Dr. Susan Amat named South Florida 'Top 20 under 40' by The Miami Herald

Congratulations to Dr. Susan Amat, executive director of The Launch Pad, recognized by The Miami Herald as on of the top 20 leaders under age 40 in South Florida.

The Miami Herald’s 2011 class of 20 emerging business leaders under the age 40 are a diverse group of entrepreneurs, artists, nonprofit directors and corporate executives from Miami-Dade and Broward counties. They are creating jobs, building housing for the homeless, improving standards in their chosen fields. They are inspiring the next generation with their passion for making things happen, regardless of hurdles in the path.

It seems an odd twist of fate that Susan Amat, a Miami native, spends her days on a college campus. At age 15, Amat dropped out of high school to start a concert promotions company. That business took her to New York and Los Angeles and evolved over the next 10 years into a record label, a TV show and a CD-ROM magazine.

Amat eventually realized having a college degree would open doors. “I now know that dropping out was not a good idea. But it prepared me to say that to young people,” she explains. After earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami, she went on to get an MBA and doctorate in strategic entrepreneurship.

Today, she’s known as the energy behind University of Miami’s Launch Pad, a coaching center that has launched dozens of student and alumni entrepreneurs and has become a model for other universities. In addition, The Launch Pad has hosted more than 300 free, public events to educate and nurture young business owners. “There’s nothing in it for us,’’ she says. “We’re not taking a piece of their business. It’s 100 percent about them. As soon as that changes, the program is done.”

Quote: “You never know who is going to walk through door with what kind of idea. Instead of looking for a job, I’m teaching young people that creating your own is powerful, especially in these times.”

via The Miami Herald