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Over the past few years, Ivy Tech Community College has revised its entrepreneurial studies program to the benefit of students and communities across Indiana. The previous program, which was launched in 2011, was more focused on the traditional business plan process and for many students, not optimal for business ideas that are less developed or conceptual. The new program is more focused on the development of the business idea and where the student is in the process of creating and launching a new venture. As you might recall, Ivy Tech launched the Garatoni School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2022 to grow the program across Indiana.
There are now three 8-week courses, so you can complete the certificate for the program in one year, which is great for the student who is ready to own and operate their own business. The certificate also integrates with a full associates degree, so it is designed to follow your educational goals. The course is filled with guest speakers from the small business community, who share their entrepreneurial journey, the benefits of business ownership and the challenges they will face along the way. The students get the opportunity to get potential customer feedback by conducting research, doing interviews, surveys and working directly with mentors from the Cook Center for Entrepreneurship, Indiana Small Business Development Center, the Mill and others in our entrepreneurial ecosystem.
One patented idea:This Indiana University bus driver has a device to revolutionize how hospital beds work
The courses end with pitches by the students to see what they have learned and provide an opportunity for them to hone their presentation skills. Thankfully, our Bloomington campus program is led by our new program chair, Sueann Graham, an accomplished entrepreneur as well as faculty member Andy Lehman from the Mill who is well versed at pitch events with students and the community. 2023 marks the second year of the program reboot here at the Bloomington campus and the participation in the program is up and students are starting businesses upon graduation in our community, which is very exciting!
Over half of the students participating in the initial cohort from last fall have launched their businesses locally. These businesses include human resource consulting, catering/food truck operations, art/screen printed apparel, photography, fiber art products and others. Several are still developing their ideas and evaluating the market for the products or services. We are excited to see our students pursuing their passions, but also empowering their economic future and becoming leaders in their fields. As always, the Gayle Bill Cook Center for Entrepreneurship are engaged with our students and continue to help them on their entrepreneurial journey.
More:It’s your business: Are you ready to make your side-hustle a viable business?
If you are interested in learning more about our program or getting involved, please let us know. You can learn more about the program by contacting us at 812-330-6261 or visiting our website at www.ivytech.edu/study-entrepreneurship.
Steve Bryant is executive director of the Gayle & Bill Cook Center for Entrepreneurship, Ivy Tech, and regional director of the South Central Small Business Development Center.
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