History
The Tampa Bay Ecosystem Study was funded in 2016 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (Kansas City) and conducted through the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center, Sykes College of Business, University of Tampa. The research team included Zoltan Acs (George Mason U), David Audretsch (Indiana University), Diana Hechavarria (University of South Florida), Siri Terjesen (American University) and Rebecca White (University of Tampa).
The purpose of the study was two-fold. First, the team sought to expand the limited current theory in entrepreneurial ecosystems. Second, the project sought to better understand the specific state of the ecosystem in Tampa Bay and create a baseline for future research.
Since the initial study, Professors Rebecca White, James W. Walter Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship and director of the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center; Speros Margetis, professor of finance; and Thomas Pittz, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship have published reports that track the growth and energy of today’s ecosystem and have compared it to the findings of the original Kauffman Foundation study.
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The John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center teaches skills critical for anyone who aspires to be an entrepreneur or think like one and to conduct leading-edge research in this area. Through a combination of classroom study and applied learning, our program develops innovative, qualified business leaders with the skills to make their visions a reality.
About the Lowth Center ▸
Research Team
Rebecca J. White, Ph.D.
Professor, Entrepreneurship
Rebecca J. White, Ph.D.
Rebecca J. White is the Walter Chair of Entrepreneurship, professor of entrepreneurship and director of the Entrepreneurship Center at The University of Tampa. She received an MBA and a doctorate in strategic management from Virginia Tech University and a bachelor's degree from Concord University. Her primary research and teaching interests are in opportunity recognition and developing an entrepreneurial mindset. White has more than 25 years of experience in education, training, coaching and mentoring. Through her company, WhiteBoard Advising, she works with founders, business owners and top management teams throughout the life of the business. Her model helps owners and top management teams recognize and take advantage of opportunities at each stage of the business life cycle and to adapt and develop their personal leadership styles and skills and those of the top management team, advisory boards and directors to the business stage and the strategic goals of the company and owner(s)… Read More
Education
VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY
Doctor of Philosophy, 1994
VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY
Master of Business Administration, 1980
CONCORD UNIVERSITY
Bachelor of Science, 1978
Activities & Affiliations
• Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Center Directors, Member
• EnFactor Podcast, Host
Board Membership
• Marine Max HZO, Director
• Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Board Secretary
• John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center Advisory Board
Speros Margetis, Ph.D.
Professor, Finance
Speros Margetis, Ph.D.
Speros Margetis, SAP Certified Business Associate, is a professor of finance at The University of Tampa. He has been with The University of Tampa since 2002. His research interests include private equity, corporate finance and international finance. He has published in a variety of journals including the Journal of Private Equity, Journal of Financial Education, Journal of Instructional Techniques in Finance, Multinational Financial Management Journal, Journal of Finance Case Research and Managerial Finance. Margetis teaches a variety of courses including new venture capital and alternative investment strategies, international finance and applied corporate finance using SAP. Margetis combines his knowledge of finance and technical expertise in SAP ERP to provide students and businesses the ability to use real time information to maximize the value of the enterprise. Current research and consulting provides insight into enhancing the firm's return on the investment into an enterprise resource platform, specifically SAP ERP. Understanding business models and how value is created by the enterprise is essential in utilizing the capabilities of SAP to capture efficiencies in business processes… Read More
Education
University of South Florida
Doctor of Philosophy, 2004
University of South Florida
Master of Business Administration, 1997
University of Florida
Bachelor of Science, 1993
Activities & Affiliations
• Southern Finance Association, Member
• America's SAP Users Group (ASUG), Member
Board Membership
• Academy of Economics and Finance
Thomas Pittz, Ph.D.
ASSistant Professor, Management
Thomas Pittz, Ph.D.
After nearly two decades of industry experience, including the launch of two entrepreneurial ventures, Dr. Thomas Pittz received his Ph.D. from NMSU and has taught undergraduate, graduate, and executive level students in entrepreneurship, strategy, and innovation. Dr. Pittz conducts his research at the nexus of strategy and entrepreneurship and is interested in exploring how firms build and perpetuate a culture of innovation. His research broadly focuses on external knowledge exploration and exploitation, strategic openness, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and collaboration across market sectors where diverse knowledge structures can coalesce to produce novel solutions and systemic change. He has published numerous peer-reviewed books and journal articles on topics such as absorptive capacity in public-private partnerships, entrepreneurial boundary conditions in constrained marketplaces, risk sharing in strategic contracting, and micro foundations of collective entrepreneurship. His work has been published in outlets such as the Journal of Business Ethics, Small Business Economics, the Journal of Small Business Management, Management Decision, Studies in Higher Education, and the International Journal of Project Management, to name a few… Read More
Education
NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY
Doctor of Philosophy, 2015
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT COLORADO SPRINGS
Master of Business Administration, 1998
ST. OLAF COLLEGE
Bachelor of Arts, 1995
Activities & Affiliations
• Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy, Associate Editor
• Management Decision, Editorial Review Board
• Academy of Management, Member
• International Council of Small Business, Member
• UT Skydiving Club, Faculty Advisor
Board Membership
• The United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), Vice President
• Mindful Nutrition & Health, Chairman
• Etre, Paint22, Colage, Loving Life Today, Member
• Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Board Secretary
• John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center Advisory Board