Fostering Entrepreneurs, and Trying to Revive a City – Bizdom U

Bizdom U http://www.bizdom.com/ is the brainchild of Dan Gilbert, a Motor City native who is founder and chairman of the online mortgage lender Quicken Loans. He also hopes to help revitalize his hometown.

Mr. Gilbert, who owns the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team, is hardly the first wealthy businessman to promote entrepreneurship. Among others, he joins self-made businessmen like Clayton Mathile, the former owner of Iams who also founded Aileron http://www.aileron.org/ , an academy in Dayton, Ohio, that helps small-business owners with strategic planning; Adeo Ressi, who after a series of lucrative start-ups began the Founder Institute http://www.founderinstitute.com/ to mentor promising entrepreneurs; and Jeff Sandefer, the energy mogul behind the Acton School of Business http://www.actonmba.org/ in Austin, Tex.

Pamela Ryckman

Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/business/smallbusiness/24sbiz.html?adxnnl=1&ref=business&adxnnlx=1277395639-VOI8GnWVWoL8VMJbh1iLUg