Todd Barnum

Background

Todd Barnum serves as Senior Lecturer at the Max Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University, having joined the faculty in 2008. Mr. Barnum teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in the subjects of new business creation and entrepreneurship.

Professor Barnum developed his courses through current literature as well as extensive experience in the business arena. After graduating from Michigan State University with a BA in business he began his business career as a department store buyer with the F&R Lazarus company in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Barnum, while running the largest volume women’s department in the chain, left Lazarus after 6 years. He teamed with a local entrepreneur and they bought a small bar in German Village in Columbus. In 1970 they converted the bar into a successful restaurant named Max & Erma’s. While experimenting with other restaurant concepts such as fine dining and fast food they began to grow the Max and Erma’s concept. Mr. Barnum assumed the title of President in 1977. They took the company public in 1983 with sales of approx. $10,000,000. During that period of time, Mr. Barnum attended Harvard University, Smaller Company Management program. Mr. Barnum bought out his partner and became CEO and Chairman in 1986 when the company had 13 restaurants. He and his team began an aggressive growth and in 2006 he sold the chain. At that time systemwide sales were $225,000,000 with 77 corporate restaurants and 20 franchise locations. Shortly after his retirement from the company he began his teaching career. Mr. Barnum has had considerable business experience with his membership on numerous boards.

Areas of Expertise

Business Development Value Creation Team Development Ethics Financial Managemetn Governance Franchising Planning

Education

B.A. Business, Michigan State University Harvard University, Smaller Company Management Program

Courses

BUSADM 3531 Entrepreneurship and Innovation: General, StartupBased Entrepreneurship

Transformation of knowledge captured through creative, personcentered design into conceptual, viable, commercial concepts in the area of product/service based general entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial startups. Examination of a variety of business models appropriate for commercializing product/service based conceptualizations. Prereq: 3510, and Design 2700 and MechEng or ISE 5682.

BUSMHR 3510 Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Examines the many dimensions of new business creation and the fostering of innovation. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 490, 490.01, 3510.01 or 3510.02.

BUSMHR 3510.01 Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Examines the many dimensions of new business creation and the fostering of innovation. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 490, 490.01, 3510.01 or 3510.02.

BUSMHR 7522 Entrepreneurship and the Business Plan

Experiential opportunities in entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial concepts, and financing and executing the business plan. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 7520 or 7521 (825).