“So what? Who cares? Why you?” These are the three questions asked by entrepreneurship expert, Idella Yamben, to anyone looking to find a job, change careers, or start a small business. Yamben cites these as critical components of entrepreneurship in every day life, although entrepreneurship is often thought of in relation to small businesses. Entrepreneurship is all the rage, as seen in shows like “Shark Tank” where start-up businesses seek investors and often face harsh criticism. Its popularity has quickly spread to Emory’s own college campus, although it fortunately does not include the cruel critique and tears of reality television. Most people assume entrepreneurship is simply a fancier name for business, but what really makes entrepreneurship different from traditional business? Risk, initiative, and creating something new. These qualities have been the catalyst for the creation of thousands of businesses all over the world, with renewed interest after the global financial crisis. Naturally, Goizueta Business School is a front-runner in entrepreneurial development on campus, and numerous other organizations from across Emory’s campus are beginning to do the same.
Emory has created a committee devoted to entrepreneurial development, the Committee on Undergraduate Student Entrepreneurship (see the announcement here). This Committee created the Emory Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (E3) in order to streamline the growing development of entrepreneurship across campus. Raoul Hall, a First-Year residence hall, opened in Fall 2014 as a Living-Learning Community (LLC) focused on social entrepreneurship under the guidance of E3. As of Fall 2015, E3 has added an open space in Few Hall devoted to networking and idea development for student entrepreneurs called “Living Labs.” Additionally, during one evening every week students have the opportunity to attend presentations from guest speakers to learn more about entrepreneurship. E3 has gained immense student resources by providing the tools and resources for successful entrepreneurial development, and Goizueta will host the first ever Emory Entrepreneurship Summit April 10-11 (details here).
Entrepreneurship exists at the individual level, but many clubs on campus are changing to focus on entrepreneurship. Most clubs on campus have traditional means of raising money through donations or bake sales, and often work towards goals with minimal associated risk. Entrepreneurial organizations instead encourage problem-solving creatively using whatever resources are available, whether that means utilizing unique skills or utilizing personal connections. These groups organize events from career fairs to contests that promote entrepreneurial development and networking. Not all of the entrepreneurial clubs or organizations are for-profit; numerous organizations across campus, such as the Haiti Neurosurgery Initiative (HNI) and Nourish International, are considered social entrepreneurship. Along with HNI, other major organizations include Emory Entrepreneurship & Venture Management (EEVM), Goizueta Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club (EVCC), Nourish International, and Tamid.
Some of the hallmarks of these organizations on Emory’s campus include large goals of product development, making a tangible difference in an underserved community, and increasing idea development through networking. New groups are forming across campus and students are working individually, with the help of E3 programming, to develop new ideas and initiatives to improve our world. Alumni Brian Rudolph 12B first began his small business of Banza chickpea pasta three years ago after winning $500,000 from Accelerate Michigan, a competition for entrepreneurs to pitch business ideas. It began as a venture to help revitalize Detroit, and with the support of crowd funding, his business has skyrocketed to popularity ranking as one of TIME’s top twenty five inventions of 2015. In the technology realm, former student Gerald Yao has raised $1.2 million dollars in seed funding to launch FiscalNote. This tool helps businesses keep up with constantly changing federal and state legislation to increase transparency in political and legal systems. FiscalNote uses artificial intelligence and algorithms where it would have taken countless people to keep up with the amount of information. FiscalNote is based in New York City and Washington, DC and is currently conducting Beta testing. Students and faculty at Emory are most familiar with Campus Bubble, which originated as a start-up founded by former students Ian McCall, Nir Levy, Giovanni Hobbins, and Pat Shea (C’12). Campus Bubble is an online portal that aims to connect various organization and groups on campus in one place. Campus Bubble now has 15 University partners and growing with the mission to “drive enrollment yield with the ultimate student experience.”
As a student, the opportunities to get involved range from clubs to multi-day events, such as Georgia Tech’s 3 Day Startup or Startup Exchange. Business Model You has been cited by experts as a beneficial resource for students seeking the learn more about entrepreneurship.