2022 HBCU Entrepreneurship Conference
Hosted by Bowie State University
Building a 21st Century Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Join Bowie State University as we host the annual HBCU Entrepreneurship conference, a forum for like-minded faculty, campus and community entrepreneur champions to share best practices, amplify all the great work, connect with colleagues and strengthen our HBCU entrepreneurial ecosystem.
This conference is the second annual hosted by Maryland's oldest historically Black university (HBCU) and it brings exciting opportunities for all participants. The conference features more than 25 interactive sessions and draws hundreds of faculties, administrators, students and business professionals to discuss various topics.
Reputable leaders from HBCUs, business incubators, foundations and other organizations explore ways to foster a culture of imbibing an entrepreneurial mindset, incorporating entrepreneurship in school curriculums, and establishing community partnerships.
Special thanks to Truist, our Presenting Sponsor, for covering the cost of registration for all attendees.
Questions? Email the Entrepreneurship Innovation Center at eic@bowiestate.edu.
Come join us as we strive to infuse and support the spirit of entrepreneurship!
Interested in a sponsorship opportunity? Email Johnetta Hardy at jhardy@bowiestate.edu or Yvette Caldwell at ycaldwell@bowiestate.edu.
10:00AM – 11:50AM Breakout sessions available, click Track A, B, C and D above.
1:00PM – 3:50PM Breakout sessions available, click Track A, B, C and D above.
Join Al Reynolds as he interviews the following celebrity HBCU alumni entrepreneurs: Nikea Gamby-Turner, Kenny Lattimore, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and Ruben Studdard. The session will also feature a video presentation from Kym Whitley.
Experiential education is the cornerstone of teaching in a virtual or in-person environment. The notion of teaching straight from a textbook is not equipping our students at HBCUs with the relevant skills necessary to succeed once they graduate. This session will explore how to incorporate entrepreneurial case studies, speaker series, and increase participation with students. For the past 5 years, Dr. Haynes has used this methodology to equip students in a flipped classroom setting, where they are in the driver's seat of learning about entrepreneurship first-hand. He will discuss ways to leverage your network to create opportunities for exposure to your students.
The purpose of this presentation is to provide an alternative role for HBCUs to play in the entrepreneurial and wealth creation process. A 2019 study by McKinsey & Company made the following observation regarding the economic impact of closing the racial wealth gap.
According to the World Economic Forum, entrepreneurship is an essential life skill every student will need to survive and thrive in the 21st Century. Small businesses have become the engines driving our economy, with new businesses accounting for nearly all new job creation. Yet, one-third of small businesses will fail within their first two years, and fifty percent will fail within five years. Colleges and Universities are now turning to experimental entrepreneurship to produce the next generation of innovators by engaging students in applied learning beyond the classroom. Using the Think Labs experimental learning model, students are encouraged to identify and solve problems in real-world, ambiguous, and resource-constrained circumstances. Think Labs requires interaction, observation, experimentation, and adaptation. It is a participant-centric process that requires curiosity and creativity, critical thinking and practical problem solving, communication, collaboration, and teamwork.
Harris-Stowe State University brought innovative programming to the classroom. We will share three initiatives that allowed students to experience innovative learning experiences from the classroom to the streets and beyond.
Through NASA's Technology Transfer University (T2U), we're bringing real-world, NASA-proven technologies into the classroom. Business students creating market assessments and business plans can now hone their abilities by working with our high-tech patent portfolio. NASA is providing students with access to public information about patented technologies and webinars featuring NASA scientists and innovators, giving them a unique look into the fine-grained details of the technology they are working on. NASA's T2U program is helping NASA build relationships with innovation hubs around the country, while introducing cutting edge NASA-developed technology to entrepreneurially minded students.
Quantum Startup Foundry (QSF) at the University of Maryland (UMD) is a quantum technology startup accelerator funded in 2021 to spur Maryland quantum technology entrepreneurial ecosystem. QSF offers unmatched opportunities for collaborations between startups, academia and commercial entities to stimulate development of Maryland quantum industry. QSF collaborates with Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance, a partnership that brings together academia, government and commercial stakeholders in the region. QSF fills a gap between the academy and the entrepreneurial community as it offers programs for both early and advanced stage startups as well as physical location to set up and grow quantum business in PG County.
