Michael W. Fountain, PhD., MBA.
Director, Center for Entrepreneurship,
John & Beverley Grant Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship,
Professor, Industrial & Management Systems Engineering,
Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine

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Dr. Fountain currently serves as the Founding Director of the University of South Florida’s (USF) university-wide Center for Entrepreneurship, which delivers both the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship and the Master of Science Degree in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies.  He holds faculty appointments across the Colleges of Business, Medicine and Engineering. Under Dr. Fountain’s direction, the Center for Entrepreneurship has developed national and international prominence as evidenced by top national awards in 2004, 2005, and 2006 and the number 9 ranking by Princeton Review of graduate entrepreneurship education programs in 2007.  

Dr. Fountain has focused the past twenty-five years on creating, financing, growing and harvesting biotechnology, medical device and life science companies. In his career prior to coming to USF, Dr. Fountain founded or co-founded seven new ventures, three of which became publicly traded companies. During his corporate career he as served in a variety of leadership roles including Chief Scientific Officer, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Dr. Fountain was a pioneer in the field of development and application of the use of phospholipids in micro- and nano-particle technologies for drug encapsulation.   He has successfully patented and commercialized numerous innovative medical and diagnostic products for the domestic and international marketplace, including sustained release anti-cancer drugs, genetically engineered diagnostic products for autoimmune diseases, microencapsulated dermatologic products and advanced subunit vaccine products for prevention human and animal infectious disease.  

Dr. Fountain received his Honors BS from Samford University, his MS and PhD from Auburn University and his MBA from Bristol University. In addition, he completed advanced studies in Education Theory at the University of South Florida.

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Sean Lux is a visiting instructor at the University of South Florida’s Center for Entrepreneurship. He has a PhD in Management from Florida State University where he has taught Business Strategy and Policy and Contemporary Leadership. He earned his MBA from the University of South Florida and a BS in Civil Engineering from Norwich University. Sean then received his commission in the U.S. Army and served with the 1^st Battalion, 27^th Infantry, 1^st Battalion, 8^th Field Artillery, and 2^nd Battalion, 505^th Parachute Infantry. He has also held positions in companies ranging from high tech entrepreneurial startups to the Fortune 500 gaining experience in marketing, operations, audit, and general management. Sean’s research interests include the role of personality characteristics and social networks in opportunity recognition and exploitation, entrepreneurial strategy formulation, and the role of firms in shaping society.