Scrub Daddy founder Aaron Krause live on November 12th     Learn More

The Rocco and Mary Abessinio School of Business Chair in Management and Entrepreneurship Endowed Fund

The Rocco and Mary Abessinio School of Business Chair in Management and Entrepreneurship is a pivotal cornerstone of entrepreneurship education at our university. Currently held by Dr. Debbi Bromley, this Chair not only directs activities and programming within the School of Business but also fosters entrepreneurship throughout our entire campus.

In her commitment to fostering the growth of budding entrepreneurs, Dr. Bromley has innovatively designed a new undergraduate entrepreneurship minor. With its forward-thinking approach, this curriculum has already garnered significant interest, with many students eager to benefit from the insights it promises starting Spring of 2024.

Further amplifying hands-on learning experiences, we have inaugurated an on-campus business: The Sora Luna Cafe. The student-led team running this enterprise receives mentorship and guidance directly from Dr. Bromley, ensuring practical insights and real-world challenges are met with expertise. Dr. Bromley also oversees the renowned Annual Rocco and Mary Abessinio Speaker Series for Entrepreneurship which you can read more about below.

Dr. Debbi Bromley

Read More

Speaker Series

Learn More

Sora Luna Lounge

Learn More

the Rocco And Mary Abessinio Speaker Series

Through a generous donation by Mr. Rocco & Mrs. Mary Abessinio, the School of Business at Neumann University continues its speaker series this fall semester. The 2024 Abessinio Lecture is scheduled for November 12 at 12:00 p.m. in the Fred P. Meagher Theatre.


Aaron Krause

Scrub Daddy CEO is set to shine at Neumann
Aaron Krause, the president and CEO of Scrub Daddy, is a serial inventor, entrepreneur, and Shark Tank star with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing innovative products.

Krause will bring his story of inventive entrepreneurship to Neumann University’s Meagher Theatre on Tuesday, November 12, at 12:00 p.m. when he delivers the ninth Rocco A. and Mary Abessinio Lecture in Management and Entrepreneurship.

Titled “Soaking It All In,” the program is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

View Full Story
*Expand/Collapse

Krause received national attention in 2012 when he appeared on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank with his invention of The Original Scrub Daddy. After successfully pitching the scratch-free scrubber to the sharks, he accepted the offer from celebrity mogul Lori Greiner.

In 2014, The Original Scrub Daddy was named the “most successful product” in Shark Tank history, a title which it held for ten years. Since initially airing on Shark Tank, more than 250 million units of Scrub Daddy product have been sold.

Krause graduated from Syracuse University in 1992 with a degree in Psychology and pursued a career in the auto detailing industry. He developed and patented a double-sided buffing pad and other car detailing products over the next 15 years.

In September 2008, global conglomerate 3M acquired Krause’s buffing pad business; however, not all related assets were included in 3M’s deal. Material deemed superfluous was carved out of the contract and notably included the then-undiscovered Scrub Daddy foam.

Now selling in every major big box retailer in the USA and 59 countries worldwide, Scrub Daddy has grown into a household name with manufacturing facilities in the USA, Mexico, Vietnam, Hungary, Taiwan, and China. What was once a single-product company has over 160 unique items and was recently named one of the “fastest-growing private companies in America” by Inc. 5000.

To date, Krause – known as "The Daddy of the Scrub Daddy” -- holds more than 50 patents and trademarks and owns or has sold more than 10 companies.

When he is not traveling for the company, he spends his time pursuing his passion for ice hockey, designing new products, and being an active shareholder/board member in TOVI hockey (a company specializing in revolutionary NHL-approved ice hockey sticks). Krause enjoys mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs and working alongside his wife, Stephanie, who is the director of PR and Special Initiatives for the brand.

Time permitting, there will be a Q&A after the presentation.


The Rocco and Mary Abessinio School of Business Chair in Management and Entrepreneurship Endowed Fund is the center of entrepreneurship education, activities, and programming for the School of Business and across campus. The annual lecture series is one of the outcomes from this endowed fund. Rocco Abessinio visited campus on October 4, 2016, to deliver the first in this series.

Mr. Abessinio, an alumnus and longtime friend of Neumann, is chief executive officer of Roch Capital, Inc., a privately-owned capital management firm focused on making investments in quality assets that will be he held for the long term. He is also the founder of Applied Bank and Applied Card System which grew to be the 10th largest issuer of Visa and MasterCard credit cards in the country.  

Previous speakers in the series include: