Prof. Steven Rogers inducted into Minority Business Hall of Fame

4/25/2008 - A tireless advocate of entrepreneurship and a central figure in the Kellogg School’s teaching and research into entrepreneurial practice, Steven Rogers has been inducted into the Minority Business Hall of Fame.

Rogers, the Gordon and Llura Gund Family Professor of Entrepreneurship, was among six leaders honored in an April 24 ceremony at the Dallas-based nonprofit whose mission is to recognize those who further the efforts of minority business. Founded in 2004, the Minority Business Hall of Fame includes a museum that chronicles and preserves the contributions of these exemplary figures.

“It’s a very prestigious honor and a great chance to highlight an important part of our economy,” said Rogers, whose leadership has helped the Kellogg School develop one of the nation’s elite entrepreneurship programs. “Education is key to creating widespread prosperity, because when we teach minority entrepreneurs how to be successful they go on to create jobs for other people.” Rogers added that minorities tend to hire other minorities, thus having a strong impact in bolstering the community’s economic underpinnings. “Strengthening minority entrepreneurship is good for the employees of those companies, good for communities and good for America as whole,” he said.

Rogers, who joined the Kellogg School in 1995 and teaches entrepreneurial finance as well as entrepreneurship and innovation, is a graduate of the Harvard Business School. He has repeatedly earned recognition as an outstanding educator from students, both in the Kellogg Executive MBA Program and in the Full-Time MBA Program. As director of the school’s Larry and Carol Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice, he has helped shape the experiential learning opportunities for students interested in this field, while also building enduring relationships with practitioners, including Kellogg alumni entrepreneurs, who frequently share their insights with the Kellogg community.

The Kellogg faculty member also was instrumental in the launch of an historic joint venture between Kellogg and the Chicago Urban League in 2007. This partnership includes the establishment of an entrepreneurship center to provide resources for those looking to grow companies in the city’s service, retail, franchise and construction sectors. In addition, the alliance is producing scholarship to help strengthen Chicago’s business community. Rogers’ book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Finance and Business: Wealth Creation Techniques for Growing a Business, collects his insights — including his own experiences as an entrepreneur — to provide a practical resource for those seeking to understand financial formulas and how to use them.

Said Rogers: “The Minority Business Hall of Fame is a resource and an inspiration for future entrepreneurs. That mission is one we at Kellogg share, and we believe our efforts to educate such leaders will have a broad and powerful impact that transforms communities.”