The following is an excerpt from an article in The Michigan Chronicle, from the week of August 19, 2009.
Entrepreneurs are the backbone of America’s economy.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses create 75 percent of the net new jobs in our economy and pay more than 44 percent of the nation’s private payroll. For America’s economy to rebound, now more than ever, entrepreneurship must be encouraged and existing and future entrepreneurs must have access to essential tools that will help ensure future success.
And thanks to Oakland University’s Entrepreneurship Institute, promising area teens have experienced what it takes to run a successful business, paving the way for the next generation of entrepreneurs in our region.
Since 2001, the Entrepreneurship Institute, in Oakland University’s School of Business Administration, has served more than 7,000 students from Detroit and the surrounding communities through a variety of mentorship programs. The program was bolstered in 2004 when the Comerica Charitable Foundation pledged a five-year, $250,000 commitment to help develop the Entrepreneurship Summer Camp.
“Comerica is proud to support this program because it effectively reaches students, who in most cases would be first-generation college graduates,” said Caroline Chambers, president of the Comerica Charitable Foundation. “It exposes them to the real possibilities of building a business from idea to reality through development of a real business plan and gives them invaluable connections to business leaders who serve as mentors in guiding their business plan development.
“Comerica colleagues serve among those mentors and it’s a wonderful opportunity for them as well, to support a very worthwhile program.”
Each year the Entrepreneurship Summer Camp brings together approximately 25 high school students with local business leaders and OU students from the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) organization.
“Many of these students think about going into business, but they don’t know much about business practices yet,” said Wayne Blizman, director of the Entrepreneurship Institute.
“At the camp they gain experience in business development, market research and sales. The exposure the students get to the academics of entrepreneurship and the interfacing they do with local business leaders is excellent. In addition, students gain a glimpse of what college life is like, attending classes and living in the dorms for two weeks under the mentorship of OU students.”
The following is an excerpt from an article in The Michigan Chronicle, from the week of August 19, 2009.
Entrepreneurs are the backbone of America’s economy.
And thanks to Oakland University’s Entrepreneurship Institute, promising area teens have experienced what it takes to run a successful business, paving the way for the next generation of entrepreneurs in our region.
Since 2001, the Entrepreneurship Institute, in Oakland University’s School of Business Administration, has served more than 7,000 students from Detroit and the surrounding communities through a variety of mentorship programs. The program was bolstered in 2004 when the Comerica Charitable Foundation pledged a five-year, $250,000 commitment to help develop the Entrepreneurship Summer Camp.