Developing an Entrepreneurial Way of Thinking

April 22, 2009

From April 17 to April 19, my husband and I participated in the Fourth Annual National Policy Forum on Minority Entrepreneurship Education in Atlanta Georgia. This conference was sponsored by the Opportunity Funding Corporation and hosted by Fayetteville State University. Next year, we hope to return to the conference with an entrepreneurial team of CU students who compete in the student entrepreneurial contest.

What was most important about this conference is that it stressed the need for us to encourage entrepreneurial thinking among young people. This means to foster the creativity and the natural affinities in our young people that could lead to their recognizing and seeking opportunities in enterprises and in the corporate workforce. For HBCUs, the message was simple—we must maintain an entrepreneurial edge, so that we can produce competitive students who will interact successfully in the global marketplace. Additionally, when HBCUs are entrepreneurial, they will contribute to the regional economic development and the overall well being of their communities. At the National Policy Forum on Minority Entrepreneurship Education, I volunteered to support entrepreneurial professional development for faculty and staff at HBCUs.

The Opportunity Funding Corporation, the nonprofit organization which sponsors this national forum, has three goals:

1. To help Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) develop an entrepreneurial curriculum that prepares students to become entrepreneurs,
2. To provide dean and faculty development to help infuse entrepreneurship into the curricula, and
3. To provide a forum for presidents, faculty, and students to interact with entrepreneurs and business executives.

During the conference, students participate in an entrepreneurship competition. Students submit business plans, presentations of their products, and answer questions from judges about funding, projected revenue, and marketing for their products.

All of the 22 teams were impressive. Clark Atlanta University won the competition this year followed by the other top finalists, North Carolina Central University, Winston-Salem State University, Southern University, Delaware State University, and Fayetteville State University.

Students and administrators enjoyed the conference and the opportunity to interface with many top executives of many sponsoring companies including Wal-Mart, Raytheon, UPS, Deloitte, BET, BB&T, HP, Chick-Fil-A, MacDonald’s, Walgreens, Boeing, Georgia-Pacific, Harland-Clark, Sam’s Club, Tiffany & Co, and other companies. This year’s event also included messages for success from keynote entrepreneur and businessman, Mr. Magic Johnson, former US Olympic and NBA champion.

I look forward to working with faculty and staff at Cheyney University to inspire future entrepreneurs. This certainly fits our motto of access, opportunity, and excellence!

Michelle Howard-Vital, Ph.D.

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