Gary Hoover is one of “Austin’s 30 most influential people” – Austin Business Journal, December, 2011
Your mentorship has served as an invaluable source of confidence, motivation, and eye-opening wisdom – Maria Rivera, Marketing Teacher and Entrepreneur
I am daily reminded of things I have learned from you – Jim Ross, Entrepreneur
Gary Hoover is a man of many, many talents, and I respect him dearly. He is really a genius level business thinker. You guys are super-lucky to have him as a teacher. I had a lot of great professors at Wharton and when I attended Wharton it was rated the #1 MBA program 6 years in a row. And none of them approached Gary’s level of knowledge about business history or entrepreneurship. – Brett A. Hurt, CEO and founder, Bazaarvoice, Inc., Austin, Texas (founded in 2005, now has over 700 employees).
I would highly recommend this entrepreneurship course for anyone toying with the idea of starting a business. Our class met once a week, and I would find myself so inspired and full of ideas during class that my energy would spill over well into the night. – Taylor Journey, University of Texas undergraduate
If you’re thinking about starting a business, I highly recommend taking Gary’s class. You will analyze business models and your business curiosity will be heightened. This will help you better interact with vendors, and other stakeholders. Most importantly it’ll help you understand that although your idea may be unique, similar things have been done and you’ll find the places to go to learn why or why not they have succeeded. – Erine Gray, Social Entrepreneur, founder AuntBertha.com
I have known Gary Hoover for over 20 years. With that background, I can tell you that Gary Hoover is one of the most amazing entrepreneurs and teachers I have ever encountered. He is literally a walking encyclopedia of business history and his story telling is incredible. He is the most prolific reader I have ever met and his ability to not only speed read but retain information is incredible. I consider Gary Hoover one of Austin’s most valuable assets and recommend him without reservation. Whether you are a lifetime learner, an aspiring entrepreneur, or an academic, you will find Gary Hoover as one of your truly great resources and your time spent with him among your most memorable. – Jim Nolen, Distinguished Senior Lecturer, Department of Finance, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin
I would like to thank you for inspiring me to look at life through the eyes of an entrepreneur. Your class was the most valuable and most enjoyable class I have ever taken. It truly changed my life. – Tyler Kling, University of Texas at Austin undergraduate student
As a businessman and a thinker, Gary Hoover is a true visionary. – Laurence J. Kirshbaum, former CEO, Time Warner Trade Publishing
I’ve been teaching at the McCombs School of Business since 1989. I have won every teaching award given by the students. Gary is one of the most gifted teachers I have ever known. He knows his subject cold and has a God given gift of being about to reach students in a way that is just awe inspiring. When you add his passion for teaching and helping people, he is priceless. – John Doggett, Harvard MBA, Yale JD, Senior Lecturer in Management, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin
Gary Hoover is one of the smartest and most creative people I know. – Leonard L. Berry, Distinguished Professor of Marketing, Texas A&M University
This is one of the finest teachers and courses I have taken – and I have taken a lot (BA, MPH, PhD, MBA) and I have taught at several universities. Gary Hoover is a fantastic person, instructor, and mentor. – Blair Carter, Educator and Entrepreneur
Gary brings to the table both an understanding of the applied aspects on entrepreneurship as well as the ability to teach and engage in intellectual activity around entrepreneurship. Because he has started companies, he has an understanding of the entrepreneurial process, from idea to market. Because of his love for scholarship and teaching, he understands how to integrate the practical and the intellectual. – John Sibley Butler, Professor of Sociology and Business, Director of the IC2 Institute and the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Texas at Austin
Gary is a truly inspiring speaker and teacher and I highly recommend any of his courses or talks (or even just chatting with him at lunch!) His unique experiences and his genuine, open nature create an ideal atmosphere for the flow of ideas and introspection. Taking his course on Entrepreneurship last fall was the penultimate push towards me finally starting my own business. – Elayne Crain, Entrepreneur
Gary Hoover is one of the finest teachers I have known – and I have known several as a student (BA, MA., MPH, PhD, MBA) and and as a professor (California State University, Northridge (CSUN), University of Houston at the Texas Medical Center, Monterrey Tech Graduate School of Business and Public Policy (ITESM EGAPP, Mexico City, etc.). Gary is a fantastic person, instructor, and mentor. I learned a great deal from him due to his passion, knowledge,and experience of entrepreneurship as an art and a science – in theory and in practice Spending time with him has been one of the best investments I have made in my life. Mr. Hoover is indeed an “entrepreneur extraordinaire.” – Dr.Blair J. Carter, Founder and CEO, Health Care KEYS.
I walked away from Gary’s classes each week feeling that I had been shown the other side of the curtain. Gary’s passion for both his subject, and for communicating it in a clear and engaging manor has led me to suggest that each student be given an AHA degree. Alumnus of the Hoover Academy is one obvious meaning. But in my, and many other cases from my class, we had an ‘Aha!’ moment. Something that either had not occurred to us, or that we had previously wrestled with needlessly, once Gary described it differently. I believe anyone thinking of starting a business would be well advised to add one of Gary’s classes to their curriculum. – Allan Clark, Entrepreneur
If you have a corporate background you probably already know the value of a top analyst, especially one with personal original research with special knowledge in retail, and perhaps especially with the strength of history, looking toward the future. If you are a small business person then you know the value of hearing from a serial entrepreneur with enough moxie to be a professor. But what if you are from the nonprofit or educational world? Will this course be useful to you? Yes. Innovation, serving people, finding data and using it usefully, understanding the future as well as the past, and charting a course for a mission with passion — all of this is your need that will be met in this course. This course can provide your jolt to next level thinking. – Sharon Sarles, Minister of the Gospel, bootstrap broadcaster, college instructor
