Lisa Tschauner

Assistant Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship

Phone Number: 402.826.2161
Department: Business Administration
Email: [email protected]
Primary Campus: Crete
Credentials: BA, MS

Lisa Tschauner is Associate Professor of Practice in the College of Business. She serves as the Chair for the Entrepreneurship Department. Lisa joined Doane University in 2022 and primarily teaches classes for the Entrepreneurship programs. She is a Doane alumn and earned an M.S. in Organizational Management (2010) from Peru State College. She is earning her PhD in Human Sciences with a Leadership emphasis from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Her research focuses on entrepreneurship education practices and organizational innovation. She is a member of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Task Force, currently serving on the executive team. She is also a member of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers. She is active in the startup community in the Lincoln area serving on the Entrepreneurship Advisory Council for Lincoln Partners for Economic Development and the Economic Opportunity Committee for Workforce Lincoln. Lisa mentors startup teams as they develop their businesses and is an author, artist and entrepreneur. In 2022, she graduated from Leadership Nebraska.

Education
PhD (Human Sciences), University of Nebraska Lincoln, in progress
M.S. (Organizational Management with an emphasis in economic development and entrepreneurship), 2010
B.A. Doane University, 2007

Courses

Introduction to Entrepreneurship (ENT 201)
Creating Management Entrepreneur Venture (ENT 301)
Managing Innovation (ENT 401)
Entrepreneurship Workshop - Go For Launch (ENT 471)
Practicum - Start-up Launch (ENT 495)

Professional Experience
Doane University – July 1, 2022 – present
University of Nebraska at Kearney – June 2016 – June 2022
Owner/Founder – Open for Business Magazine 2013 – 2018
Chair, NETForce (Nebraska Entrepreneurship Task Force)
Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) member

Teaching Experience
Doane University
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Bellevue University
Central Community College

Professional Highlights
Outstanding Service Award – NETForce 2021
Finalist for Outstanding Entrepreneurship Student Engagement GCEC 2021
Leadership Nebraska - Class XIII 2021-2022
Leadership UNK Graduate (2016-2017)
Design Thinking Innovation Certification
I-Corp Mentor for Customer Discovery
NMotion Gener8tor - Mentor
Certified TOPS Facilitator

How did you become interested in teaching?
Honestly, it was kind of an accident. A former colleague asked me to teach a couple business classes as a side gig while running my own real estate business. I immediately found myself absorbed in creating lessons and programs that helped students learn. Being a part of someone’s educational journey is a privilege. And one that I do not take for granted. I love seeing the lightbulb go off when a student grasps a concept and finds a way to use it to enhance their own experience. My favorite format of learning is experiential learning where students learn by doing.

What advice do you have for students?
Make it happen. Seriously, don’t put off the little things. Make the phone call, write the paper, solve the problem. Half of everything is just showing up and walking the walk. It is okay to have a terrible first draft… It is a starting point and can only improve with each attempt and additional work. This is how we get better. Take that little extra step that might be uncomfortable… Again, it is okay to have that feeling. The next time you do it, you will feel more comfortable. This is how we grow as humans.

What is one of your favorite quotes?
I have so many favorite quotes…

“The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.” – Peter F. Drucker. Change is always happening around us. The best we can do is to embrace it and find a way to use it to create positive innovation.
“Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.” – Charles De Mar (Better Off Dead) I use this over and over, especially when working with start-ups. Sometimes you just have to make a move and pivot along the way.