Helping future entrepreneurs succeed in college

According to a November 2023 survey, half of Gen Z said they would like to become entrepreneurs or start their own business. But for many, traditional college classes don’t offer the opportunity to dabble in entrepreneurship or receive hands-on training in the field.

To bridge this gap, universities offer experiential learning spaces, especially for budding entrepreneurs, to learn about the challenges and successes of business ownership and self-employment.

Inside higher education We have collected three different types of accelerator programs that focus on entrepreneurship education for various members of the campus community and how the training can foster regional economic growth and student success.

For students and alumni: At the University of Denver, learners can participate in a summer program called BASE Camp, according to the university’s website. This is a five-week program for startups to grow their ideas, find market fit, and create value. Students can apply as part of a team of up to 5 people. The program was recently expanded to include graduate applicants.

Each team works 16 to 24 hours per week on campus and receives a $5,000 stipend and in-kind funds. One of the new businesses that has come about as a result of this program is a custom shoe painting business owned by Zach Mbeleko, who designs shoes for the University of Denver’s gymnastics team and the University of Colorado’s hockey team, and works with the University of Colorado Athletics. We created a special design for directors.

Starting this year, Saint Louis University will support alumni and students with an entrepreneurial startup program, thanks to a gift from business school alumni. Program participants must be current students or recent graduates (within the past five years) and can receive up to $50,000 in investments. The accelerator program starts this month and will run for 14 weeks, led by Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship staff.

For community members: Patrick & Henry Community College in Virginia has partnered with the local Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce to offer StartUp MHC, an eight-week bootcamp program for area startups. The initiative also includes his four-week boot camp (Grow MHC) for growing businesses two years or older, which reaches working adults in the community who may need additional educational support. To do.

The university collaborates with other local businesses, groups and entrepreneurs to offer bootcamp sessions. The program began in 2015 and, as of 2023, has graduated 314 people and awarded more than $571,000 in cash and in-kind funding to 74 companies, most of which are It is said to be a woman-owned or minority-owned business.

The program resulted in $4.5 million in capital investment in the region, 225 new jobs, and a two-year small business success rate of 85%.

Similarly, the University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurial Innovation partnered with Arkansas-based Venture Partners to create the Emergent Technology Startup Accelerator, which also provides paid internships to University students through the Venture Intern Program. doing. Each of the 10 participating companies will host an intern to develop professional skills and increase recruitment of local talent.

For entrepreneurs with disabilities: To help all students realize their dreams, the Gallaudet University Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has partnered with 2Gether-International (2GI) to create a program for deaf and hard of hearing entrepreneurs.

2GI creates materials for entrepreneurs and founders with disabilities, and university officials work with the organization’s team to translate content into ASL to make it more relevant to students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Did. From September 2022, the new material has been integrated into his Gallaudet’s six-week accelerator program.

Do you have any career readiness tips that might help others promote student success? please tell me about it.