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May 12, 2004
Educating Entrepreneurs
Educating entrepreneurs is one of the two most important tools we have to support our entrepreneurial economy (getting government out of the way is the other). Several examples have come across my desk and to me through the web over the past couple of weeks, and it got me thinking about what a rich array of programs that are already in place.
There are now hundreds of college-based programs for start-up entrepreneurs as seen in the ranking article at Entrepreneur.com. Twenty years ago there was only a handful. These programs work with every type of business venture from small start-ups to high-tech, high growth ventures. Universities have developed co-curricular programs to provide experience in the world of venture capital, such as the Venture Capital Investment Competition at the University of North Carolina.
There is also an explosion of community-based programs. One of the best know is the FastTrac program supported by the Kauffman Foundation. But there are also countless programs popping up like mushrooms after the rain all over the country. Many of these are supporting a critically important population of entrepreneurs: immigrants. For example, just here in Nashville there are two wonderful examples in Conexim鲩cas (supports Hispanic entrepreneurs with at least two programs) and our local office of World Relief (programs to support refugee entrepreneurs). Others educate high school students about entrepreneurship and free enterprise, senior citizens, women, minorities, etc., etc., etc.
When I advocate for supporting entrepreneurship education, it is this full array of programs that I have in mind. No one program or focus will suffice. It must be broad based, targeting all types of entrepreneurs with all levels of aspirations. Education has proven to improve the success rates of these entrepreneurs dramatically. We must continue to prepare our future business leaders for the new economic times we are transitioning into: the entrepreneurial economic era.
Posted May 12, 2004 02:22 PM
at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. He consults with a variety of businesses on start-up and growth related issues, and with larger corporations on re-establishing entrepreneurial cultures within their organizations. Dr. Cornwall's current research interests include entrepreneurial finance and entrepreneurial ethics. He has authored or co-authored four books.
