Alberto-Culver Company Founder Pledges Additional $2 Million to
SDSU Entrepreneurial Management Center

Contact: Randy Carmical, Director of Communications
(619) 594-0206 Randy.Carmical@sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Thursday, July 12, 2007- Leonard H. Lavin, founder and chairman emeritus of the Alberto-Culver Company, has pledged an additional $2 million to the San Diego State University Entrepreneurial Management Center (EMC). The pledge is payable over a five-year period. Lavin had previously pledged $1 million to the Center in 2005, a gift payable over 10 years.

 Lavin has served as “Entrepreneur-in-Residence” at SDSU since spring 2005 and continues to share his expertise with students and on-the-job knowledge that they will need to run successful businesses. He was a finalist judge for SDSU’s annual international business plan competition, Venture Challenge, and was a featured speaker at the EMC's Business Forum on the topic "Are you a business or a family first?"

“The SDSU EMC has proven that it is a great asset to Southern California through its various programs which involve both students and the business community,” Lavin said. “Through my continued support, the EMC will be better able to fulfill its mission and assist deserving students.”

Lavin has had a distinguished career as head of a Fortune 1000 company, with over 50 years of knowledge and experience in various industries. In 1946, Lavin joined Halgar, Inc., a company specializing in toiletry products. There, he was instrumental in building the company into one of the leaders in its field. He then formed the Excello Sales Agency, where he gained exclusive advertising and sales rights for “Stop-It” spray deodorant that went on to become the
number one product of its kind in the country. He later bought Alberto-Culver Company in 1955 for $400,000 and turned it into a multi-billion dollar company. By positioning his products and making innovative use of television advertisements, Lavin has supplied the world with some of the most well known hair, skin and personal care products.

Sanford Ehrlich, executive director of the EMC, said, “It's a great honor to have someone of Mr. Lavin's vast experience working with our entrepreneurship students. His gift will go toward building an innovative program to provide mentorship and internship experiences for students pursuing new venture opportunities.”

Lavin’s gift will go toward helping students in the following programs:

• The Lavin VentureStart Fellows, a program which will provide seed money to students starting their own businesses;

• The Distinguished Entrepreneur Lecture Series, which will bring key business leaders to campus;

• The VentureStart Internship Program, giving students employment-learning opportunities; and

• Student site visits to emerging companies.

About the EMC
San Diego State University’s EMC (www.sdsu.edu/emc) is dedicated to providing the regional entrepreneurial community with tools and skills necessary for venture creation and growth. The privately-funded center promotes better knowledge and understanding of the entrepreneurial process through experiential learning.

About the College of Business Administration
With over 6,000 students, the SDSU College of Business is one of the largest business schools in the U.S. Its programs in undergraduate international business and graduate entrepreneurship are ranked among the top programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu/business.

About SDSU
San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region.  Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 72 areas and doctorates in 16 areas.  SDSU’s more than 34,000 students participate in academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future.  For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.