The entrepreneurship community is mourning the loss of Helena Yli-Renko.
Helena was an award-winning entrepreneurship scholar and educator at USC Marshall, and past Director of the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. Her impact was global. Anyone who met Helena knows she brought her passion for entrepreneurship to her research, her students, and her colleagues.
But Helena was SO MUCH MORE
She was a devoted mom to two wonderful kids and best friend to her much loved husband. She was the adored child of her parents. She was a true Finn that embodied sisu and a California girl, full of sunshine. She co-founded a robotics start-up. She was a Finnish golf champion. She was a Knight, First Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland. She loved to ski. She loved good sushi. She loved to drive fast. She was a Trekkie.
Helena was brilliant, smart, strong, and determined. She fought a very aggressive form of cancer for over two years, participating in every trial she could because she wanted to help researchers learn more. And, until two weeks ago, Helena was teaching, reviewing, working on research projects, and floating ideas for new ones.
Helena was an inspiration to me and others.
To her many colleagues, friends, and students: She fought hard. She fought long. And she slipped away peacefully, with love surrounding her.
The USC Helena Yli-Renko Memorial Fund has been set up at the USC Greif Center for Entrepreneurship Studies, to honor Helena and the issues she cared passionately about. Her family invites you to consider donating to this fund to promote and help future young female entrepreneurs. Donations of any size can be made through here: https://www.marshall.usc.edu/tribute
Thank you for reading.
Nicole Coviello
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Nicole Coviello
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo ON
(519) 884-0710 x2054
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