FAMOUS ENTREPRENEUR

PROJECT

It all starts with an idea...

1. Pick an entrepreneur from the list below or from your own knowledge with the
teacher’s approval.

2. Investigate his/her background to determine the factors that lead to business

success.

3. Include the following information:

a. History of the entrepreneur
b. Skills, special abilities, and interests that helped to make him/her a successful
entrepreneur
c. Personal traits that made him/her so successful
d. The history and growth of the business venture, etc.

4. Develop a PowerPoint slide show and be prepared to present orally.

5. Include the background, characteristics, accomplishments and failures of the

entrepreneur

6. Tell us how they started their business venture

Famous Entrepreneurs

P. T. Barnum Liz Claiborne

Ralph Lauren Muriel Siebert
Fred Deluca Walt Disney
John Johnson Ben Cathers
Henry Ford Bud Hadfield
Andrew Carnegie William Rosenburg
Richard Branson Edward Lowe
William Gates Oprah Winfrey
Ted Turner Larry Ellison
Mary Kay Ash James Kimsey
Debbi Fields Ray Kroc
Phil Knight & Bill Bowerman Charles Lazarus
Steven Spielberg Thomas J. Watson
Dave Thomas Sam Walton
Berry Gordy John Scully
Sean Combs Colonel Sanders
 Many people have dreams. A rare few turn their dreams into reality by
combining talent, courage, and a great deal of hard work. Below you will find a
list of web resources regarding some famous and not so famous individuals
who are recognized for their enormous successes in the business world.
Will you make the list one day?

Ralph Lauren - Polo Sportswear, Fragrances and more.

A short biography of Mr. Lauren, presented as a role model.

Another biography from New York Style Magazine.

Walt Disney - The Man behind Mickey Mouse.

An "official" biography reprinted from the Disney Corporation,

along with a company history
A biography from The Ultimate Disney Link Pages.
A biography from a fan page.
One more short biography from Lucidcafe, a virtual coffee shop.
This link, Walt Disney - His Life and Works, provides a time line of
Walt's accomplishments by year.

Ted Turner - Cable News Network

Ted's Entrepreneur's Hall of Fame entry.

A Student Biography.
A Book Review.

Richard Branson - Virgin Records

Richard's Entrepreneur's Hall of Fame entry.

The ASAP Interview from Forbes magazine.
Richard Branson's Virgin Success by John Shepler.
Many Times a Virgin from Time magazine.
Then Came Branson from Business Week.
Adventure Capitalist: Virgin for Life from Paper Magazine.
A biography from NewsHook. See also the Virgin Philosophy.
Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Virgin Cola.
The official Virgin Web Site.
Muriel Siebert - Investments & Finance

Muriel's biography and a company history from the

Siebert Corporate Web Site.

Bill Gates - Microsoft

The official Microsoft Biography.

The "Unofficial" Bill Gates
The Gates Operating System from Time magazine.
The Bill Gates Playboy Interview
Bill Gates before Microsoft, included in The History of Computing
from Virginia Polytechnic University.

Ray Kroc - McDonalds

A Corporate History from McDonalds.com.

An essay from Forbes Magazine.
If you choose to research Ray Kroc, please see the lab manager
for additional information.

Colonel Harland Sanders - Kentucky Fried Chicken

The KFC Corporate Biography.

Another Biography from a personal KFC information site.
"The Hard Way", Colonel Sanders philosophy. (Be patient, this
page takes a long time to load.)
An inspirational essay based upon Colonel Sander's life.
The World Chicken Festival!

Sam Walton - Wal-Mart, Sam's Club

The Wal-Mart Story

Sam Walton: Made in America: My Story, the listing for the book
at Amazon.com

Steve Jobs - Apple Computer / Pixar

 A Biography, included in The History of Computing from Virginia
Polytechnic University.
The Steve Jobs Helipad, a fan site.
1st Person: Steve Jobs from the San Jose Mercury News.
A Steve Jobs Timeline from The Gate.
A History of Apple Computer Corporation.

Mary Kay Ash - Mary Kay Cosmetics

Mary's Entrepreneur's Hall of Fame entry.

The Corporate Biography.
Another Biography from Gale Biographies.
Mary Kay's Mantra - You Can Have It All - Is the Theme of Her
Book, a newspaper article.

Ben & Jerry - Ice Cream

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Ben & Jerry's from
their corporate website.
A Book Review from Simon & Schuster.

Donald Trump - Real Estate

A Concise Biography.
The Emperor of the East by Roger Gros of the Casino Journal.
A story with many other links.

Wally Amos - Famous Amos Cookies

A short tribute by a fan.

A profile from Leading Authorities, a source for inspirational
speakers.
Another profile from Santa Barbara Speakers Bureau.
A synopsis of Wally's book Watermelon Magic from the publisher.

Some Additional Links to Explore:

The Entrepreneur's Hall of Fame

Part of the Let's Talk Business website, a publication which fosters
entrepreneurship.
The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans
Read about the association's mission, then see their list of members.

Profiles of Genius : Thirteen Creative Men Who Changed the World

A book listing from Amazon.com. Follow some related links or search
Amazon to find more books and information.

TPCN Quotation Center

Get pumped!

The Mining Company's Entrepreneurs Page

This directory page is aimed at would be entrepreneurs, rather than
academic researchers, and is included for the curious