We negotiated and developed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) template to agily engage MSIs to conduct research on such topics as Internet of Things (IoT) and cyber security. Bowie State University (BSU) is one of five universities conducting research under this collaboration which enables students (and faculty) to develop solutions for NSA problems and patented technology. The goal is to scale the working group to include more universities and problem sets from other federal agencies, as well as provide resources to incubate, license, and commercialize the federal technologies. I've been in conversations with Google, AWS, Ernst and Young, and Lockheed Martin and have future plans to incorporate these resources in the collaboration.
The concept of play has all but been omitted from higher education curriculums. However, as more entrepreneurship educators turn to experiential learning, 'play' should be considered an appropriate teaching strategy to spark creativity and encourage innovation. This presentation will cover different types of ‘play’ and how each can be used in the entrepreneurship classroom.
Historically, access to capital has been the leading concern of minority-owned businesses, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) work to recover from the effects of the pandemic, the same remains true. Minority-owned businesses often face challenges in securing business loans from traditional lenders. Issues limiting the flow of capital to minority-owned businesses include the inability of entrepreneurs to demonstrate adequate wealth or to provide collateral or assets (e.g., real estate) against these loans. The growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises is essential for the growth of the overall American business eco-system and economy. To that end, what are some tangible market solutions to the barriers of access to capital that are impediment for MBEs.
Come find your flavor of inspiration with this expert panel that shares its proven recipes for success within a variety of university ecosystems and funding sources! Each faculty works at a unique institution and has used a distinct approach to broaden their innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. They have leveraged a variety of funding opportunities, including VentureWell Course and Program grants, to further their work on campus.
Over the past several decades, the practice of entrepreneurship in the U.S. has stalled. As thought leaders seek strategies to restore entrepreneurial ecosystems in communities across the U.S., many universities have leveraged the spheres of innovation, talent and place to bridge the gap between the theory and practice of entrepreneurship. At the intersection of these spheres, university-based entrepreneurship centers have been instrumental in serving the needs of academic innovators and university-affiliated entrepreneurs. This panel will discuss strategies and best practices to launch, grow and sustain such programs and tap into the experiences of leading practitioners, and members of the International Business Innovation Association, who lead university-based entrepreneurship centers at historically black colleges and universities.
The session will focus on the activities of the The Maryland University Extension program, which is a partnership among five universities: the University of Maryland, Bowie State University, Morgan State University, Coppin State University, and the University of Baltimore. The extension, along with additional regional partners such as the UM Ventures’ Baltimore Fund, TEDCO, and the University System of Maryland, are collaborating to bring entrepreneurial resources to the entire state of Maryland, with a particular focus on underrepresented groups in Entrepreneurship.
This is a workshop dedicated to identifying the roles that stakeholders play in building equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems. We propose that there are five roles that fit in a system of shared leadership (entrepreneurs, providers, activists, appliers and experts) that must work together to help ecosystems thrive. We encourage participants to challenge, edit, and adjust our model to help develop entrepreneurial ecosystems for communities that need it the most.
HBCUs have always played a significate role in the communities they serve. From producing educators, scientists, doctors, and lawyers, HBCUs have been and continue to be the cornerstone in their communities. Entrepreneurship education fosters an opportunity for economic mobility that crosses all sectors and is especially crucial in wealth building. This session will focus on best practices on how HBCUs entrepreneurship programs can connect and collaborate with the K-12 community. A collective entrepreneurship ecosystem enhances student career opportunities, skillsets and better prepares them for sustainable wages and opportunities to adapt to the entrepreneurial mindset. Experts from the fields of entrepreneurship education, post-secondary education, workforce development, and leading private sector-industry leaders will share practical strategies for building high-value entrepreneurial ecosystems at HBCUs.
This session illustrates how to mobilize your village to birth and raise main street businesses that create a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem. Leave with a worksheet that you can use as a guide to be in action in your community.
Our presentation will consist of a panel of previous entrepreneurs who were Accelerator winners discussing how they have scaled their businesses and increased health outcomes with the funding and training they received. Since they came through the accelerator.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been part of the fabric of higher education for over 150 years and have provided critical resources to support their communities for equally as long. They continue to support and uplift students from largely marginalized populations, often first-generation college students and those from economically distressed areas. HBCUs are critical drivers of economic empowerment and development. While frequently under-resourced and marginalized themselves, HBCUs have been uniquely positioned to support entrepreneurship and innovation in their communities. This panel will share an overview of HBCUs and economic impacts, how entrepreneurship is infused in curriculum and co-curricular activities; how relationships and partnerships are established to engage the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem in their communities. The panel will also address the need to build cross transdisciplinary conversations and programs, networks, and connections among HBCUs, overcoming barriers such as resistance, resources, and silos. Finally, the panel will share lessons learned and asks participants to suggest innovative ways to engage, collaborate, increase global awareness, and expand entrepreneurial opportunities.
