The Small Business Institute® is sad to report the loss of Patrick D. Walker. Whether you have known Patrick for years, or whether you have only met him for a few minutes, it is likely that Patrick has had a profoundly positive influence on you. Patrick served on the SBI® Board from 2013 – 2018 and as our President during 2016-2017. His commitment and service to SBI extends well beyond that, and his impact on our organization and its members will always be remembered. 

Patrick received his bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Masters of Business Administration from Hampton University, and received his Juris Doctorate from Regent University School of Law. Patrick was an award-winning professor of Business Law and Management at Lindenwood University, Hampton University, and most recently as the Ruth Jones Lewis Faculty Scholar in Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise in the Lewis Honors College at the University of Kentucky.

Patrick embodied everything the Small Business Institute® represents. His steadfast dedication to the Entrepreneurship field, the small business community, and his many students provides an example for all of us. The extraordinary way Patrick set that example is the true character of the man, with his kindness and love immersed in all of those relationships. Whitney Peake, a close friend and colleague, said of Patrick “He had such a positive energy about him and carried that into anything and everything he did. He led and educated with the utmost kindness and inclusion and put all his heart into the students he taught and communities and organizations he served. He was truly a bright light and will be greatly missed by all of us who knew him”. Patrick was an amazing colleague and true friend to many of us in the SBI®, but he was equally passionate about developing his students and impacting their lives. While Patrick’s true legacy is his positive impact on students’ lives, his students have also won many awards at our Small Business Institute® Annual Conferences, including at the most recent conference. Patrick’s most recent student to win, Aisley Stuebs, shared that “as a professor, Dr. Walker wholeheartedly believed in the potential of his students and was there to support them however he could. While I was one of his students at the University of Kentucky, Dr. Walker inspired, encouraged, and challenged me to become a more fearless version of myself. Because of his mentorship, the person I am today is significantly stronger and determined never to give up on what I set my mind to. He embodied what it means to have a servant heart and entrepreneurial mind. As part of his legacy, I will continue to chase after my dreams and serve those around me however I can.”