Current and Recent Projects

The projects illustrate the capabilities and mission of the Center.

• Starting and Growing Businesses

  The Center recently aided one young technology company to gain a substantial financial award from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. The work centered on preparing the company's presentation to providers of capital and, specifically, its successful application to the Regional Center of Innovation and Commercialization housed at UTDallas.

  The Center helped UTDallas nanotechnology professor, Dr. Zhakidov, consider further commercialization of his work. In this case, study of the commercialization potential was completed by a task force of four qualified engineers associated with the Center for Finance Strategy Innovation while enrolled in an Entrepreneurial Finance course.

  A feasibility study of the economic model behind a proposed polypropylene plant for alternative energy generation was conducted for a mid-sized investment fund in Dallas.

• Turnarounds and Restructurings

  The Center carried out and delivered a valuation study of an automotive parts distributor that was an important part of the successful turnaround of this company.

• Enterprise and Corporate Transformation

  At present the Center is investigating the optimization of marketing channels for a large multi-national company seeking to strengthen its industry position.

• Sustainable Business

  Our first project will be in the furniture industry in collaboration with Professor Szekely and the Center for Responsible Business and Sustainability. The project is in the formulation stage prior to application for a federal grant.

• Funds Management

  The Center completed a project for an investing group to design a fund making investments in media-based activities.

  The Center served in an advisory capacity to a young equity investment group making its first acquisition.

• Financing Public Infrastructure in Texas

  The Center drafted the "Report of the Legislative Study Committee on Private Participation in Toll Roads" for the Texas Legislature. The report was adopted by the joint committee of the House and Senate chaired by Senator Carona in December, 2008.  The primary authors of the LSC study, David Epperson and Elizabeth Jones, have both been subsequently invited to speak and/or participate on program panels.

• Dallas Arts District

  A project is underway in cooperation with the Dallas Arts District to help formulate useful financial frameworks and structures for consideration by policy makers. In this case, the task is to work on the relationships between City of Dallas-owned facilities and private arts organizations. The ultimate aim is to build a series of better public-private partnerships.

• Economic Updates

  The first of these, an update on Dallas-Fort Worth area businesses, was delivered on June 19, 2009 to sixty financial officers and The Financial Executives International Dallas Chapter. The two presentations included were "The Effects of the Financial Crisis and Economic Downturn on DFW Area Businesses" by David Springate and "Perspectives on Corporate Performance" by Harry Gray of SGG Partners. The second update of the series is forthcoming.

• Case Research

  With the help of selected students, two major cases are currently being drafted. One refers to the takeover of TXU by KKR/TPG private equity interests in 2007. The other concerns the Sam Rayburn - Hwy. 121 Tollway currently being constructed by the North Texas Tollway Authority. The cases are intended to be of interest to public policy makers and private parties.

• Panels and Symposia

  Our next public program is the November 3, 2009 special panel on "Turnarounds, Restructurings, and Distressed Investing". Four eminently qualified panelist from Wall Street, Boston, and the region will be featured.

  Our spring symposium is scheduled for March 25, 2010. It will bring together interested finance professionals, policy makers and academics to consider public-private partnerships and infrastructure development in Texas and surrounding states.

• Customized Individual Study

  Relevant study opportunities have been arranged and are currently being supported in the areas of arts management and enterprise transformation

• Executive MBA Program

  The Center has designed and is delivering a three credit-hour course in enterprise transformation for the Executive MBA program of the School.
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