CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. (Nov. 29, 2022) — Thomas More University announces Jeni Al Bahrani ’05 as the inaugural director of the Dr. Anthony ’65 & Geraldine ’66 Zembrodt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The Center provides an incubator space for students, faculty, and staff to explore and test ideas before advancing them as initiatives. “We are thrilled to welcome Jeni Al Bahrani to Thomas More University as director of the newly established Dr. Anthony ’65 & Geraldine ’66 Zembrodt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation,” says University President, Joseph L. Chillo, LP.D. “Thomas More University is quickly becoming the innovation destination for young entrepreneurs looking for resources to develop their ideas in an academic environment, and Mrs. Al Bahrani brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to support and grow these initiatives in northern Kentucky and the greater Cincinnati region.”

Al Bahrani comes to Thomas More from Transylvania University, where she was hired to start the inaugural Center for Entrepreneurship. There she assisted aspiring entrepreneurs to start a business, existing business owners to grow their business, and corporations to use innovation as a driver to define and redefine business models. “As an alumna, I am a product of the Thomas More mission, and I know its Catholic Liberal Arts degree is about more than a mission,” explains Al Bahrani, “it’s also about how you will use your education in your professional and personal life. I am thrilled to lead the Center as a way to complement majors in all of the University’s academic colleges and to promote the applications of entrepreneurial concepts in support of each student’s passion, regardless of major.”

“Mrs. Al Bahrani brings a wealth of experience in creating entrepreneurial programs, as well as drive, determination, and an understanding of the importance of the entrepreneurial mindset to all aspiring leaders and businesspeople,” says Bruce Rosenthal, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business. “Under Mrs. Al Bahrani’s leadership Thomas More students will learn the value of challenging the status quo, tangible and transferrable skills to make meaningful contributions to a variety of organizations, and how to find their passion.”

The Dr. Anthony ’65 & Geraldine ’66 Zembrodt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation was established to foster academic excellence and innovation, one of the goals set forth in Thomas More’s five-year Strategic Plan: Lighting the Way. The Center will increase the potential for entrepreneurialism as it relates to student success both in the classroom and post-graduation from Thomas More University. “After meeting with Jeni and understanding her approach to engaging students we became excited about the possibilities,” says Anthony ’65, Ph.D., and Geraldine ’66 Zembrodt. “We know that we need innovation not only in the population at large but in the way we teach it. The future of Thomas More University relies not only in its rich past but always challenging the status quo. Jeni is the way of the future.”

For more information about Thomas More University, visit www.thomasmore.edu.

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About Thomas More University

For 100 years, Thomas More has created a university for the student who wants to Be More, Do More, Seek More, Win More, Achieve More, and Create More. Since its founding in 1921, Thomas More has provided a mission-driven, liberal arts education that is based in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Students learn to harness the power of human reason to solve problems and discover truth, which allows them to begin the journey to become the person they were created to be. Entering into the second century, it’s time for More. Serving more than 2,000 students, Thomas More aspires to be the premier Catholic university in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region, build upon its excellent return on investment (ranked #1 among private universities/colleges in Kentucky by MSN Money in 2021 and ranked #2 for long term gain in Kentucky by a 2022 Georgetown University study) and share with this generation the transformative power of the Thomas More experience. To find out more, visit thomasmore.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyna Kelley, director of communications and PR, kelleyl@thomasmore.edu, 859.344.3309