Meet Larry Cox

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Director, Entrepreneurship Center

Associate professor, entrepreneurship

Total years teaching entrepreneurship: 16

Years at Ball State: 1

Link: His profile

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What was it like to be in a Ball State commercial? The commercial was fun, but I think I'll keep my day job. It took 45 takes to get three usable lines…but I felt honored to represent Ball State to the public. It was wonderful to be a part of something designed to attract more students to this institution—it was a rare privilege.

What does "Education Redefined" mean to you? The mere impartation of information is not education, though such one-way communication is the norm in typical university classrooms. Fortunately, Ball State has chosen a different view. Institution-wide Ball State embraces the notion that collegiate education is really a journey in which students and teachers accompany each other in the laboratory of life, learning from one another in the "real world" context—that's education redefined.

In your experience with higher education, what about Ball State makes it stand apart from other universities? Ball State stands out from other universities because of its long-term commitment to helping students take charge of their lives through entrepreneurship education.

Explain what "entrepreneur" means at Ball State. At Ball State University's Entrepreneurship Center, we apply the term "entrepreneur" to individuals who tackle tough problems, work from the bottom up, and craft businesses that creatively solve the challenges of life. We do not believe that the spirit of entrepreneurship is defined by the technology employed or the capital structure of the venture, but by the energy, grit, and determination of the undertaking.

How have you implemented immersive? In my Introduction to Entrepreneurship class, students create a business using only $20 and their imaginations. I grade them based on the net income they generate and the "entrepreneurialness" of their venture. Sometimes, the experience teaches them that entrepreneurship is not their cup of tea. Most often, however, students discover their inner entrepreneur and are motivated to take charge of their lives and careers.

What is one your favorite teaching experiences or memories? There are many great stories and fond memories from the years of watching students start businesses—either as part of my "$20 Challenge" or as a result of the "New Venture Creation" class. However, my favorite memory is of the student who leveraged his $20 investment with a loan from a local nonprofit. He then used his network of friends to help him obtain the necessary quantity of product to sell and his diligence to find the only three-foot-by-three-foot spot on the entire campus where his for-profit business could legitimately function. Every step of the venture demonstrated the student's spirit of innovation and perseverance.