Matthew W. Rutherford is a Professor and Johnny D. Pope Chair in the School of Entrepreneurship, Spears School of Business, Oklahoma State University.
Question: How did you get into entrepreneurship education? What was your path?
Dr. Don Kuratko and Dr. Jeff Hornsby, my undergraduate professors at Ball State University infused me with the desire to study entrepreneurship deeply and communicate it to others. Their passion and excitement for the subject was infectious — still is.
Question: What is your favorite class to teach and why?
I love my undergrads and obviously my doctoral students, but I enjoy teaching our Masters level “intro” course the most. In this class, I get to discuss both the research and the application of that research practice. The students are extremely focused on startup and that makes for great class discussions.
Question: What does your research focus on and how does it inform your teaching?
Family business and new venture finance. All new and small businesses have issues related to family involvement — it is just a matter of degree and type — and this can be applied to any course. With regard to finance, most students are intimated by it, so it is rewarding to package and communicate this in a way that they see the beautiful simplicity and importance of finance in all aspects of entrepreneurship.
Question: How has membership in USASBE benefited you?
Networking and high-quality content. The meetings provide a robust and fun environment to stay connected with my colleagues and meet new colleagues. In addition, I also learn something from an expert at every conference.
Question: Can you share a fun fact about yourself? Something that makes you unique?
In spite of what many people tell me, I maintain that I am hilarious.
