Distinguished Speaker Series

The Distinguished Speaker Series was established to provide a forum where renowned guest speakers can share their experiences in the world of Entrepreneurship with both students and the business community. Every year, the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship has maintained the highest caliber of speakers encompassing various industries. Common themes addressed in the series are the individual obstacles and failures endured on the road to being a successful entrepreneur.

Our first speaker of 2005 was David Saperstein, former CEO of Metro Networks. This was WCE’s largest event ever and drew more than 1000 people. Saperstein’s address encompassed his life’s journey as an entrepreneur and the many entrepreneurial ventures he has founded, successfully run and eventually sold. He touched on his mistakes, successes, failures and ultimate triumphs as an entrepreneur and as a human being. He ended with an enlightening Q&A session that UH students, faculty and outside business people participated in.

The Wolff Center promotes entrepreneurship through this series by highlighting some of America's finest entrepreneurs. Sponsored by Visible Changes, the series has featured famous entrepreneurs such as David Ferdman, President of CyrusOne, Tom Fatjo, Founder of Browning Ferris Industries, Walter Kase, Holocaust survivor and successful entrepreneur, LeRoy Melcher, founder of the U-totem convenience store chain and Phil Romano, founder of Romano's Macaroni Grill, Fuddruckers and Eatzi's.