The Entrepreneurial Community College

Develop an entrepreneurial culture with the best practices discussed inside this resource. Declining public resources, coupled with the demand that we do more with less, make it more of an imperative that entrepreneurism, flexibility, and adaptability thrive in the community college environment. Seeing how other community colleges have brought entrepreneurship and creativity to life in their programs and services will inspire your own ideas for increasing revenue and reducing costs. You will also discover how strong leaders can become collaborators, facilitators, consensus makers, and incentive providers.

In this book, Carrie B. Kisker illustrates how community colleges can utilize design thinking to identify and evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities, and experiment with the internal changes necessary to optimize outcomes for stakeholders. Kisker outlines a process whereby college leaders can empower faculty and staff to think creatively about how to reduce their institution's dependence on state allocations in ways that are not only consistent with the college's mission and values, but also provide the greatest likelihood for institutional and student success. The book presents evidence drawn from case studies at four community colleges along with in-depth qualitative interviews with leaders, faculty, and staff who have been involved in their institution's entrepreneurial efforts. The featured colleges--Maricopa County Community Colleges (AZ), Tarrant County College (TX), North Iowa Community College, and Valencia College (FL)--all have long histories of engaging in entrepreneurial initiatives. By telling the stories of several influential community college leaders' experiences with entrepreneurialism--using design thinking as a framework for understanding their successes and failures--Kisker provides a roadmap for colleges to move beyond their historical pattern of incremental responses to external pressures, and instead begin to innovate in a creative, mission-oriented approach.

While community colleges have traditionally focused on providing students with opportunities to gain credentials for employment, the increasingly important question is: Are they preparing students for the looming dynamic, disruptive, and entrepreneurial environments ahead? This book addresses the urgent need for community colleges to prioritize entrepreneurship education both to remain relevant in a changing economy and to give graduate students the flexible and interdisciplinary mindsets needed for the future of society. It argues that entrepreneurial education should be offered broadly to a wide range of students, and across all disciplines; defines the key constructs for achieving this objective; and describes how to create entrepreneurial learning environments.The expert contributors, with the support of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), start from the premise that community colleges are uniquely positioned to lead entrepreneurial initiatives through both internally-generated curriculum design and through collaboration with the local entrepreneurial community to build bridges between the classroom to the community which in turn can offer models of implementation and constitute a network or support system for students. Community colleges can become incubators of innovation, a magnet for talent, and provide the impetus for development strategies that their communities have not begun to realize. As the chapters make clear, developing an entrepreneurial program itself requires an entrepreneurial mindset that transcends any lack of resources, requiring a spirit of imagination and resourcefulness. This book takes the reader on a journey through the steps needed to build a meaningful, relevant, and sustainable entrepreneurship program, covering program development, curriculum design, appropriate pedagogical approaches, and community engagement.

This book addresses the urgent need for community colleges to prioritize entrepreneurship education both to remain relevant in a changing economy and to give graduate students the flexible and interdisciplinary mindsets needed for the future of society.

This book provides leaders with insights into how entrepreneurial thinking and action can put local communities on the path to recovery from the economic devastation induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Entrepreneurship offers a roadmap to the future. NACCE members colleges' newly evolved programs benefit local communities, fuel economic growth, and create more equitable opportunities for those who have been historically marginalized. This pathway leads to recovery, hope and a more caring, creative, and equitable society.

Leveraging existing community college assets to rebuild a more equitable economy

This textbook is intended for use in introductory Entrepreneurship classes at the undergraduate level. Due to the wide range of audiences and course approaches, the book is designed to be as flexible as possible. Theoretical and practical aspects are presented in a balanced manner, and specific components such as the business plan are provided in multiple formats. Entrepreneurship aims to drive students toward active participation in entrepreneurial roles, and exposes them to a wide range of companies and scenarios.

An essential guide to building supportive entrepreneurial communities "Startup communities" are popping up everywhere, from cities like Boulder to Boston and even in countries such as Iceland. These types of entrepreneurial ecosystems are driving innovation and small business energy. Startup Communities documents the buzz, strategy, long-term perspective, and dynamics of building communities of entrepreneurs who can feed off of each other's talent, creativity, and support. Based on more than twenty years of Boulder-based entrepreneur turned-venture capitalist Brad Feld's experience in the field?as well as contributions from other innovative startup communities?this reliable resource skillfully explores what it takes to create an entrepreneurial community in any city, at any time. Along the way, it offers valuable insights into increasing the breadth and depth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem by multiplying connections among entrepreneurs and mentors, improving access to entrepreneurial education, and much more. Details the four critical principles needed to form a sustainable startup community Perfect for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists seeking fresh ideas and new opportunities Written by Brad Feld, a thought-leader in this field who has been an early-stage investor and successful entrepreneur for more than twenty years Engaging and informative, this practical guide not only shows you how startup communities work, but it also shows you how to make them work anywhere in the world.