Lithium CEO named 2008 Anheuser Busch Entrepreneur-in-Residence
- Feb. 6, 2008
- TUCSON, Ariz. – February 6, 2008 – Online community and gaming expert Lyle Fong has been named the 2008 Anheuser-Busch Entrepreneur-in-Residence by the Christopher and Carol McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship at the Eller College of Management. For two days in February, Fong will work one-on-one with student new venture teams and deliver a public talk about his career and the burgeoning industry of online communities.
Fong is co-founder and CEO of Lithium Technologies. A provider of on-demand community solutions, the company powers some of the largest communities in the world for some of the largest companies in the world, including Dell, AT&T, Sony, Comcast, and Symantec. Prior to founding Lithium Technologies, Fong co-founded GX Media, where he was the chief technology officer. There, he drove the development of Gamers.com, which was rated the #1 independent gaming portal by Nielson NetRatings. He has been the driving force behind the creation of technologies for professional gaming.
“The Anheuser-Busch Entrepreneur-in-Residence program provides students an exciting opportunity to explore and energize their concepts by working with accomplished professionals,” said Sherry Hoskinson, director of the McGuire Center. “We chose Lyle because his career and his company, Lithium Technologies, embody a crucial transformation which we've seen over the past ten years. Ideas like online communities that were once the province of gamers and technologists have become vital to businesses of all kinds."
Fong will present a public talk on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 5:00 p.m. at the Center for Creative Photography on The University of Arizona campus, 1020 N. Olive Rd. The presentation is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the lecture. Please RSVP for the lecture and reception via email at entre.rsvp@eller.arizona.edu by Feb.15.
About the Anheuser-Busch Entrepreneur-in-Residence
The Christopher and Carol McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship annually recognizes an accomplished entrepreneur as the Anheuser-Busch Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Criteria for selection include:
• Entrepreneurial success: growth of an enterprise
• Innovation: creativity and success in entrepreneurial activities
• Enthusiasm: interest in and commitment to work with one of the country’s foremost entrepreneurship education programs
The Anheuser-Busch Foundation endowed this position to support entrepreneurship education and recognize extraordinary entrepreneurial success and innovation. Entrepreneurs-in-Residence work with students to provide in-depth review and advice about the problems and challenges they face in creating their venture plans.
Past Anheuser-Busch Entrepreneurs-in-Residence include Herb Kelleher, chairman of Southwest Airlines; Bruce Halle, CEO of Discount Tire Company; Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinko’s, Inc.; and Jerry Colangelo, former president of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks.
About The McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship
Internationally recognized for pioneering research, innovative curriculum, and distinguished faculty, the Eller College of Management is home to a nationally recognized leader in undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship education. The McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship houses one of the oldest and most prominent entrepreneurship education programs in the country. The center has long been a pioneer in the highly dynamic and innovative discipline with initiatives that have helped to define an explosive industry. The McGuire Center is ranked in the top tier in all discipline-specific rankings and listings in the country and is currently ranked #6 in the world by the Financial Times. The Eller College of Management supports more than 4,500 undergraduate and 600 graduate students on the UA campus in beautiful Tucson, Arizona. For more information, visit www.entrepreneurship.eller.arizona.edu .
About The Eller College of Management at The University of Arizona
Internationally recognized for pioneering research, innovative curriculum, distinguished faculty, excellence in entrepreneurship and social responsibility, and its top-5 MIS program. Both U.S. News & World Report and Forbes rank the Eller MBA full-time program among the top 50 nationwide, and the College leads the nation’s business schools in generating grant funds for research. In addition to a full-time MBA program, the Eller College offers a part-time MBA program, the Eller Executive MBA, and the opportunity to combine an MBA with graduate studies in science, engineering, law, pharmacy, finance, MIS, and international management. The Eller College of Management supports more than 4,500 undergraduate and 600 graduate students on the UA campus in beautiful Tucson, Arizona. For more information, visit www.eller.arizona.edu .
# # #
Media Contacts:
Linda Herrick
Eller College of Management
520-626-2590
lherrick@eller.arizona.edu
Susan Etlinger
Horn Group
415-905-4004
setlinger@horngroup.com
Jory White
Horn Group
415-905-4041
jwhite@horngroup.com
- Media Contacts
- Susan Etlinger
Horn Group
415.905.4004
setlinger@horngroup.com
- Kelly Krebs
Horn Group
415.905.4059
kkrebs@horngroup.com
- Archive
- 2008 »
- 2007 »
- 2006 »
- 2005 »
- Awards
- April 2008
Red Herring 100 N. America Finalist
- March 2008
CRM WizKids Award
- February 2008
SIIA CODiE Finalist: Best Social Networking Solution
- May 2007
SSPA Innovators Award Web 2.0
- November 2006
SSPA Innovators Award Optimization