Universities have learned that building university entrepreneurship ecosystems is valuable to the students, faculty, institutions, and the community. However, creating such ecosystems is not easy and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Recently, Fayetteville State University proposed the inclusion of entrepreneurship modules in existing courses to weave entrepreneurship into the fabric of non-business disciplines. This session discusses the origins of the concept, partners, grant application, challenges and successes, and path forward.
This session features current and former Texas-based educators who are developing, leading, and supporting efforts to strengthen the university entrepreneurship ecosystem at their respective campuses. Panelists from the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, Texas Tech University, Texas State University, and the University of Arkansas will share their key insights on the curricular and co-curricular initiatives in development and underway at their institutions.
Operation HOPE and USPTO continue to work together to promote entrepreneurship education and the importance of patent and trademark education. We would utilize this important session to share with participants significant patent and trademark information for startups, aspiring entrepreneurs, and current small business entrepreneurs who are affiliated with HBCU’s as students, alumni, and/or academics and administrators; as well, we’d educate participants around the latest eCommerce entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education opportunities. The goal of the virtual session is to leave participants with knowledge around the free USPTO Patent and Trademark Resources and free Operation HOPE Entrepreneurship Education and Small Business and Entrepreneurship Resources.
Entrepreneurs face stress and anxiety, with a notable increase in suicide rates in the past twenty years; research shows that when personality strengths align with career choices, overall mental health improves. The presenters developed The Well-Being Exercise, where business learners engage in self-exploration based on positive psychology concepts, for class use. Learners identify personal character strengths and develop plans aimed at better career choice alignment as well as promotion of mental health well-being and self- awareness among entrepreneurs.
While there is much debate about necessity- and opportunity-based entrepreneurship, there exists a third-dimensional driver for entrepreneurship that, especially for Black entrepreneurs, is ripe for discussion in this time of crisis. In this session, discover the theoretical foundations of generativity-based entrepreneurship and its implications on your entrepreneurship programming, policies, and practices.
We have seen an increase in awareness, programming, and resources to “increase the wage gap” for Black Women in the workplace, but how does this translate for Black women who have started their own businesses? They are in search of aligning with their passion, creating an impact in their communities and families, and being their own boss, scaling and growing their venture. How do we guide them to “CLOSE THE REVENUE GAP?” At Babson College’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL), we have made closing the revenue gap one of our core areas of concentration. We have injected the principles and steps to help Black Women close the revenue gap in our programming, resources, and mentorship programs. We tackle issues like mindset, pricing, scaling, hiring ad curating a community. CWEL executive director, Dr. Shakenna Williams, will share how Babson is doing their part in helping close the revenue gap for Black Women entrepreneurs through programs at their centers and throughout the College to have real economic change for women in business.
Discusses the minor in entrepreneurship at Jackson State University and how Jackson State University students and faculty across campus participate in interdisciplinary and multi-instructional/organizational collaborative learning. The curriculum is designed to help students identify entrepreneurial opportunities within their own disciplines. Students who want to gain a core understanding of entrepreneurship without making it the center of their education pursue this minor.
From national security to natural disasters, from energy to the environment, the critical challenges we face today have common elements: They cut across government, private, and non-profit sectors. They are constantly evolving in a fast-moving world. They require a problem-based approach to ensure solutions are relevant, grounded, and implementable in the real world. While there are definite ways to manage entrepreneurial opportunities in the for-profit space, what we need to develop is away to have that same investigation in the mission space.This session will help the participants understand what it means to be a mission-focused entrepreneur using the hacking 4 method created by Steve Blank.
Measuring success in entrepreneurial education should be less about specific skills and competencies and more about the numbers of individuals who experience the entrepreneurial process. Through ethnographic research we have a good understanding of the types of skills and competencies that entrepreneurs develop over their lifetimes. But, these competencies shouldn’t be the primary metric used to grade the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education programs because of Campbell's Law.
CEO Amber Chaney, first generation college student and female entrepreneur will teach Bowie State students how to start and build a side hustle that leads to a corporation. Learn how any skill set (cooking, social media, writing) can lead to full scale businesses and income while being a student! Tips and tricks include getting registered as an LLC, finding a mentor, building a marketing plan, and how to find your ideal client and build a client base! Students will learn good business practices, customer service, and how to turn what you love into profit!
