In February, Dr. Brett Smith, the founding director of the Center for L.I.F.E., and Dr. Cory Driver, the center’s managing director, presented at the annual conference of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). USASBE’s mission is to empower educators with the tools, resources, and community needed to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. Dr. Smith’s session was titled “No Longer a Leap of Faith: The Emerging Field of Faith and Entrepreneurship,” and Dr. Driver presented on “Teaching Entrepreneurship and Faith.”

The Center was recognized with USASBE’s Emerging Model Program Award at the conference. Dr. Smith remarked, “L.I.F.E. is not about me, our center, or our university. . . . It is about the entire emerging field of F+E across higher education. Over 800 scholars from more than 30 countries have participated in the research conference, sharing their work: Over 185 faculty have participated in the teaching conference, sharing their courses and approaches.”

Photo Credit: Yash Photos

Dr. Don Kurtako, a prominent scholar and national leader in the field of entrepreneurship, remarked,

“The Center for L.I.F.E. is a ‘game changer’ in the field of entrepreneurship. It brings together research, teaching, and practice on faith and entrepreneurship.”

About the growing field, Dr. Smith said,

“There is an emerging field of faith and entrepreneurship. It is important, regardless of one’s own faith. It complements an economic perspective and answers questions that are difficult to explain from an economic perspective. It is increasing in practice. It has grown exponentially over the last few years and appears to be accelerating across higher education. It is having a profound influence on the opportunities, resources, and teams that entrepreneurs are pursuing.”

The Center for L.I.F.E. is an initiative of the John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship at Miami University.