Regional CollaborationJulie Messing & Elizabeth SinclairKent State University

Students Drive Entrepreneurial Growth Through…

Looking Through a Different Lens Academic Institutions as Vehicles

for Economic Development

Training, Education and Programs Focused on Developing and Growing Businesses

Result: Student Entrepreneurs = Entrepreneurial Growth

Building Student Entrepreneurs Create Awareness and Enthusiasm for

Entrepreneurship

Empower Students to Become Change Agents in Shaping Our Economic Future Through Entrepreneurial Development

Experiential Learning Opportunities

Connections with the Business Community

Regional Collaborative Programs at KSU Entrepreneurship Extravaganza

Entrepreneurship Immersion Week – Entrepreneurship Education Consortium

Young Business Scholars Program

Entrepreneurship Extravaganza Six Annual E-Extravaganzas Over 800 participants in 2010 Students, Entrepreneurs, Vendors Goal to Grow to Multi-Day Regional

Event

E-Extravaganza Goals

Create Awareness Promote opportunities available

through the Center Build connections between:

High School students to college environment

Community to university’s campus Entrepreneurs to students and campus

Build Networking Opportunities View Entrepreneurship as a Viable

Career Option

E-Extravaganza Overview

General Session MDS Speaker

Exhibitors Innovation Showcase Breakout Groups

Workshops Keynote Speaker & Panel Panel Discussions Roundtables

Seasoned Entrepreneurs Kent State University Students

Michael D. Solomon Speakers Series

Longest-Standing Component of CEBI Formal Lectures and Fire-Side Chats Great Source of Entrepreneurial Energy on the KSU Campus

Exhibitors & Showcase

Workshops Leveraging the SBA Protecting Your Idea Marketing on a Shoe String Budget

Keynote & Panels

Keynote: Entrepreneur Success Factors Utilizing your Entrepreneurship Support Network Minority Business Success Stories

Roundtables

Various Entrepreneurs Students

E-Extravaganza Outcomes Created awareness of

entrepreneurial opportunities across campus

Connected student entrepreneurs with support resources in the region

Participants understand entrepreneurship as a valuable career option

Lessons Learned

Top 10 Pieces of Advice Start early! Specific/timely surveys to measure

event results Put extra effort into Innovation

Showcase = larger benefit of new ideas

Secure speakers and presenters early Large publicity source

Focus on publicity and/or PR over advertising

Lessons Learned

Keep registration simple and follow-up with registrants

Roundtables are very successful

Wide range of speakers (include potential benefactors)

Find champions in each key area

Take care of your volunteers!

Entrepreneurship Education Consortium (EEC)

The EEC is a 501(c)3~ Non-Profit Corporation

Collaborative Effort by Nine Universities and Colleges in Northeast Ohio

Purpose of the EEC is to Promote Entrepreneurship Education and Stimulate Entrepreneurial Activity within the Region

Received the National Innovative PedagogyAward at USASBE in 2010

EEC Collaborative Goals

We realized that we could accomplish much more together than individually.

EEC collaborative goals: Cooperate in the education and development of

regional student entrepreneurs Encourage students to stay in the region after

graduation and either start new enterprises or work in regional entrepreneurial opportunities

Empower our students to be change agents in shaping the economic future of our region and Ohio

First Blended Team in 2009

Signature Program ~ Entrepreneurship Immersion Week

Intensive Week Long Summer Entrepreneurship Academy~ seven academic sessions

Students are taught by unique combination of academics and practitioners ~ several guest speakers

Each school’s team develops a new product or service idea ~ innovation

At the end of the week, teams present their ideas and plans to a panel of outside judges for prize money

~ competition

Immersion Week Outcomes

2007 Winning Team from Case Western has started venture called Fresh Fork Market ~ raised over $250,000 for their venture http://www.freshforkmarket.com/

2009 Winning Team filed a provisional patent on their idea and formed an advisory board to assist their launch

Several teams from 2008 – 2011 are working on their ideas

Students are making an impact with peers Positive public relations throughout the region

Lessons Learned

Keep your focus!

Make sure that everyone “has skin in the game”

Make certain that the group members can concentrate on the cooperative side rather than on the competitive side

Create a separate entity

Keep your Dean/Principal informed

Bring in competent outside help when necessary

Young Business Scholars Program (YBS) Summer program for high school

sophomores and juniors interested in majoring in business in college

One-week business camp on the KSU campus

21 students in first program

YBS Program Goals

Provide high school students with practical information about university business programs

Better prepare students to enter college as business majors

Provide an opportunity for students to experience college life

Create an opportunity for students to earn an incentive to pursue a business degree in higher education

YBS Program Overview

Daily Classes with Business Faculty Week-Long Entrepreneurial Project Social Activities Campus Life

Students stay in KSU dorms, eat in dining facilities, experience student life

Scholarship Opportunities Made available to students for only

a deposit of $50 to ensure affordability

YBS Classes

Faculty representatives from each department/functional area

Hands-on, interactive approach

Goal: Help students who are interested in “business” to better understand the different options and specializations within business

YBS Project

Week-Long Entrepreneurial Project Teams of students from different

schools

KSU undergraduate student coaches

Entrepreneurial focus links together all different functional areas of business

Structured, hands-on exercises to help students develop business plan

Presentations on final day for judges from the business community

Winning team receives scholarships

YBS Outcomes

Students gained a better understanding of the available opportunities in the business field

Students’ interest in pursuing a career in business increased

Students’ final projects were evaluated by the community judges as being exceptional in quality

Several students expressed increased interest in attending KSU

Lessons Learned

Work with high schools and parents Teachers can help identify students Parents are the true target market Work with the school’s schedule –

parents make decisions early Two coordinators

Requires a lot of coordination on both the academic and logistic sides

Separate coordinators helps to spread the burden and work more effectively

Lessons Learned

Involve College Students Student coaches and chaperones

were one of the highlights for participants

College students learned almost as much as high school students did

Have Backup Plans Events/meals take more or less time

than expected Surprises happen – ex. no ice in the

ice rink!

Thank you!Contact Information:

Julie Messing Elizabeth SinclairCenter for Entrepreneurship Assistant Dean& Business Innovation College of Businessjmessing@kent.edu easincla@kent.edu(330)672-9430 (330)672-1286