BOWLING GREEN, O.—Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo and Gorillas & Gazelles LLC, a Perrysburg firm that specializes in talent assessment and leadership development, have announced creation of the Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence (EBE) Organization.

The group has been formed to pursue a shared interest in fostering and strengthening entrepreneurial enterprise in this region.

EBE has established a Web site (http://www.ebehf.com) and is creating an EBE Hall of Fame to honor successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Community members can use the Web site to nominate successful northwest Ohioans for induction. The deadline for nominations is July 31. Induction ceremonies will be held in November.

“We want entrepreneurs who inspire others through intense vision, who have built and maintained a growing business, who have created jobs in northwest Ohio,” noted Kristen Krebs, associate director of the BGSU Entrepreneurship Academic Programs and Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership in the College of Business Administration.

Debbe Skutch, director of UT’s Center for Family Business, added that small and family businesses are critical to any economy. “By recognizing excellence and teaching those lessons to other entrepreneurs, we can build the type of thriving economy northwest Ohio needs,” she said.

Those recognized by the EBE Hall of Fame will be candidates for potential national honors through the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program.

In addition to creating a hall of fame, the EBE Organization plans to hold a conference for the entrepreneurial community each spring and to develop networking and mentoring opportunities for students, entrepreneurs and business leaders.

“These men and women (in the EBE Hall of Fame) will form the foundation as we build a network of people to whom others in the community can go for help and advice,” said Kati Thompson, a director at Gorillas & Gazelles LLC.

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Media Contact:  Teri Sharp at 419-372-8587 or tsharp@bgsu.edu

 

 

(Posted July 05, 2006)