Steve Lipscomb wants his students at Texas Tech University'sJerry S. Rawls College of Business to understand it's not often a business comes together according to plan.
He knows success stories like that can seem unrealistic, but from his experience creating the World Poker Tour (WPT) in the early 2000s, it can happen – and fast.
“The first three to five years played exactly as I had pitched to our investors,” Lipscomb recalled. “I told them we were going to make this into a televised sport and people were going to flock to it.”
Lipscomb remembers it was like riding a wave as he juggled the titles of CEO, promoter, writer, producer and director, determined to transform poker into a televised mainstream sport. As he gained his balance and began to enjoy the view, he became a huge believer in the art of doing – an endurance race he still enjoys today.
Lipscomb will not only practice this work ethic, but also will strive to “create and iterate” as the newly hired executive director for the Alderson & Griffin Center for Family Business & Entrepreneurship. The center provides innovative networking opportunities, insightful educational forums and discussions, relevant academic programs and applied research to a wide range of entrepreneurs including emerging leaders, successors, senior generations, students and key nonfamily executives.
“The center is an important addition to the fertile ground we are seeding at Rawls and Texas Tech to encourage students, faculty and our community to help us build the futures we all desire,” said Rawls College Dean Margaret L. Williams. “We are excited to have Mr. Lipscomb join our exceptional faculty as an associate practice professor and look forward to benefiting from his years of experience building, advising and shaping successful public and private ventures.”