“Getting in on the ground floor …”

The real key to being a successful entrepreneur is to invest in great ideas, invest in them early in their development and follow through with them passionately. That’s the way I think about the University of South Florida. We have come so far in such a short time, and we have almost limitless potential to be a positive force in Tampa Bay, in Florida and far beyond.

In the Tampa Bay region, USF is a tremendous economic driver as an employer, as a supplier of exceptional human capital and as a partner with the business community. Outside of Florida, our impact is being felt across the nation and overseas as we share the knowledge and solutions our researchers and students are producing.

USF played an important role in my life. It was at USF that I not only met and married Pam, my wife of 44 years, but also where I learned what I consider to be the most important skill set any of us have—the desire to learn and keep on learning. It is that skill set and the USF-instilled career goal of building something of lasting value that I used to launch my career.

The success of the University of South Florida has changed, and will continue to change, the world around us. In business, in the arts, in the sciences—all have been strengthened by the nation’s ninth largest university. Think about being an entrepreneur, supporting your university and “getting in on the ground floor” of something that will grow in relevance and impact with each passing year. Please join me in giving to the USF: Unstoppable Campaign.

Les Muma
Chair, USF: Unstoppable