KENT, Ohio – The Kent State College of Business Administration announces alumnus Craig Lucas ’86 as the featured executive for the spring 2019 Michael D. Solomon Entrepreneurship Speaker Series.
The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at the Kent State Hotel and Conference Center.
Lucas, a 1986 Kent State marketing graduate, is the Founder of Authenica, an organization focused on educating and inspiring others through the creation of “hard to replicate” experiences centered on showcasing excellence as a means of differentiation. Lucas spent the first 18 years of his professional life in the financial services industry where he built a team of 10 and a $900 million book of business that featured high-profile relationships with the NFL Players Association and other notable organizations. In recent years, he helped build Corporate United (now branded OMNIA Partners) into the largest Group Purchasing Organization focused on Corporate America.
Through Authenica, Lucas has hosted nine Excellence experiences to date with more than 600 company owners, C-Level executives and Centers of Influence participating in events. In August 2017, Lucas premiered his film “Masterpiece” at The Pro Football Hall of Fame. The film features content from past events and a storyline that honors the “in between,” the bridge between extreme adversity and triumph.
Lucas’ most recent experience, “Southern Excellence,” was held at The Cloister on Sea Island, Georgia and included Kent State graduate and 2003 British Open Champion Ben Curtis. In June, Lucas will host “Blue Ridge Excellence” at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
Presenters at Lucas’ events have included:
- Mark McGinnis, retired Navy SEAL
- Ted Carter, Vice Admiral, United States Naval Academy
- Jay Silveria, Lt. General, Air Force Academy
- Anthony Munoz and Bruce Matthews, Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jackets
- Sara Harvey, Chief Operating Officer of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing
- Brad Dickerson, Former CFO & COO of Under Armour, now CEO of Blue Apron and
- Debbie Phelps, educator and mother of Michael Phelps
Lucas has served on numerous non-profit boards during his 30-year professional career and enjoys connecting with those interested in the authentic pursuit of personal and professional achievement.
“We are pleased to welcome Craig Lucas back to Kent to share his inspirational story,” said Deborah F. Spake, dean of Kent State’s College of Business Administration. “His experience in leadership and entrepreneurial mindset will encourage Kent State students and area business leaders to reach their highest potential.”
The Michael D. Solomon Entrepreneurship Speaker Series brings experienced entrepreneurs to campus each semester to share their story and professional insights with students and community members. This endowed program is supported by the Kent State College of Business Administration alumnus Michael D. Solomon.
The event is free and open to the public. To register for the event, visit .
For more information about Kent State’s College of Business Administration, visit www.kent.edu/business.
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Media Contacts:
Joni Bowen, jbowen1@kent.edu, 330-672-1279