Startup Spirit

Russian Native Sergey Anokhin, PhD, Celebrates Freedom of Entrepreneurship, Helps Students Pursue Innovative Business Ventures

“During Soviet times, ’entrepreneurship’ was a curse word,” shared Director of the Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship and Director of Innovation and Global MBA Programs Sergey Anokhin, PhD, when reflecting on his childhood in Voronezh, Russia. At that time, Soviet citizens working for themselves were considered criminals. However, when the state regulation of prices was lifted after the collapse of the Soviet Union, self-employed Russians aided in bringing the country back from a state of chaos. “Within weeks, empty store shelves were miraculously filled up with everything you needed. Entrepreneurs became heroes overnight,” he explained, “[and] it quickly became apparent that choosing business education was a way to establish a future for oneself.”

Joint Journey

As business-focused professional institutions did not yet exist at that time in Russia, Anokhin instead made the decision to pursue a degree in economics, earning his bachelor’s degree at Voronezh State University. Determined to gain even more knowledge and build a successful career, he went on to earn a master’s degree in management. “At 20 years old, I believed I needed something extra to make myself stand out in the job market. A master’s degree seemed a logical way to do so.” Anokhin also noted that the decision was “incredibly serendipitous in that over the course of my master’s education, I developed a strong working relationship with a leading professor, which led me to pursue a doctoral degree.”  While pursuing his PhD, he was invited to spend a year in the United States through the Russian Presidential Scholarship for Studying Abroad and agreed to pursue that opportunity, not knowing how that decision would impact the trajectory of his professional life.

Mission Mentorship

While studying abroad, Anokhin learned that current Russian business legislation would render his PhD dissertation obsolete in his home country. “I was facing a choice of going back and starting from scratch or starting from scratch here,” he shared. “I fell in love with the U.S., so that choice was easy.” Once admitted to a doctoral program at Case Western Reserve University, which had one of the top 10 entrepreneurship programs in the world, Anokhin established a strong connection with one of the university’s professors, Bill Schulze, who eventually became Anokhin’s mentor. “Under his guidance, I slowly developed an interest in entrepreneurship as a field of research, and all these years later, it [still] keeps me motivated.”

Partnership Pivot

Upon earning his doctorate, Anokhin’s teaching and research opportunities led him to multiple universities across the nation. “I have had the most rewarding career with academic appointments in Ohio, Minnesota, and Silicon Valley in California,” he shared. Eventually, he developed an interest in higher education administration and, after considering leadership opportunities, was hired at the University of Louisville in 2023. “There came a point where I developed an interest in administration as well. The position at UofL offered me a unique opportunity to try myself as a Director of the Innovation MBA – the top-ranked entrepreneurship program in the state and one of the leading programs nationally, in addition to my regular faculty duties.” Upon coming to the College of Business, Anokhin learned of additional appointments as Director of the Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship and Global MBA program that had become available. “I felt honored when Jeff Guan offered me to step up to these new tasks, and I took on these new responsibilities.”

New Niche

“From relocating to a new state to starting a new faculty position to assuming new administrative duties – it was overwhelming at times,” shared Anokhin when reflecting on his initial move to the Louisville area and taking on multiple leadership roles. “As a non-native English speaker, I remember hearing the phrase ‘to drink from a firehose’ for the first time. This phrase sums up my first year in Louisville pretty accurately.” 

While initially challenging, Anokhin focused on taking advantage of the wealth of experience, knowledge, and insights his colleagues shared, many of whom led other centers within the College. “The Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship has a long and fascinating history, and there were many things for me to learn, think through, and find ways to continue and develop,” he noted. “I approached this challenge as a person who works in the education industry would – I used every opportunity to learn from those who have done it before, including Bobby Garrett, Van Clouse, and the leaders of other important centers that we have – Ryan Quinn at the Center for Positive Leadership, Kathy Gosser at the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence, and Candace Bensel at the Family Business Center.”

Expressing gratitude for the support of the College’s administrative leaders, faculty and staff, and entrepreneurs-in-residence, Anokhin elaborated the impact that support has made with innovative endeavors, such as the College’s annual Cardinal Challenge startup competition – the signature entrepreneurship event hosted by the Center. In only one year under Anokhin’s leadership, the 2024 event doubled in size in terms of team registration, community involvement, and financial backing. “I was incredibly lucky to receive the support of our phenomenal entrepreneurs-in-residence, Jack Manzella and Linda Ruffenach. Vernon Foster and Kent Oyler are unbelievably generous with their time, mentorship, and support. Kelly Watson, the events manager, is a force of nature, and her contribution to planning the 2024 Cardinal Challenge [was] enormous. Paula Sacher is doing so much to make sure our initiatives go as planned,” he elaborated. “So, it truly takes a village, and I am blessed to be in the best village possible.”

Long-Term Leveraging

Looking toward the future, Anokhin plans for the Forcht Center to “continue building bridges ­­– across campus and regionally,” through engaging students and collaborating with faculty at UofL in non-business-related fields such as engineering, arts and sciences, and healthcare. Additionally, he hopes to “deepen our engagement with major community organizations such as Amplify, Venture Connectors, and Render Capital.” He also spoke about the continued connection he and his faculty and staff are building with area high school organizations and students. “I would like to build on the progress we have made jointly with the Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs this past year,” he noted, “and to continue engaging with them for the Collegiate Pitch Competition.”

Interested in launching your own business? Learn how we can help at https://business.louisville.edu/academics-programs/entrepreneurship-programs/

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