Lewis Sheats
Associate Professor of Practice & Executive Director
Nelson Hall 1340
Lewis Sheats is collaborating with ARE’s Kelly Zehring and John Russ to empower students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and students across NC State with interests related to agriculture and agribusiness by providing them a clinical and practicum-based approach to entrepreneurship. The course sequence for the program includes classes such as Principles of Agribusiness Management and Agribusiness New Venture Development. Students learn by working in teams with companies and entrepreneurs to address real challenges in creating new ventures. The course sequence is designed to develop students who will become skilled developers of new ventures; in businesses of all sizes and in non-profits and other organizations.
Area(s) of Expertise
Entrepreneurship, new venture development, venture growth and logistics
Sheats is an entrepreneur and educator. He has identified and developed several unique new ventures from launch to profitability, and has raised venture funding and bootstrapped several ventures from concept to exit.
Sheats serves as the executive director of the NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic, an initiative which exposes students to experiential learning, embeds them in the entrepreneurship community and provides the resources needed to execute their own ideas. As a faculty member of the NC State Poole College of Management he is devoted to preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Sheats is an award-winning educator who was recently named an Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor by the NC State Alumni Association and the 2015 Dr. John S. Risley Entrepreneur of the Year.