Collaborative Strategies maintains a strong partnership with Baruch College of the City University of New York through Dr. Thomas S. Lyons, the Lawrence N. Field Family Chair of Entrepreneurship and co-developer of the Entrepreneurial League SystemŽ. Dr. Lyons provides research and development support to the ELS effort. He also advises on issues of system design, policy, strategy, and community economic development. In addition, Dr. Lyons leads the effort to disseminate information about the ELS through an active writing agenda (articles in academic and professional journals and books) and public speaking engagements.

Dr Lyons’s professional relationship with Dr. Gregg Lichtenstein of Collaborative Strategies dates back 18 years to their mutual interest in business incubation. They share a passion for action research and its ability to generate actionable knowledge, which lies at the roots of the ELS. At Baruch College, Dr. Lyons is active in the Field Center for Entrepreneurship, the home to the Zicklin School of Business’ teaching, research and community service efforts in entrepreneurship. The Field Center is building a strong basic and applied research capability, an important part of which will be Dr. Lyons’s activities surrounding the evaluation, development and refinement of the ELS.

Prior to arriving at Baruch College in September, 2006, Dr. Lyons was the Fifth Third Bank Professor of Community Development and founding Director of the Center for Research on Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (CREED) at the University of Louisville.