The Academy of Management awarded Kevin Cox, Ph.D., director of the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship, the distinguished 2025 Entrepreneurship Practice Award for his efforts in fostering entrepreneurs in the South Florida region through the Entrepreneur Boot Camp.

The Academy of Management awarded Kevin Cox, Ph.D., director of the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship, the distinguished 2025 Entrepreneurship Practice Award for his efforts in fostering entrepreneurs in the South Florida region through the Entrepreneur Boot Camp.

The award recognizes exceptional contributions to the practice of entrepreneurship either by scholarship publications, the development of an education program, or the development of entrepreneurship in the community.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the prestigious Academy of Management for the Entrepreneur Boot Camp that reaches so many entrepreneurs at Florida Atlantic University and the entire South Florida region,” Cox said. “This is a testament to the integrated ecosystem at FAU seeking to foster entrepreneurs at all levels.”

The Florida Atlantic Adams Center for Entrepreneurship boot camp fosters the next generation of entrepreneurs in the South Florida community through an immersive, hands-on program equipping participants with tools, strategies, and expert guidance to create their own business. Not just for FAU students, the boot camp also offers guidance for all members of the South Florida community.

The boot camp serves as a launch pad for aspiring entrepreneurs upon completion, offering avenues into various parts of the FAU ecosystem. From there, they can participate in the Business Pitch Competition, a four-track competition offering winners seed money for their start-up. The Runway at Florida Atlantic, a start-up incubator and accelerator program, is a next step in the entrepreneurial journey for student entrepreneurs. After graduating, they can also apply to join other local and regional start-ups to participate in the Venture Class Program. Additionally, The Wave program , a student-focused applied research and entrepreneurial program, challenges undergraduates and graduates to submit and develop innovative ideas. The Research Park at FAU, now in its 40^th year, rounds out the start-up ecosystem by providing a landing pad for newly launched tech companies and research-based organizations. 

"It's an honor to have our excellent faculty member, Kevin Cox, recognized by the Academy of Management for his contributions to entrepreneurship through the Entrepreneur Bootcamp,” said Daniel Gropper, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business and Kaye Family professor. “Entrepreneurship remains an established strength of FAU and our College of Business, through the work of Dr. Cox and his colleagues on our faculty, staff, and business mentors. This is an area we emphasize and support for all participants in our university ecosystem. "

The boot camp was also the launching pad for numerous alumni being recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for their businesses: Jan Bednar, Shipmonk; Alex Schulze and Andrew Cooper, 4Ocean; Hannah Herbst, Beacon; Arielle Baril, Rielli; Kyle Lansing, Strawfish; and Maxamillian Sherman, Ballz 4 Change.

Cox was also recently honored by the South Florida Business Journal’s 40 under 40, joining the list of 40 individuals who have made a significant impact in their field of expertise, companies, and communities.

-FAU-