Whether you are a young entrepreneur looking for inspiration, or a veteran with a business idea, there are many paths to entrepreneurship that can be taken. These paths include programs offered by community organizations and schools, as well as Lehigh University.
Community connectors
Creating a new community is a long-term process that requires sustained effort. A community connector works to build a network of community members, and expands the community’s capacity to meet its own needs. Usually, these individuals are entrepreneurs, who build an entrepreneurial ecosystem that provides resources and support for others. This paper explores the role of community connectors in two countries.
Community connectors have a potential to improve access to health services for hardly reached people. Those who are hardly reached are often afraid to interact with services, or have difficulty accessing health services. By partnering with connectors, health services can include the perspectives of hardly reached people in their programs.
Community connectors are local, socially engaged citizens who expand the network of community member contacts. They organize events and activities, and provide outreach to address community needs. In some cases, they are hired to do so.
Founders School
Founded by the Kauffman Foundation, the Founders School offers entrepreneurs a path to entrepreneurship. The program aims to help startups acquire customers, increase revenue and gain momentum. The program covers topics such as mission-critical knowledge, practical insights on scaling challenges and a powerful mentoring network.
The program is designed to provide a mix of applied business curriculum and startup accelerator curriculum. Students attend lectures and practice labs while completing the program. In addition, the program includes mentorship, networking and mentorship events.
The program provides rich content including lectures, videos, suggested readings, and tools to help entrepreneurs apply their learning to their own startups. The content is organized in a modular fashion so that it can be explored on a personalized basis. It includes topics such as “How to build your own sales model cycle,” “How to identify and address pain points,” and “How to define a target market.”
Founders School is offered by IESE, a leading European university with a renowned executive education division. It offers programs for both international and domestic entrepreneurs.
1 Million Cups
Founded by the Kauffman Foundation, the 1 Million Cups program is a national organization that empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to launch and grow their business. It also helps build startup communities around the country.
The program is free and open to the public. It gives aspiring entrepreneurs a venue to present their business ideas and receive feedback from their peers and community members. It is a great way to meet people who are interested in helping you start or grow your business.
The program combines a presentation with a Q&A session. This allows for instant feedback from experts in the industry, as well as fellow entrepreneurs. In addition, it promotes collaboration and communication.
The program started in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2012 as a local initiative to connect aspiring entrepreneurs with resources. Since then, it has grown to 160 locations across the country.
KCSourceLink’s “We Create KC”
KCSourceLink has released its sixth annual state of entrepreneurship report. The report presents a comprehensive look at Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, highlighting how the local community is supporting entrepreneurs.
The report provides a number of metrics, including data on how first-time employers are contributing to the local economy. In addition, it highlights the ways the local business community supports entrepreneurs.
The report also highlights how the entrepreneurial infrastructure in the region has grown over the past five years. This includes an online database of vetted resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The report also includes a resource navigator, which enables individuals to search the database and find resources that can help them grow.
In addition, KCSourceLink is leading a community effort to make Kansas City the most entrepreneurial city in the country. It provides free resources and assistance to small businesses, including access to business-building resources. It also provides mentorship and coaching to tech entrepreneurs. It also works with partners to address needs.
Lehigh University
Traditionally, the entrepreneurship curriculum in higher education has focused on venture creation. However, at Lehigh University, the definition of entrepreneurship is more inclusive. This definition includes both for profit and nonprofit entrepreneurial pursuits. Lehigh’s ecosystem focuses on building global entrepreneurial mindsets. The programs are taught by Lehigh’s faculty and local business leaders.
The Master’s Degree in Technical Entrepreneurship is a 30-credit program that provides students with training in creating new companies. It also teaches students how to bring revolutionary products to market.
The Thalheimer Student Entrepreneurs Competition awards funding to students with innovative startup ideas in any industry. The Hatchery, a full-time summer entrepreneurial program, is also offered at Lehigh. The program teaches students the entrepreneurial process and places top talent students in early-mid-stage startups in Silicon Valley. This year, 55 Lehigh students traveled to the Bay Area to participate in this program.