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Iscential CEO, Warren Barhorst receives "Excellence in Mentoring" Award from the University of Houston's Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship

A Mentor with the program for three years, Barhorst is awarded for his commitment to giving back to the students of the University of Houston

The University of Houston's Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship recently awarded Warren E. Barhorst for "Excellence in Mentoring" at its Class of 2014 Induction and Mentor Ceremony. The awards program drew more than 270 mentors, students, faculty, staff and stakeholders and featured the Dean of the Business School, Latha Ramchand who made opening remarks for the evening.

Ranked as the best program in America by Princeton Review and Entrepreneurship magazine, each year the University educates thousands of students in entrepreneurship and, from this pool of talent, selects 40 students to participate in an elite, three-semester program. One of the most celebrated features of this educational experience is that each student is matched with a personal mentor who supports and inspires their student.

Periodically, the University selects one mentor who has exemplified the values and aspirations of the program. The award reads in part, "This award is bestowed in recognition of exceptional contributions in building and sustaining mentoring relationships with entrepreneurial students through selfless personal sacrifice. The extraordinary quality of his contributions has been demonstrated by the development of outstanding student entrepreneurs through a consistent and unwavering commitment to a deep caring personal interaction that has enriched the lives of these students." Barhorst has been involved in the program for several years and is the sixth person in the history of the program to receive this prestigious award.

"The truth is, I learn so much more from these students then they ever do from me," says Barhorst of his mentoring. "They have big dreams and it's so inspiring to be there from the beginning, to help them really understand what they're passionate about—what their dreams are—and help start them along the path to fulfilling them." 

"Required reading for the entrepreneurship mentoring program is a book entitled 'The Dream Manager'," continues Barhorst. "This book is everything I advocate to my employees: the key to success is (1) dreaming yourself and (2) teaching those around you to dream. The concepts may seem simple, but they are absolutely critical to professional and personal satisfaction and success. In fact, I implemented the program in my own business and we now have a part-time "Dream Manager" on staff."

Barhorst is the founder and CEO of Iscential (formerly the Barhorst Insurance Group), a Texas-based risk management and insurance firm. In 20 years, Iscential has grown from zero clients to more than 60,000 lines in force, from two employees to over 100 employees, and from one location in Jersey Village to 24 across the state of Texas. Barhorst's passion for educating and mentoring frequently has him presenting from coast to coast: from fourth-grade classrooms to executive boardrooms, he is driven to educate others about how to make wise choices that will positively impact their financial future. In 2008, Barhorst penned a book on entrepreneurship titled "Game Plan: The Definitive Playbook for Starting or Growing Your Business". In it, he delves into the power of dreaming and working toward fulfilling those dreams.