International Scholar will Lead Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation at Kent State

KENT, Ohio - Oct. 2, 2013 - PRLog -- Oct. 2, 2013 – KENT, Oh --Sergey Anokhin, associate professor in the Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, named interim director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (CEBI). Established in 2006, the CEBI supports research, education and outreach programs that foster entrepreneurial activity in Northeast Ohio and across all eight Kent State University campuses.

Deborah Spake, dean of the College of Business Administration is pleased to have Anokhin at the helm. "To have a scholar such as Anokhin leading CEBI is a step toward the center joining the ranks of the nation’s leading entrepreneurship research centers,” Spake said. “The Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation is a place where students gain invaluable experience from experts by honing their entrepreneurial skills. With Anokhin's extensive knowledge about the entrepreneurial world, both graduate and undergraduate students will benefit greatly from his expertise."

Anokhin joined Kent State in 2006; his most recent research focuses on entrepreneurship and the interaction of firms in the global landscape. He also examines how macroeconomic factors drive corporate innovation and strategy. Anokhin is a regular speaker at academic conferences and has published numerous research papers in leading journals worldwide such as the Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of International Business Studies, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Small Business Economics and others.

“Sergey has been a critical player in the entrepreneurship program since its introduction to Kent State University,” said Pamela Grimm, department of marketing and entrepreneurship chair. “His new role as interim director of the CEBI is a logical extension of his work and the center will greatly benefit from his broad perspectives on entrepreneurship, education, research and community outreach.”

“I am excited to take the leadership role of the CEBI as it establishes itself as a nationally and internationally recognized center of excellence in entrepreneurship research and education,” Anokhin said. “I look forward to utilizing the wealth of entrepreneurship knowledge and expertise of the CEBI associates and the connections, insights and enthusiasm of its Advisory Board, the Brinzo Society members and our academic and industry partners for the advancement of the entrepreneurship at Kent State University and beyond.”

In 2009, the CEBI dedicated the John S. Brinzo Entrepreneurial Lab to create a space where students extend their learning and collaborate with experts in the field of entrepreneurship. Students gain knowledge from business experts, pitch ideas to entrepreneurship faculty and use the state-of-the-art conference room and research area to work on their businesses.  The CEBI is poised to unveil its updated and enlarged John S. Brinzo Entrepreneurial Lab this November.

For more information about Kent State’s College of Business Administration, including the Center for Entrepreneurship andBusiness Innovation, visit www.kent.edu/business.