IUE Opens a New Chapter: Celebrating Life Credentials and Entrepreneurial Leadership

The International University of Entreprenology held its 2026 Graduation Ceremony in Las Vegas, honoring the wisdom of lived experience and welcoming its first female President, Dr. Pauline Crawford, who is also WUSME Chair 

On September 23, 2026, the International University of Entreprenology (IUE) brought together graduates, alumni, board members and guests in Las Vegas to celebrate achievement, legacy and new leadership.

For WUSME members, the occasion is a timely introduction to IUE and its long-standing relationship with our organization. That relationship dates back to 2011, when Dr. James A. Omps, then President of IUE, presented Dr. Gian Franco Terenzi with the Life PhD Doctoral Award, and first met Pauline Crawford at the WUSME Conference in Budapest. That meeting opened the way to exploring how an entrepreneur’s life experience can be recognized as a Life Credential. Watch the 2011 presentation here. The video also features Haji Dr. Zulkifly Baharom, WUSME Ambassador in Malaysia and an IUE Adjunct Faculty Professor.

A founding vision

IUE was founded in Hawaii in 1972 by Dr. James R. Omps (1921-2014). For more than five decades it has carried forward a distinctive philosophy: bringing Knowledge, Experience and Imagination together. Its relationship with WUSME reflects a shared commitment to developing the people whose enterprises sustain communities and economies.

A new President

The ceremony marked the inauguration of Dr. Pauline Crawford as IUE’s first female President, following her election earlier this year. She already serves WUSME as Chair of the Permanent Commission on Female Entrepreneurs and Social Issues, and brings international experience in leadership, entrepreneurship and human development to this new chapter. Dr. James A. Omps, who became President of IUE in 2008, continues as Senior Advisor and Preceding President, providing continuity with the founding vision.

Recognizing the knowledge people carry

The graduation honored Dr. Wendy L. Cunningham Barnes and Dr. Rebeca Forero, celebrating their individual journeys and the knowledge developed through professional achievement, leadership and service. Dr. Forero also serves as IUE’s Vice President.

At the heart of IUE’s approach is the PhD in Entreprenology (Professional Higher Doctorate), described as a Life Credential. Through mentoring, reflection and the development of a Living Dissertation, participants examine what their experience has taught them, articulate the value they have created and consider how that wisdom can serve the future.

For entrepreneurs, this is a meaningful proposition. Building a business involves decisions, setbacks, discoveries, relationships and reinvention. These experiences build knowledge that is hard to capture in a conventional résumé. IUE offers a structured process to explore and express that learning.

The ceremony was led by Master of Ceremonies Dr. Shain Hymon, IUE Board Director and Secretary. Guest speaker and alumnus Dr. Floribert Mubalama was recognized as the first recipient of the Dr. James A. Omps Living Legacy Award. Historical reflections and music from Dr. Omps connected the celebration to the human story behind Entreprenology.

The story behind the idea: a book recommendation

The original materials behind Entreprenology are now being presented in a book, The Story of the First Entreprenologist: The Birth of Entreprenology, The World Is Our Campus – A Life Behind the Idea. It tells the story of IUE’s founder, Dr. James R. Omps, and the beginnings of the movement in 1972. WUSME is pleased to recommend it as our relationship with IUE grows stronger.

The book is the inaugural publication of IUE Press and is available to pre-order, with copies available from October 30, 2026. The first 50 people to pre-order will be recognized by name in this historic edition.

An invitation to WUSME members

Under Dr. Crawford’s presidency, IUE seeks to make Life Credentials more visible and accessible to experienced entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders, especially female entrepreneurs whose substantial contributions deserve greater recognition.

WUSME members are invited to discover IUE’s approach and consider what their own knowledge, experience and imagination could contribute to the next generation of enterprise and leadership.

Never underestimate the value of life’s experience. The World Is Our Campus.

Learn more about IUE and its PhD in Entreprenology at www.iuenow.org.