FSU PC ENTREPRENEUR LUNCH & LEARN TO HOST BUSINESS LEADER JEFF O’HARA

The final session of Florida State University’s Entrepreneurship Lunch & Learn for the fall semester will be on Wednesday, Dec. 3, as instructor Brian Baber welcomes investor Jeff O’Hara. 

O’Hara began his hospitality career in 1985, working part-time while a student at Florida State University. His career took him to every corner of the hospitality industry—he has worked in luxury boutique hotels and 1,000-room “supertankers.” He has managed small restaurants and developed B&Bs. As a business owner, he founded or co-founded 11 businesses in hospitality, tech and real estate.

“Jeff serves as a strategic advisor to several of his portfolio companies, on boards of investing groups, and as a mentor to numerous entrepreneurs,” Baber said. “His investments include firms in the fields of hospitality, technology, biotech, consumer staples, medical devices and alternative energy.”

A native of Kingston, New York, O’Hara received a BS in Hospitality Administration from FSU and an MBA from Tulane University. His father lives in upstate New York; he has a sister in Ft. Lauderdale and a brother in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

O’Hara moved to New Orleans in 1992 for what he laughingly described as “a 2-year assignment” while he was with Sheraton Hotels. He stayed for 30 years, navigating the post-911 industry crash, Hurricane Katrina, the global financial crisis and COVID-19, all of which were devastating to the hospitality industry.

Turning these setbacks into opportunities, his company was named three times to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America and three times to the Seminole 100 list of Fastest Growing Companies owned by FSU alumni. His latest successful exit in 2023 led him to focus on investing full-time, most notably in the area of early-stage companies.

Each Lunch & Learn session is from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Holley Academic Center’s St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall, 4750 Collegiate Drive, Panama City. There is no cost for admission, and a light lunch is provided. The public is invited.

Baber, MBA, is the Entrepreneur in Residence at FSU PC’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, specializing in real estate and construction. He leads each Lunch & Learn session in a relaxed conversational style.

View recordings of the sessions on FSU Panama City’s YouTube channel, YouTube.com/c/FloridaStateUniversityPanamaCity. The discussions are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify as part of Baber’s “FSU Panama City Entrepreneurship Lunch and Learn Podcast.” For more details, email bbaber@pc.fsu.edu.