Morays' new co-owner want to help young entrepreneurs
April 2, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Miami Morays News Release
MIAMI, FL â The Miami Morays are shaping up to be winners in the football world, and with the introduction of new co-owner, Howard Leonhardt, the Morays will be looking to help young businessmen become winners in the boardrooms.
Leonhardt wants to establish with the Morays the "Young Entrepreneurs-Morays Club," a program to help foster the spirit of entrepreneurship among young people living in Miami. With the program, the Morays will be holding a free entrepreneurship seminar for aspiring young businesspeople at the Miami Arena before the game and will be providing them with free tickets to watch the Morays after the seminar.
"I came to Florida with $600 in my pocket and was sleeping in my car with my family for three weeks," Leonhardt said, reflecting on his early days. "But I worked very hard and grew some businesses that have employed hundreds of people. I want to be able to pass on knowledge from the experience I gained. We hope to build confidence in young people that they can grow a business as well, even with little starting capital, if they have a well developed plan and work hard."
That experience comes from being a self-made businessman. In 1986, Leonhardt founded World Medical Manufacturing Corporation out of his bedroom. A manufacturer of balloon catheters and stent grafts, World Medical grew to 270 employees by 1999 before it was sold to Medtronic AVE Inc.
After the sale of World Medical, Leonhardt immediately turned his attention to his new and current venture, Bioheart Inc., where he serves as the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer. Bioheart's mission is to turn damaged or dead heart tissue into living, pumping muscle by utilizing an adult derived muscle repair cell composition.
An entrepreneur in the true sense of the word, Leonhardt has recently received many accolades. In 2003, he was named the Entrepreneur of the Year by Florida International University, South Florida CEO Magazine, NBC, and Telemundo. The University of Florida honored him with the same distinction in 2004.
"Howard is a determined self-made man, and it is exciting for us to have someone like him on board with the Morays," Oronde Gadsden said. "Every company he has been involved with has been a success, and it is a compliment that Howard wants to be a part of what we are doing with the Morays."
In addition to his business ventures, Leonhardt also serves on the board of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida, the Foundation Board at Florida International University, and is the primary sponsor for the business plan competition and venture academies at these two schools. He also is on the board of Directors of the University of Northern California.
A graduate of the International Trade-Business Program at the Anoka-Hennepin Technical College in Minneapolis, Leonhardt also attended Anoka-Ramsey Community College and the University of Minnesota. He is an honorary alumnus of the University of Florida and received an honorary Doctorate of BioEngineering from the University of Northern California.
The Miami Morays' home opener is April 2nd at 7:00 PM at the Miami Arena against the Lubbock Lone Stars. Tickets are available at the Miami Arena Box Office or through Ticketmaster. For additional information about the Miami Morays, please call Mark Fischel at 305-374-8950 X309 or visit us at _www.miamimoraysfootball.com_ (http://www.miamimoraysfootball.com) .
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