial education that has seen a number of student-run businesses take off." - Renan de Lima, Class of 2015
