Carole Moore McLeod ’81, second from right, and Dean Randy Edwards pose with winners of the 2005 Entrepreneur Summit "Pitch Your Idea in 90 Seconds" contest. Winners are, from left, Lisa Hash, Sarah Popow, Jonathan West, Nathan Cranford and Kinsley Davis.
Walker College Center for Entrepreneurship Fund
On March 31, 2006, Appalachian State University’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the creation of a new Center for Entrepreneurship. The mission of the Center is to provide opportunities for students all across campus at Appalachian State University to learn about entrepreneurship through expanded educational offerings and experiences where they can interact with entrepreneurial organizations in the region and around the world.
The need is clear. In a survey conducted across campus, 27 percent of Appalachian students said their primary career aspiration was to own their own business. Another 28 percent said their primary aspiration was to work in a small to medium sized business. Public officials at local, state, national and international levels increasingly recognize the need for entrepreneurship as an economic development tool. It is particularly important in western North Carolina where many traditional industries have declined in recent years. The future economic development of western North Carolina is critically related to the region’s ability to grow from within, rather than rely exclusively on recruitment of relocating and expanding firms.
Your contribution to the Center for Entrepreneurship will allow us to significantly expand the entrepreneurship education opportunities that we offer our students. We’ll be able to provide more programs like the highly successful Carole Moore McLeod Entrepreneur Summit and support student and faculty travel to attend conferences and learn about entrepreneurship through interactions with business owners.
Please join the effort to assist students and make a gift or pledge to the Center for Entrepreneurship Fund in the Walker College of Business. Pledges may be made over five years. (Please remember to also include us in your employer matching gift program.) Thank you for helping us help our students -- the global business leaders of tomorrow!
Goals
The Center for Entrepreneurship intends to significantly expand offerings, bringing faculty, students, businesses and community partners together to:
- Engage more students in practical educational experiences with regional, national and international entrepreneurs.
- Promote education, research and service collaborations with other organizations involved in entrepreneurship and economic development.
- Increase the visibility of Appalachian's entrepreneurship career opportunities and educational offerings both internally and externally.
- Enhance undergraduate and graduate educational opportunities in areas related to entrepreneurship by providing support for new workshops, programs, research initiatives and service opportunities.
