Anthony Francis (pictured), Managing Director of the University’s commercialisation arm, Flinders Partners, has been named Best Entrepreneurial Educator of the Year at the 2013 B-HERT (Business/Higher Education Round Table) Awards.
The aim of the Award, presented last Thursday (November 7) at a ceremony at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, is to recognise the importance of education in the process of developing and nurturing entrepreneurs and to showcase best practice in entrepreneurial education.
Mr Francis’s outstanding leadership of the development and delivery of three innovative programs – Venture Dorm, Research to Outcome, and Entrepreneurs in Conversation – has earned him a trophy and a travel voucher to the value of $1000.
In addition to maximising the value of the University’s research and spinning out a number of successful companies, Flinders Partners devises and delivers events and training in commercialisation and entrepreneurship locally, nationally and internationally.
Venture Dorm provides an educational environment for people, who want to learn how entrepreneurs build new ventures and then create one themselves. Participants will test a business idea through validation of customer interest, determination of market size, assessment of distribution and partnership options to develop a business model which is scalable and sustainable. The will be guided one-on-one weekly by experienced individuals who have built successful companies or fund them.
Research to Outcome is a one-day program for anyone interested in learning more about the commercialisation process. The workshop is suited to researchers, research managers and government and industry partners.
Entrepreneurs in Conversation, an initiative of the New Venture Institute, supported by Flinders University, involves Anthony Francis interviewing successful entrepreneurs on the real stories of their journeys in becoming successful entrepreneurs. The interview is taped in front of a live audience. Budding entrepreneurs are invited to come along and be a part of the audience and hear our speakers share their stories of fear, strength, humour, resilience and hopes for the future.
B-HERT is a not-for-profit organisation that was established in 1990 to strengthen the relationship between business and higher education.
