[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/honig_benson.jpg” caption=”Benson Honig has been appointed to the Teresa Cascioli Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership at the DeGroote School of Business.”]How can entrepreneurship help stimulate Canada's economy? Are entrepreneurs born or are they made? What skills do they need to succeed? Can entrepreneurship be taught?

These are some of the questions that will be the focus of Benson Honig, who has been appointed to the Teresa Cascioli Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University.

“As Canada's economy transitions from our historical reliance on resources and basic manufacturing, our future economic prosperity rests with our ability to inspire, support, and develop knowledge intensive industries,” says Honig, who comes to DeGroote from Wilfrid Laurier University. “By embracing creativity and risk taking, entrepreneurs represent one of the most critical ingredients of this cultural and economic transition. I look forward to this opportunity to work with the McMaster community in advancing our knowledge and capabilities to support emergent and existing entrepreneurs in Hamilton, in Ontario, and across Canada.”

In his role as the Teresa Cascioli Chair, Honig will conduct research on current issues in entrepreneurship, teach entrepreneurship courses at the undergraduate, MBA and PhD levels, and assist in the development of future programs in entrepreneurship.

“Entrepreneurs are hungry for results, driven to succeed, have the ability to take calculated risks and are leaders of change in organizations,” says DeGroote alumna Teresa Cascioli, former Chief Executive Officer of Lakeport Brewing, who's $1-million gift to establish the Chair was her first major donation upon establishing the Teresa Cascioli Charitable Foundation. “Students need to be given guidance to learn those skills that many assume are naturally inherent in entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneurial Leadership Chair and future programs will reach and teach those essential skills to assist future entrepreneurs in their leadership pursuits.”

Paul Bates, dean of the DeGroote School of Business, says entrepreneurship is vital to boosting the economy as well as building the school's tradition of graduating entrepreneurs such as Cascioli.

“Benson will play a pivotal role in building DeGroote's competence in entrepreneurship teaching, research and business community outreach,” says Bates. “He will help to prepare the entrepreneurs of tomorrow to support Canada's competitiveness and grow our economy.”