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The Houston metropolitan area is recognized for its strong entrepreneurial environment, ranking third in the nation for Fortune 500 companies, according to Fortune. This business-friendly atmosphere is supported by institutions like the University of Houston's C. T. Bauer College of Business and its Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship.
Dave Cook, a professor at the University of Houston, has been instrumental in nurturing future business leaders through his role at the Wolff Center. Under his leadership, the center has achieved top rankings in The Princeton Review’s Top Schools for Entrepreneurship for six consecutive years.
Cook expressed pride in the impact of their work: "If there’s one thing that I’m proud of here — yes, I like the ranking, the businesses we’ve started and the money we’ve raised, but we’ve changed a lot of lives," he said. He noted that student-founded companies are shaped by their experiences at the center.
Cook's journey with the Wolff Center began in 2006 as a student mentor. He became director of mentoring in 2009 and took over as executive director in 2017. The program has seen numerous successful entrepreneurs emerge from its ranks, including Brooks Bassler and Ody De La Paz.
A key component of Cook's approach is hands-on experience. "When you leave here, you’re not only going to have the theory, but you’re also going to have the reality of having applied it in a real situation," Cook explained.
Cook shared insights into his entrepreneurial background during an interview with the University of Houston. He spent 15 years working with a Fortune 500 company before starting his own food brokerage business. His corporate experience provided valuable lessons that he now imparts to students.
The entrepreneurship program at UH emphasizes character development alongside business skills. According to Cook, early cohorts wanted to focus on values and leadership qualities as essential elements for success.
Mentorship plays a critical role in this program's success. Initially starting with limited mentors per student ratio, last year saw an impressive number of mentors—637—supporting just 28 students. Cook credits this achievement to attracting passionate students who draw interest from industry professionals.
Cook also highlighted how networks grow organically through mentor-student relationships: "Say you have 30 kids... Those 30 mentors say... 'I know a guy who would be perfect...' That network...is all centered around finding extraordinary students."
Reflecting on teaching both corporate leaders and university students about leadership skills, Cook noted ego differences but emphasized building trust as fundamental across all levels: "Once you get that [trust], it opens doors..."
Listeners can learn more about Dave Cook by tuning into Texas Business Minds podcast episodes available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify featuring him outside academia settings.