The Launch Pad, the University of Miami’s interdisciplinary entrepreneurship resource center, marks Global Entrepreneurship Week with several events, from Monday through Friday, November 16-20, that are geared toward encouraging students and alumni to further their goals.

Opening day will feature Dana White, entrepreneur and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This student-athlete event will be the kickoff for a new program being introduced by The Launch Pad in partnership with the University of Miami’s Athletics Department. Teaching Entrepreneurship to Athletes through Mentoring (TEAM) is the first of its kind, preparing student-athletes for life after sports with an entrepreneurial mindset.

“The statistics are staggering, with almost 80 percent of NFL players and 60 percent of NBA players either bankrupt or in financial distress only a few years after retirement. Dana White is a perfect example of an athlete who turned his passion into incredible success in business,” says Susan Amat, executive director of The Launch Pad. “We are thrilled to have him inspire our athletes to dream—and execute—big.”

Through this innovative program, The Launch Pad will provide student-athletes with access to needed business resources, along with the skills necessary to prepare them for properly planning for their financial futures. Student-athletes who “go pro” will be paired with a mentor, a current or ex-pro, to help with the transition. The Launch Pad will work with these students by encouraging them to make the right choices early on in order to cement the foundation needed to continue their success after they have left the field, court, or track.

During Global Entrepreneurship Week, millions of people will join a growing movement of innovative thinkers to promote entrepreneurial activities around the world. Administered globally by the Public Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., the mission of Global Entrepreneurship Week is to inspire young people to embrace innovation, imagination, and creativity.

At the Launch Pad, which opened at the beginning of the fall 2008 semester, participants learn that entrepreneurship is a career choice, and one that can be started right away. The center offers guidance in learning business basics, developing ideas, networking with industry experts and investors, and strategizing to take ventures to the next level.

All of the events during Global Entrepreneurship Week are open to the public. The events surrounding this week are sponsored by The Miami Herald. A complete list can be found online at www.thelaunchpad.org/news-events.