Matthew Kenney

I grew up working in a family food service business and launched my own business in 1992, at the age of 23. My first venture was a contract manufacturing company where I outsourced the production of family's recipes to large manufacturers who made the products to my specification. I then sold the finished products to supermarkets and restaurant chains throughout New England.

In 1995, I rolled the profits from that venture into my own manufacturing business. However, I soon learned that I did not really have the passion (or skill set at the time) to be an effective manufacturer. One lesson I learned from my mentors is: You have to love what you do. So, after a few years I moved into the consulting area. 1998 saw the formation of my first service business. My company helped restaurants develop new revenue streams, launch new products and enhance marketing efficiency by reducing waste.

In 2000 I was offered a VP position for a new brand oriented product line and within 11 months I helped the founder, a then 21 year old college student, place her products in over 350 stores (using many of the same techniques used I used in my first venture). After earning my MBA in Global Economics (with a Marketing specialization) I accepted the position of Entrepreneur-in-Residence for my alma mater, Johnson & Wales University. I continued my educational journey by earning a Doctorate in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.

I have designed undergraduate, graduate and doctoral courses for accredited colleges in Asia, Europe and throughout North America. I enjoy traveling with my wife; helping entrepreneurs; and writing. I'm working on my third book at the moment, and have published about 20 scholarly papers in journals and conference proceedings since 2007. I am currently president of Kenney College, a specialized graduate school offering a MBA with an Entrepreneurship specialization.