In this session, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities that student entrepreneurs emerging from universities face when deciding whether to pursue their venture after graduation. We’ll hear stories from student entrepreneurs of the varied paths they have taken, and how we as entrepreneurship support organizations can better provide them with the necessary interventions to accommodate these varied journeys.
Attendees will learn how they can maximize their competitions’ impact using Startup Tree and take a look at how they can best streamline their communication to applicants, coaches, judges, and more over the course of their program. Panelists will be sharing exclusive resources that can be utilized for attendees’ own program:
There is a growing interest from undergraduate students in entrepreneurial programs, resources, and experiential opportunities. There is an intersection between entrepreneurial curriculum and metacognitive skill development. The presentation will highlight research specifically examining the role of self-efficacy and entrepreneurship in undergraduates through a case study of students attending Historically Black Colleges & Universities in North Carolina. The implications of this study will provide insights to make informed decisions in entrepreneurship pedagogy and resource allocation to meet a diverse student population and desired career paths.
Our business finance basics course will help participants learn the steps to manage cash flow, explore ways to expand, and understand insurance. This interactive session will show you how to build and protect your business for years to come.
The Matrix marries a traditional business planning canvas with problem-based learning and offers a series of questions used by fledgling entrepreneurs to address in their pitches. Using data from a recent multi-institution pitch competition, this session will introduce the Matrix, share strengths and weaknesses across institutions on the Matrix, and will discuss possible ways of strengthening the weaknesses.
This conference provides an excellent opportunity to connect with peers to share your outstanding research, programming and/or teaching innovations. Dynamic, interactive presentations will help advance entrepreneurship education by creating space to crowdsource solutions and generate engaging feedback on your experiential exercises, research ideas and programmatic challenges. Come reconnect with colleagues and make new contacts. The HBCU Entrepreneurship Conference will feature four presentation tracks:
Track A: A new vision for experiential education in entrepreneurship (exercises, cases, simulations, virtual reality, AI, digital assets, NFTs, crypto)
Experiential education in entrepreneurship has changed over time from using case studies to starting and operating businesses and many pedagogical innovations in between. It is important to recognize the pedagogies, tools, and techniques that are working in the classroom and beyond. At the same time, technology is evolving and tools such as simulations, virtual reality, and digital assets have come into the entrepreneurship classroom. This track addresses a path forward in experiential education.
Track B: Connecting town and gown to maximize opportunities for all – fostering strong local and regional entrepreneurial ecosystems (hubs, centers, coworking, cooperative programming, and collaborations)
The future of entrepreneurship extends far beyond the walls of the academy. The most vibrant and successful university entrepreneurship efforts bridge the gaps between the academy and the community. Colleges and universities have taken multiple approaches to engagement in the local and regional entrepreneurial ecosystems and this track addresses them. Whether a university creates an innovation and entrepreneurship hub, an accelerator, an e-lab, or a center, it is finding a way to make connections. Coworking and other shared spaces abound. Even absent physical spaces, there are many interesting and productive collaborations and examples of cooperative programming.
Track C: Engagement beyond the business school - building university entrepreneurship ecosystems (curricular and co-curricular efforts to connect the silos)
Progress starts within. A strong university entrepreneurship ecosystem has support across colleges, departments, and disciplines. Entrepreneurship is infused throughout the curriculum and there are champions at all levels and across the organization. Often, this means that entrepreneurship programs and centers are housed outside the business school. Other times, courses are taught in many parts of the university. Perhaps, the core or general education includes an entrepreneurial mindset course. Entrepreneurship minors are available to students across campus. Student clubs, like Enactus, recruit students across campus.
Track D: Measuring success in entrepreneurship education (competencies, skills, indices, microcredentials, certifications, badging, RISE, Certiport, and the like)
We get what we measure. There has been debate about the very definition of entrepreneurship and the pedagogy has changed over the years. Today, it is clear that experiential entrepreneurship education dominates. However, the literature (and faculty) continues to discuss what the skills and competencies to teach are and how they can best be measured. In other words, what is success and how can we tell? The field has gone beyond entrepreneurial intentions but is still struggling to get a handle on this. At the same time, the European Union created the EntreComp framework and testing for secondary school students and there are efforts to define the competencies and measures in the United States and abroad. Microcredentials, certifications, and badging are all the rage. RISE and Certiport are two of the commercial products in this emerging field. This raised opportunities and questions.
Email eic@bowiestate.edu or hbcue-shipconference@bowiestate.edu for more information.