Michael D. Solomon Speaker Series

The Michael D. Solomon Lecture Series in Entrepreneurship is made possible by a gift from Michael D.Solomon, 1974 graduate of the College of Business at Kent State University.  Through Mr. Solomon's generous gift, entrepreneurs are bought to campus to share their experience and students have the opportunity to connect with the world of business and entrepreneurship outside of the classroom.

Entrepreneurs from the community address the audience in both a lecture and Q & A format.  Former guests include:

• Lee McMannis, our current Entrepreneur in Residence.  Lee, a KSU graduate, has enjoyed over thirty-five years of entrepreneurial challenges leading the family race and off-road tire business from its early stage to a global marketing force, then engineered its sale to a billion dollar multi-national.  Holder of two patents in the competitive tire industry, Lee now concentrates his efforts in developing the entrepreneurial spirit in others.
• Karl-Heinz Schofalvi, Entrepreneur and President of Stanton Advanced Ceramics. Karl founded Stanton Advanced Ceramics LLC to innovate a patent - pending ceramic matrix composite (CMC) that has the potential to last up to 20 times longer than traditional ceramics in such rugged applications as steel, aluminum, quartz and glass production.