DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 7, 2011) – Founder of Famous Dave’s of America, Dave Anderson, will share valuable insight and life lessons during the Entrepreneurial Speaker Series, Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
In 1994, Anderson pursued his lifelong passion by opening his first Famous Dave’s BBQ Shack on Round Lake in Hayward, Wisconsin. Reminiscent of the old-fashioned BBQ joints popular across the country 50 years ago, BBQ Shack featured slow-smoked ribs along with Dave’s own secret BBQ sauces. The restaurant was an instant success, serving up to 8,000 people a week in a town of only 1,800. Today, Famous Dave’s of America is a legendary BBQ franchise, with more than 170 restaurants and growing. Anderson has helped found several publicly traded companies on Wall Street and created more than 20,000 new jobs.
Anderson is an enthusiastic advocate of the American Dream. He stresses that no matter how tough things may seem today, if you never give up your dream and work hard, tomorrow’s rewards will always come. Always tackling the impossible, this bottom half of the class high school student earned his master’s degree from Harvard University without an undergraduate degree. As a Native American, Anderson has devoted his life to making a difference in his community and in the lives of others less fortunate. Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network recently recognized Anderson’s leadership development work with at-risk youth.
In 2007, L. Gale Lemerand, a successful Volusia County Entrepreneur and a longtime supporter of Daytona State College, provided an Endowment to the Daytona State College Foundation to found the "L. Gale Lemerand Center for Entrepreneurship." As a component of this Center, the Entrepreneurial Speaker Series complements Daytona State's comprehensive educational programs such as the Bachelor of Applied Science Degree with a specialization in Entrepreneurship, as well as programs and training offered by the Small Business Development Center.
Lemerand’s generous contribution continues to bring to Daytona Beach a series of nationally recognized leaders in industry and government to inspire and educate students, faculty, staff and all residents of Volusia and Flagler counties. Previous presenters include S. Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A founder; Mori Hosseini, chairman and CEO of ICI Homes; Warren Brown, CakeLove founder and host of the Food Network’s “Sugar Rush” program; Cameron Johnson, who has been recognized as one of the most successful young entrepreneurs in the world; Heidi Ganahl, the top dog of Camp Bow Wow – a $40 million leader in the pet and franchise industry, and Andy Smith, president and co-founder of Houlihan Capital.
The Nov. 15 presentation takes place in the Hosseini Center (bldg. 1200) located on the College’s Daytona Beach Campus at 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Seating is limited. Reserve your seat today by calling the Small Business Development Center at (386) 506-4723 or email sbdc@DaytonaState.edu.
-30-
MEDIA CONTACT:
Marketing & Communications, (386) 506-4588, marketing@DaytonaState.edu
A Member of the Florida College System
Daytona State College prohibits discrimination and assures equal opportunity in employment and education services to all individuals without regard to age, ancestry, belief, color, disability, ethnicity, genetic information, gender, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, and veteran status. For more details, read our policy at www.DaytonaState.edu/hr/equalaccess.html
