T. Richard Fort

Dr. Fort currently serves as President and COO of Cerescan, a biotechnology company focusing on functional brain imaging to assist in diagnosis of neurological diseases. Dr. Fort also manages The Fort Knocks Company, a family holding company focused on clean tech and life sciences investments. In 1995, he founded ESM, which quickly grew into the premiere enrollment center for Sylvan franchisees across the nation. ESM branched into higher education and became the leading business process outsourcer for student lifecycle services primarily in the areas of college admissions and student retention. ESM grew to 800 employees and was acquired by Xerox Corporation in July, 2011. Dr. Fort began his career in the space shuttle program at Kennedy Space Center, where he worked in Human Resource Development with a focus on leadership and total quality management. He earned a BA in psychology from Louisiana State University, an MS in experimental psychology from Northeast Louisiana University, and a PhD in organizational psychology at Walden University.