The University of Toledo’s John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation is expanding opportunities for students to collaborate, innovate and launch new ventures through the Neff Hub for Business Solutions and Entrepreneurship.
The Neff Hub launched this semester as a hub for the industry connections, applied experiences and career-focused opportunities championed across the Neff College of Business. It leverages the college’s proximity to regional businesses to create opportunities for students to develop solutions to real-world challenges. It also supports students in developing new ventures within the Neff College of Business.
The Neff Hub for Business Solutions and Entrepreneurship launched this semester at UToledo’s John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation.
“The Neff Hub for Business Solutions and Entrepreneurship brings together the talent and expertise of the Neff College of Business with the ingenuity of our region’s employers, entrepreneurs and community partners,” said Dr. Barbara Ritter, dean of the Neff College of Business. “By working side by side on real-world business challenges and new ventures, our students gain meaningful experience while helping organizations innovate, grow and strengthen Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. The Neff Hub reflects our commitment to being a trusted partner and a catalyst for opportunity across the region.”
Live Arts Toledo and the Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium are among the inaugural partners for the Neff Hub. Each is enlisting students to consult on strategies to commercialize new technology, including, in the case of Live Arts Toledo, a 3D-printed violin in development by undergraduate students at UToledo’s College of Engineering.
Students will be paid through the college to assess challenges, analyze pertinent data, develop recommendations and ultimately present their solutions to their partners.
“The Neff Hub puts theory into practice,” said Dan Skilliter, head of the Neff Hub for Business Solutions and Entrepreneurship. “Students are applying what they’re learning in their courses to develop business solutions and new ventures, then receiving feedback from our partners as well as our own faculty and staff. The Neff Hub gives students a competitive edge by preparing them to step confidently into high-impact careers that demand critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills.”
The Neff Hub complements a strong internship tradition at the Neff College of Business. It also aligns with a new initiative championing experience-based learning across the University. Applied Skills for Career Experience, Networking and Development (ASCEND) integrates internships, co-ops, clinical placements and similar experiences into the academic experiences of all incoming students at UToledo.
Neff Ventures
The new Neff Hub for Business Solutions and Entrepreneurship is a key part of Neff Ventures, a new holding company also launched this semester by the Neff College of Business. Neff Ventures encompasses several student-led business experiences designed to prepare students for successful careers by providing meaningful work experience and leadership opportunities.
Neff Ventures houses Neff Hub Business Solutions, which connects students to partner businesses to serve as consultants, and Neff Hub Venture Solutions, which supports students to develop their own ventures within the Neff College of Business.
Beyond the Neff Hub, Neff Ventures also houses the Neff Operations Group, which integrates students into the operation of the college in areas like event coordination and social media management, and the Student Managed Portfolio, an investment portfolio managed by students who research investments, develop recommendations and prepare performance presentations to a committee at the University of Toledo Foundation.
Students have grown this portfolio from $1 million to more than $4 million since 2006.
“This is just the beginning for Neff Ventures,” Ritter said. “We’re excited to see what our student entrepreneurs do with the support and resources of the Neff Hub, and we’re looking forward to bringing additional student-driven ventures under the umbrella of the Neff Ventures holding company. We’re committed to creating opportunities for students to experience the business world before they ever walk across the stage at commencement.”
