Entrepreneurial Engagement
About the Center
Entrepreneurship Initiative Overview
Located in the Broadwell College of Business and Economics of Fayetteville State University, the Entrepreneurship Initiative is on the move. It is working to become a national hub for minority entrepreneurship and be a leader in entrepreneurship and innovation training.
The Entrepreneurship Initiative is already equipped with the following program and activities:
- Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Conference
- Bronco Idea Challenge
- Undergraduate Concentration in Entrepreneurship
- UNC Social Entrepreneurship Conference
In addition, the Initiative has also created a state-of-the-art entrepreneurial leadership lab. This specially-equipped lab combines powerful computing, effective display, and the wealth of information available through networks to provide a more flexible and exciting learning environment that accommodates different teaching and learning styles.
Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute
Students selected for the institute are top students with very high level of academic excellence and leadership capabilities. Students selected for the institute go through a rigorous selection process and are ready to take any challenge.
Selected students are trained to acquire the following skills:
- Ability to think like an entrepreneur
- Superior oral presentation skills
- Effective visual presentation skills
- Ability to think outside the box
- Ability to take leadership roles
- Superior networking skills
- Superior self-confidence
- High ethical standard
Selected students receive classroom and hands-on-training from:
- Invited experts and professional trainers
- Top level corporate executives and other guest speakers
- Successful entrepreneurs
- Out of town travel to corporate and government establishments
- Volunteering as leaders to major national entrepreneurship conference
- Organizing entrepreneurial workshops
The Broadwell College of Business and Economics is pleased to host the Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Conference. Our faculty and staff have worked with Cumberland County Schools to craft an excellent program to encourage high school students to pursue their dreams. Whether or not they are interested in starting a business, knowledge of entrepreneurship can help them achieve great things.
Entrepreneurship is all about coming up with new ideas to make things better, analyzing what it takes to implement those ideas and taking action. If you see that something could be done better, do some research, and develop a solution that is an improvement over the status quo. You may well find that your idea is just what is needed.
11th Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Conference
Wednesday, November 3, 2019
FSU Rudolph Student Center
Keynote Speaker
Will Glass, co-owner and founder of HotSugar Pop LLC
10th Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Conference
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
FSU Capel Arena
Keynote Speakers
Samod Wilson, Painter, and Founder of "Painting on Purpose"
Darrell Hunter, Owner of Loot House, platform for young entrepreneurs
9th Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Conference
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Rudolph Jones Student Center
Keynote Speakers
Javier Smith, twenty-year-old graduate of South View High School; created ZaeWay Custom Shoes
8th Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Conference
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Shaw Auditorium
Keynote Speakers
Christian Mosley, President/CEO of The Cookie Gents', a great cookie product.
Chandler Mosley, Executive Vice President of Cookie Gents'.
Jordan Lee Rosas, Entrepreneur, managing an upscale teen night club and venue rental.
Elevator Pitch Winners
First Place - Southview High SchoolStudent Victor Fontanez
"Barber App"
Second Place - 71st High SchoolStudents Tiarah Hayes and Dajah Green
"TT Sweet Treats"
Third Place - Terry Sanford High School
Students Bria Johnson and Danita McDuffie
"Date Rape Drug Indicator"
7th Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Conference
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
FSU Capel Arena
Keynote Speakers
Mr. Eric Anderson, currently a managing Broker with Manning Realty and a lecturer of Entrepreneurship at the FSU School of Business and Economics.
Mr. Jarrett Lewis, serves as a founder for JJC IT Solutions, an organization that focuses on helping underprivileged youth become IT developers.
Elevator Pitch Winners
First Place - Terry Sanford High School
Student Josh Meredith
"Christmas Tree Concierge"
Second Place - Terry Sanford High School
Students Tyler Dodson and Grayson Piloff
"Tailgating Taxi"
Third Place - Terry Sanford High School
Students Kori Hyer and Jamie Honeycutt
"Money for the Mind"
The competition asks students to go into communities to assess community needs, then work on teams to develop new or improved ways of addressing those needs, Faculty and staff, as well as representatives from campus-based offices of the Small Business and Technology Development Center, assist students by providing context and insights into team business plans. The emphasis is on field research, written and oral communication, teamwork and creativity.The 2016 UNC Social Entrepreneurship Conference is the 4th time student teams will gather in one place at one time to imagine new ways of addressing problems facing North Carolina communities. This February 16, teams form all 17 UNC campuses will gather at NCA&T State University for a day-long conference and competition focused on innovative approaches to challenges. social entrepreneurship. It is the largest event the UNC General Administration organizes each year, and the only state-wide competition focused on social entrepreneurship.
At the conference, a blue ribbon panel of judges review the plans and select those most likely to succeed.Find more information on UNC System
Read about our FSU students.
The Entrepreneurship Initiative conducts and supports academic and applied research that contributes to our understanding of the private enterprise system and entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship Links
- Business for West Virginia
- West Virginia Secretary of State
- WV Forms & Startup Info
- West Virginia Entrepreneurs Forum
- WV Small Business Development Center
- A Guide for Student Entrepreneurs
- Student Entrepreneurship Clubs: An Operating Manual
- Business Incubators in WV
- WV Entrepreneurship Support Organizations Matrix
Venture Capital & Commercialization
- Adena Ventures
- Fourth Venture Group
- WV Jobs Investment Trust
- Mountaineer Capital
- Walker Ventures
- Anthem Capital
- INNOVA Commercialization Group, an initiative of the WVHTC Foundation
National Entrepreneurship Links
- Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Clearinghouse on Entrepreneurship Education
- Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
- Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization
- Kauffman Foundation
- National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
- National Venture Capital Association
- U.S. Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Business Plan Help Sites
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Compensation Wage Calculator
- Business Know-How Start-Up Cost Calculator
- Bplans.com Starting Cost Estimator
- Small Business Administration Start-Up Costs Checklist
- Free Business Plan Software & Templates
- BizPlanit.com
- BPlans.com
- MoreBusiness.com
- U.S. Small Business Administration
- BizStats Industry Data
- NYU Industry Financial Data
- WV Economic & Population Data
- US Economic & Population Data