Ecosystem
Northeast Ohio's private and public colleges and universities are creating opportunities for college students to learn about and experience entrepreneurship. In an effort to document the collegiate entrepreneurial ecosystem, The Burton D. Morgan Foundation teamed with JumpStart to produce a schematic that catalogs the region's participants, resources, and programs:
Northeast Ohio's Collegiate Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
One of America's Best Collegiate Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
There are many good reasons for students to grow their own businesses or work for an innovative startup in Northeast Ohio:
Collegiate Funding History and Priorities
Between 2000 and 2004, the Foundation supported the construction of entrepreneurship buildings on four college campuses: Denison University, The College of Wooster, Ashland University, and Mr. Morgan's alma mater, Purdue University. Subsequently, the Foundation awarded entrepreneurship program support to each of these institutions. The Foundation has since expanded its emphasis on entrepreneurship programs at the collegiate level. Through the Northeast Ohio Collegiate Entrepreneurship Program (NEOCEP), a Kauffman Campuses Initiative, The Burton D. Morgan and Ewing Marion Kauffman foundations are supporting cross-campus entrepreneurship education on five liberal arts campuses: Baldwin Wallace University, Hiram College, Lake Erie College, Oberlin College, and The College of Wooster. The programs have developed rapidly on each of these campuses and are thriving within each institution's centers of excellence.
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation has also provided entrepreneurship support to Ashland University, Kenyon College, and Case Western Reserve University. As a result of the Morgan family's close connection to Kent State University, the Foundation has supported the intersection of design, technology, and entrepreneurship at KSU's Fashion School.
Internships provide students with real-world experiences, and the Foundation has supported these career-building experiences through an entrepreneurial internship program at the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education. The Foundation is also interested in ensuring cross-fertilization among Northeast Ohio collegiate programs. To further this goal, The Burton D. Morgan Foundation has supported the activities of the nine-member Entrepreneurship Education Consortium, including its summer immersion program and the spring ideaLabs Innovation Idea Competition. To encourage pathways from youth entrepreneurship programs in the region, the Foundation is providing scholarships through College Now Greater Cleveland for students interested in studying entrepreneurship at the collegiate level.
"I like the idea that entrepreneurship, which is how I got to this point in my life, is to be treated as a genuine career at universities and colleges in the United States." - Burton D. Morgan