USF receives $1.75 million gift to support student entrepreneurs

The Hafers' Commitment to Community and Connection

March 25, 2026
By Kim Vreeland

After seeing a poster hanging in the lobby of his dorm announcing cheerleading tryouts, sophomore Andy Hafer headed toward the gym armed only with raw strength and memories of watching the cheer team at basketball games during his freshman year. It looked like a blast - and a great way to meet girls.

Eileen Hoffman, a veteran SunDoll trying out for the new season, remembers the moment he waltzed into the gym.

"I was like, 'Who is this guy coming in here with zero experience?'"

Andy surprised them both - he not only made the team but also won over Eileen. By their junior year, they were leading the squad as co-captains.

"She taught me everything," he admits.

They graduated with bachelor's degrees in 1988 - he in engineering; she in education - and three years later, Eileen Hoffman became Eileen Hafer. They've been among USF's biggest cheerleaders ever since, donating countless hours of service on advisory boards along with generous financial gifts to expand opportunities for students.

In December, the couple made their largest gift yet - $1.75 million to the Nault Center for Entrepreneurship to establish the Hafer THRIVE Entrepreneurship Program. The estate gift includes an endowed fund of $1 million to provide seed funding, coaching and educational resources for students pursuing innovative business ventures. The balance will fund additional initiatives that strengthen the USF community. The Hafers hope their gift will inspire others to invest in the program and help Tampa grow as a leading hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.

"THRIVE is about removing barriers and opening doors," says USF President Moez Limayem. "Andy and Eileen have always had a heart for people - and for entrepreneurship. This gift bridges both. They also have a heart for USF, and we are grateful for their support."

Andy Hafer went on to earn an MBA and a Doctor of Business Administration at USF. A successful serial entrepreneur, he is a former executive director of the Nault Center, housed in the Muma College of Business, and has chaired its board since 2023. Eileen Hafer worked for 20 years as an educator, with much of those years focused on exceptional student education in Hillsborough County. In 2021, she and Andy gave $1.2 million to create The Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter Program, which offers a college experience for students with intellectual disabilities.

"Andy and Eileen have always led with their hearts, and this gift reflects their generous spirit," says Jay Stroman, USF Foundation CEO. "They consistently look for meaningful ways to lift others up, and through THRIVE, they're empowering future innovators to turn big ideas into real impact."

The Hafers built their careers on their belief in the power of community and in creating "valuable collisions" among people within the innovation ecosystem.

"Although there's a lot of luck involved in successful entrepreneurship, it's really about the drive, the fortitude, the grit, the idea, the right place at the right time - figuring out how to get all the resources to align allows us to minimize luck in the entrepreneurial journey as much as possible," Andy says.

THRIVE aims to remove fundamental barriers to success.

"Really creative, aspirational, talented people sometimes never get to make the leap because they lack startup capital," says Timothy Ernest, program and engagement coordinator for THRIVE.

The Hafer family is helping to turn the tide.

Last year, USF student entrepreneurs Cherish Alston and Morgan Bierbrunner were the first to receive funding for their businesses through THRIVE's recently launched "Shark Tank"-style competition. Alston is CEO of Soleluxe, a sneaker accessory company, and Bierbrunner is the co-founder and CEO of Rush Power, a pre-workout supplement brand.

But even before the THRIVE competition was developed, Andy and the other Nault Center board members were backing student innovators.

In 2025, USF students Mathis Fürst Haugen and Rima El Brouzi pitched their smart hydration system at Synapse, a major innovation summit launched by Andy to connect people in Florida's early-stage ecosystem. Later that year, they presented at a Nault Center board meeting. When Andy and the other members learned the students were only $5,000 short of building their prototype, he glanced around the table and pointed to each member, "You in? You good?" Every nod was yes. Within moments, they'd bridged the gap.

"At Muma, we're building an environment that supports innovation," says David Blackwell, Lynn Pippenger Dean of the college. "The Hafers' gift will fuel progress and power the dreams of those we serve: our students, our colleagues and our community,"

Andy and Eileen's goal is to encourage more support for THRIVE so that seed money is no longer an issue for any local emerging innovator with a brilliant idea.

"You can have the systems and the ideas, but without money in the bank, you can't move - it's like driving 10 mph in a 60-mph zone - you're crawling," says Allen Clary, executive director of the Nault Center.

Adds Dirk Libaers, Nault Center director: "THRIVE helps us let a thousand flowers bloom. The more students we empower, the more possibilities we unlock."

Just like the serendipity that brought together Andy and Eileen in 1986, Andy believes every connection, no matter how small, has the potential to lead to something big.

"You don't know what connection you're making in the moment," Andy says. "Eventually, when enough of those small connections happen, someone else's success will become your success too."