Press Release NACCE Launches Entrepreneurial College of the Future
Cary, NC, April 23, 2022 | NACCE Launches Entrepreneurial College of the Future in Celebration of Community College Month.
The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) has announced a national pilot program, the Entrepreneurial College of the Future with 15 of the country’s leading community colleges. This new initiative harnesses teams of three leaders at each college who will work together and with other colleges to tackle challenges and opportunities in their campus and local communities. Through the collaboration, a group of leading experts in ideation, fundraising, student and employee engagement, and workforce development will identify best innovative practices that will be shared through NACCE’s network of colleges reaching over four million students. NACCE is the country’s leading organization advancing entrepreneurship education and innovation in community colleges.
The fifteen community colleges selected for the pilot include:
- Barstow Community College (CA)
- City College of San Francisco (CA)
- Hillsborough Community College (FL)
- Laramie County Community College (WY)
- Indian River State College (FL)
- Northeast Community College (NE)
- Ocean County College (NJ)
- Pasco-Hernando Community College (FL)
- Patrick & Henry Community College (VA)
- Pellissippi State Community College (TN)
- Pima Community College (AZ)Prince George’s Community College (MD)
- Roane State Community College (TN)
- Suny Rockland Community College (NY)
- Vance-Granville Community College (NC)
The Entrepreneurial College of the Future pilot also includes a group of 65 colleges that will co-create a comprehensive database of innovative approaches that will be available to all NACCE members. The database will be unveiled in October. Specific focus areas of the pilot include:
- Workforce Development – aligning with employer needs and creating one’s own job.
- Fundraising – moving beyond scholarships to big community-driven initiatives.
- Student Success – enhancing enrollment and retention.
- Silo Busting – increasing engagement and retention of college personnel.
“The Entrepreneurial College of the Future serves as a national resource for best practices and as a driver of innovation in communities and community colleges,” said NACCE President and CEO Rebecca Corbin. “This new pilot will drive innovation at all levels of entrepreneurial ecosystems across the country. It also charts NACCE course of growth through innovation for the next three years as we work to expand our membership.”
The initiative is supported by the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund (EEVF), which provides seed funding to student entrepreneurs served by community colleges, and the Philip E. & Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, which sponsors both the annual “Pitch for the Skilled Trades” competition and the new “Pitch for the Foundation.” Both pitch competitions will take place at NACCE’s Annual Conference October 2-5 and will offer a total of $300,000 in prizes for innovative ideas pitched by community college teams.
Colleges participating in the initiative receive free consulting, mentoring services from experts, and travel and conference support valued at more than $25,000 for each college.
- Facilitated monthly calls with ideation and development experts;
- Travel and support for college teams to NACCE conferences;
- Opportunity to advance to the semi-finals of the “Pitch for the Foundation” and;
- Match funding for the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund (EEVF).
“Serving as both a community college president and earlier in my career as an advancement professional, I see the tremendous power in bringing entrepreneurial mindset and action into the problem-solving arena for community colleges,” said John Rainone, Ed.D., president of Dabney Lancaster Community College (becoming Mountain Gateway Community College in July 2022), and a member of the foundation executive leadership team. “While enrollments nationwide may be down, opportunity abounds. The Entrepreneurial College of the Future pilot will help us create the way forward.”
About NACCE
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, NACCE is an organization of educators, administrators, college presidents, and entrepreneurs focused on igniting entrepreneurship in their communities and on their campuses. The association represents a dynamic community of technical and community colleges, including more than 2,500 faculty, staff, and administrators who serve four million students. NACCE has its headquarters in Cary, NC, and maintains a satellite office in Springfield, MA, where it was founded. For more information, visit www.nacce.com. Follow NACCE on Twitter at @NACCE.