Wednesday, December 12, 2007

The Generosity of Teresa Cascioli

I've noticed a sudden surge yesterday and today in the number of people coming to this site looking for info on Teresa Cascioli, the remarkable Hamilton entrepreneur who built Lakeport Brewing into an industry dynamo before selling out to Labatt last February for a potful of money. (You can see my previous post here.)
So I just Googled her myself (using Google news) and discovered she has just donated $1 million to McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business to establish the Teresa Cascioli Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership. She hopes that it will not necessarily educate students on how to run a business, but on "here's what to watch out for."
"There are many pressures facing today's entrepreneurs, and the challenges in the coming years will not diminish," Casciola said in a statement. "You face pressure from investors wanting the highest return on their investment with the lowest possible risk; pressure from customers wanting the lowest possible price and the absolute best value; pressure from employees wanting job security. You face resistance from everyone. There is a tremendous amount of skill required in order to navigate these pressures. Students need to be given guidance that can assist them in their future leadership pursuits."
Cascioli (class of '83) says it's equivalent to "putting a coat over the puddle" for future entrepreneurs.

This is the first major donation of her Teresa Cascioli Charitable Foundation.
Congrats to Teresa, for putting her money where her heart is. I will be interested to see what she does next.

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