UNC Greensboro | Community & Partners | Economic & Social Innovation

Economic & Social Innovation

Thriving communities are strengthened by individuals and organizations that look beyond conventional wisdom to explore new and better ways of living, learning, earning, serving, and working together.

Whether in the classroom, business office, laboratory, or social agency, entrepreneurs affect communities in profound ways through jobs they create, the programs and services they offer, and the ideas they spark. Entrepreneurs, on- and off-campus, take advantage of resources at UNCG to network with others, access key information, and launch innovative ideas and plans.

Below you will find offices that can connect you to courses, events, services, and programs that support economic and social innovation.

Whether bettering communities or commercializing the next big idea, great accomplishments are made possible when we bring community and university-based knowledge together. Community leaders, nonprofits, businesses, entrepreneurs, and scholars connect through the Office of Research and Engagement.

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Drawing on the expertise of faculty in the Bryan School of Business and Economics, CIRE performs high-quality applied research in economic policy and business practice, including economic-impact analyses, industry studies, regional economic profiles, feasibility studies, opinion surveys, program assessments, and updates of current economic conditions.

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The Career Services Center can help you whether you are the employer who has recruited hundreds of students from UNCG or this is the first time you have posted a job/internship. The UNCG Employer Relations team is here to guide you through the process to help you maximize your recruitment efforts and outcomes.

The Career Services Center serves as the recruiting link between the university’s students and alumni and the corporate, government and non-profit sectors. Besides providing students and alumni with a wide range of career consultation services, it develops customized strategies to help employers meet their needs for part-time, intern and full-time employees. We offer you a number of exciting ways to work with us in developing tomorrow’s leaders!

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The Entrepreneurship Cross-Disciplinary Program (ECDP) is the home of the award-winning academic entrepreneurship programs across campus, including the major in Entrepreneurship and the minor for business and non-business students in Entrepreneurship. The ECDP is a resource for community members who want projects done in the 50 classes across 28 departments on campus in entrepreneurship-including business plans, feasibility analysis, and more. We can assist with finding the right class and faculty. The Entrepreneurship Cross-Disciplinary Program hosts national entrepreneurship speakers, and also assists businesses in connecting with students through internships.

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This novel joint venture between NC A&T and UNCG is designed to facilitate collaborations between world-class researchers and businesses – to move scientific discoveries from the lab to the marketplace benefiting the local community, region, and North Carolina by transforming cutting-edge intellectual properties into thriving business ventures. Gateway and the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) work with corporate partners and academic units to create joint research and development projects and spin-off opportunities that are co-located with the academic units on the Gateway campuses.

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The North Carolina Entrepreneurship Center (NCEC) provides expertise and resources in entrepreneurship. The NCEC provides special workshops and seminars, as well as one on one consulting, support, and mentoring, for both students and community entrepreneurs. Feel free to contact NCEC if you need some advice on how to start or grow your business. The NCEC can also help connect you with other individuals and organizations throughout North Carolina.

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The Innovation Partnership Services Office supports UNCG’s effort to encourage innovation and disseminate knowledge. IPSO serves the university and the public by commercializing discoveries developed by faculty, students and staff. IPSO also assists faculty in obtaining research support from corporate sponsors. The IPSO also specializes in finding industry partners for further development of academic discovery and ultimately, innovation commercialization.

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IDEA provides a visible and easily accessible point of contact for internal and external partners to access UNCG’s expansive expertise in data analytics, evaluation, research, consulting services and technical assistance. IDEA supports UNCG and community, state, national, and international partners to meet their accountability goals and objectives and to increase their capacity to serve their constituencies.

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SCORE is a respected association of volunteer business executives providing, at no cost, professional, completely confidential consulting to entrepreneurs and small business owners. These sessions are unlimited. They are staffed by volunteer counselors with a wide range of business experience, and offered at no cost to the user. Funding is through the Small Business Administration.

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VPRN is an interdisciplinary network of UNCG faculty members with a wealth of expertise and experience in research, clinical practice, and community engagement related to understanding the dynamics of violence, including prevention and intervention strategies. Members represent a diverse group of professional disciplines, including psychology, public health, counseling, kinesiology, communication studies, conflict and peace studies, and information sciences, united around a shared goal of applying innovative, interdisciplinary research approaches to understanding and preventing interpersonal violence.

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Why UNCG?

By working in partnership with businesses, agencies, and organizations, UNCG strives to create a better quality of life for all.

Connected to a local, national, and global network of educators and entrepreneurs, UNCG scholars possess foundational disciplinary knowledge and are trained to use existing knowledge in new and creative ways.

UNCG has the capacity and responsibility to produce high-quality graduates with the skills and abilities to contribute to the community’s most important businesses and organizations and also start new enterprises that generate new ideas, processes, and technologies.

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