Mr. Budd is the Program Director of Entrepreneurship and Venture Planning for the University of South Florida Polytechnic, where he is leading the development and growth of undergraduate entrepreneurship curricula and activities. Prior to joining USF Polytechnic, he served as Associate Director for the USF Center for Entrepreneurship in Tampa. While at USF Tampa, he helped develop and implement the growth strategy for the number one entrepreneurship education program in the country, as recognized by The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The graduate entrepreneurship program was recognized as number 9 in the country by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine during 2007.

Steve has significant experience as an instructor and practitioner in the areas of entrepreneurship; strategic and business planning; industry and market research; finance and financial modeling; and, identifying and assessing potential financing strategies and sources. Prior to joining USF he served as the Director of the Defense Transition Assistance Center in Tampa, which provided management and consulting services for commercialization of defense technologies. His Investment Banking and Venture Capital interests and experiences began with The Geneva Companies (nation's largest mergers and acquisitions Investment Bank, now a division of CitiGroup) and Florida Capital Ventures, respectively. While at The Geneva Companies, he was responsible for preparing detailed company valuation analyses, confidential business reviews, and identification of, and positioning for, both strategic and financial investors. His activities at Florida Capital Ventures included reviewing and evaluating incoming business plans for investment merit and projecting investment returns under various financing scenarios.

Steve received his Master of Business Administration from the University of South Florida with concentrations in Finance and Entrepreneurship and his Bachelor of Science from George Mason University with a major in Economics.

How many years did you work in the field in which you teach?
I worked for approximately 5 years in the Investment Banking, Venture Capital, and Consulting industries prior to teaching entrepreneurship courses at USF Tampa in the late 1990s. I remain active as a consultant to entrepreneurial companies.

What is your teaching philosophy/style?
If I may borrow a quote from Dr. Marshall Goodman, my style is more "guide on the side than sage on the stage". I prefer to work with students on applying what they are learning in class to real-word situations, such as through field-projects and case studies.

How long have you been at USF Polytechnic?
Dr. Judith Ponticell hired me August 2006 to develop an Entrepreneurship Program for USF Polytechnic. I am an Adjunct Instructor with USF Polytechnic's Division of Business.

How long have you been teaching?
I started as an Adjunct Instructor at USF Tampa during the late 1990s.

What are some of the assignments you have given your students? What was your favorite?
My favorite assignments (and hopefully for students, too) focus on applying the course material in a real-world situation. Example projects include case studies, feasibility studies, and business plans.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I had the good fortune to be a part of the team that developed the Center for Entrepreneurship at USF Tampa. The Center was recognized as the number one entrepreneurship program in the Country by The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The graduate entrepreneurship program created by the Center was recognized as number 9 in the country by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine during 2007.

Until now, most of my students didn't know...
My wife, Brenda, and I have three wonderful children -- Reece, Lucas and Gillian.

If I weren't a professor, I would be...
A Bluetooth Architect (I'm not exactly sure what this is, but I saw it once on a business card and thought it sounded pretty interesting)

My favorite memory from my undergraduate experience is...
something my wife doesn't even know.

My favorite thing on this campus is...
the strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork that focuses all USF Polytechnic faculty and staff on providing the best educational experience for our students.

What I like most about the students at USF Polytechnic...
is their entrepreneurial spirit.