The Hillman Entrepreneurs Program: A New Educational Entrepreneurship Model That Partners The David H. And Suzanne D. Hillman Family Foundation, Inc., Prince George’s Community College, And The University Of Maryland, College Park

Abstract

has more than twenty years experience working as an educator and mentor in two industries, first music performance where she was an artist entrepreneur, and now by supporting young entrepreneurs. She provided guidance to entrepreneurs in her role as the program director of the award-winning Hinman Campus Entrepreneurship Opportunities (CEOs) Program from its launch in fall of 2000 until December 2006. She and the faculty director provided the vision that has shaped the Hinman CEOs Program into a nationally recognized program. In December 2006, Karen was appointed the director of the Hillman Entrepreneurs Program and she is heavily involved with setting up the program in preparation of its launch at UM in the fall of 2007.Karen also manages the business development activities of MTECH Ventures and oversees a cadre of educational programs and activities offered through the Clark School of Engineering designed to spur and support technology commercialization through education, networking and hands-on incubation.Karen has professional experience in both human resources and negotiation; she lectures on ethics, leadership, marketing and other business topics. She is a frequent presenter at conferences and has co-authored several papers on entrepreneurship education. Karen has earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Florida State University, ARCM from the Royal College of Music, London, and an MBA from the University of Maryland. She taught at Jacksonville University (FL), and Towson University for a total of fifteen years before coming to the University of Maryland. Her international experience includes a Fulbright Fellowship to London where she studied and performed for nearly three years as well as an appointment as artist in residence at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.