GREENSBORO, N.C. – Building on the foundation of campus entrepreneurial growth, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is setting its sights on aiding businesses in the greater community with the establishment of the North Carolina Entrepreneurship Center.

The center, which was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees at their April meeting, will expand connections in the region, state and beyond by helping entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Slated to open this fall, the center will target seven areas: creative industries, family business, franchising, health care entrepreneurship, international entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and technology entrepreneurship.

“The center is really what North Carolina needs more than ever, especially in the economic times we’re in,” said Dr. Dianne H.B. Welsh, the center’s founding director and the Charles A. Hayes Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Bryan School of Business and Economics.

“Our future is going to be in entrepreneurship, and it’s directly tied into economic development.”

One goal of the center is to create an early stage “bridge” incubator for students, faculty and staff to start and develop businesses that could later reside in a more traditional incubator, such as Greensboro’s Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship or Gateway University Research Park. The center would also help develop and expand student entrepreneurship groups at UNCG, such as the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization and the Campus Entrepreneurs program, which helps establish student-owned and operated businesses on campus.
“The North Carolina Entrepreneurship Center will allow us to provide more comprehensive support to budding entrepreneurs on campus as well as to interact more effectively with those in the community,” said Dr. Rosemary Wander, associate provost for Research and Public/Private Sector Partnerships. “We are delighted to be able to take this next important step to grow UNCG's entrepreneurial program.”

Plans are in place for the center to offer not-for-credit educational courses in person and online, as well as to establish a mentorship program where successful entrepreneurs can share their experience with students. The center will develop internship opportunities that will provide hands-on experience for students and valuable assistance to emerging, start-up and established companies in the community. The center will also offer fee-based contract services to help local companies and individuals with business plans, strategic thinking, marketing, technology, accounting and other needs.

Welsh has successfully directed two previous start-up center operations: The Muldoon Center for Entrepreneurship at John Carroll University and the Entrepreneurship and Family Business Center at The University of Tampa. She is past president of the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and she has served on the executive board of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Center Directors' Association for the past seven years.

The North Carolina Center for Entrepreneurship is the latest in a series of initiatives at UNCG to inspire and cultivate entrepreneurship, one of the fastest growing subjects in undergraduate education. Almost 30 new or revised courses in entrepreneurship have been added to curriculums across campus in the past two years. In the fall of 2007, the university created the BELL (Building Entrepreneurial Learning for Life) Program, designed to fuel entrepreneurial spirit and ability at the university.

This fall UNCG will launch a new minor in entrepreneurship for students in any major and a redesigned minor for business students. A planned post-baccalaureate certificate in entrepreneurship, also scheduled to launch this fall, has been put on temporary hold due to the state’s budget situation.

For more information on the North Carolina Center for Entrepreneurship, contact Welsh at (336) 256-8507 or dhwelsh@uncg.edu.

Spring 2009