Jeffrey Pollack, PhD
Assistant Professor of Management Jeffrey Pollack, PhD, is passionate about igniting entrepreneurial ideas and sparking questions in the minds of his undergraduate and graduate students. Pollack, who was named the Robins School of Business’ Outstanding Teacher of the Year for 2011, started teaching at the University in 2009 bringing nearly ten years of entrepreneurial experience the classroom.
Pollack teaches three classes during the fall semester; Management 347, Innovation and Entrepreneurship; MBA 536, New Venture Creation; and Mgmt 349, a Sophomore Scholars in Residence (SSIR) class called Social Entrepreneurship and Prosocial Motivation. In the spring, he teaches a section of Innovation and Entrepreneurship as well as Management 350, Creating a Business Plan for undergraduate students.
On top of managing an extensive course schedule and advising the entrepreneurship club and microfinance club, Pollack has taken on an independent study course for the past three semesters; Management 339, Successful Business Pitches.
“For this class, I work with undergraduate students on an academic project involving the antecedents of successful business pitches,” he said.
It is no surprise that this dynamic professor and mentor for many students views himself as an academic entrepreneur and strives first and foremost to be the best teacher he can be.
What is your educational and professional background?
I earned my Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University, my master’s degree in Organizational Behavior from North Carolina State University, and my PhD with a major in management and concentration in entrepreneurship from Virginia Commonwealth University.
From 1998 to 2003, I worked with a small family-owned entrepreneurial business, called “The Road Less Traveled.” During this time I completied my master’s degree at N.C. State. In 2003, I started a financial advisory practice with American Express Financial Advisors. As I began my PhD studies in 2006, I purchased a landscaping company, built it up, and then sold it a year later.
What do you enjoy most about teaching within the Robins School?
The people with whom I work—the faculty and students. Honestly, my colleagues in the Management Department and the whole Robins School in general, and the amazing students—what I do would be much less fun and enjoyable without seeing them.
What topics and themes do you cover in your courses?
My goal, across classes, is generally to provide an understanding of, and experience with, the new venture creation process – including the major components of developing an innovative idea into an enterprise. This can entail actually creating the venture and/or writing a business plan and pitching it.
What makes you passionate about teaching entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship, at its core, is starting new things—that is just exciting. So, it is easy to be passionate about such an exciting process—but, hearing students ask the question: “What if?” “What if we did this?” “What if we did that?” I love it when the students start to question the way things are and envision how to do them better.
What is one concept or one theme that you hope every student you teach gains or takes from your classroom?
I really hope that each student I work with learns something that they can apply in life outside the classroom. Even if someone just learns one thing that they can do differently or more efficiently and effectively, I’d be thrilled.
What is something that students and faculty might not know about you?
I have completed multiple triathalons (sprint distance, and Olympic distance), and I have climbed the Grand Tetons four times.
The notion of being an academic entrepreneur creates the framework for Pollack’s teaching philosophy.
“I create a product (i.e., a class) that I hope my customers (i.e., the students) really like,” he said. “I constantly try to improve my customer satisfaction.” His second objective as an educator is to conduct relevant research that appeals to actual entrepreneurs.
“Third, I really try to make a difference in the communities in which I participate—the University, my department, the academic field of entrepreneurship, and the Richmond city community.”