Entrepreneurship Professor ‘Springs’ into Top 100

PROVO, Utah – Jul 16, 2009 – A Brigham Young University professor was honored by his peers as one of the top venture entrepreneurs in Utah — for the second time in three years.

Gary Rhoads, professor of entrepreneurship and associate director of the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, was named to the 2009 vSpring Capital Top 100 Venture Entrepreneurs list. He was named to the list in 2007 as well. The v100 is a tool used to identify and recognize entrepreneurs with ties to the state of Utah who are most likely to experience successful venture returns.

"It is an honor to be recognized for my entrepreneurial efforts in Utah," Rhoads says. "I love the state and enjoy fostering entrepreneurship at BYU and locally."

Rhoads has co-founded a number of startup businesses, including his most recent venture Allegiance, which provides firms with predictive technology and services for measuring and managing employees and customer engagement to maximize profitability. He has also co-authored two books on entrepreneurship and has been involved as a judge, board member and mentor for startup companies across the Wasatch Front.

Several others affiliated with the Marriott School of Management have also been named to the v100 in recent years, including John Richards, associate teaching professor; Bill Price, executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology; and James Endicott, a part-time instructor and an adviser to the annual business plan competition.

"The entrepreneurship faculty has an impact on promoting and fostering entrepreneurship in the state," Rhoads says. "Clearly, BYU is a major force for entrepreneurship in Utah."

The v100 was created in 2004 by vSpring Capital as a tool to identify and recognize entrepreneurs with ties to the state of Utah who are most likely to experience successful venture returns. Members of the v100 become part of a community of entrepreneurs that fosters collaboration and provides advantages in building and growing companies.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.