Entrepreneurship is something to be valued (both in students and in adults), but developing an entrepreneurial mindset can be a challenge. And for entrepreneurs, maintaining that energy is another challenge altogether. That’s why it’s important for innovators to have organizations–and their peers–to lean on. Today, we’re recognizing 35 organizations connecting and supporting entrepreneurs to encourage continued innovation in the education sphere.
Organizations Connecting & Supporting Entrepreneurs:
- 1871: Chicago’s center for technology and entrepreneurship
- 4.0 Schools: Incubating people, tools & schools in NOLA & NYC
- 500 Startups: Supporting 800 startups worldwide
- BUILD: Success through youth enterprise
- DreamIt: Provides startups with access to investors, a sales pipeline and a network of resources
- Founder Institute: World’s largest startup accelerator
- General Assembly: The best in tech, design & business
- Google for Entrepreneurs: Programs, events & tools
- Impact Hub: Part innovation lab, part business incubator & part community center
- Kauffman: Fosters startup communities and develops challenges to spur entrepreneurial activity in select metropolitan areas
- The Lean Lab: Kansas City-based community that launches transformational education innovations
- LEAP Innovations: Convenes educators & tech innovators to discover, share & scale tools
- Meetup: EdTech meetups with edupreneurs around the country
- StartEd: A year-round community for EdTech entrepreneurs, faculty & students
- Startup Institute: Eight week launch pad in NYC, Boston & Chicago
- Startup Weekend EDU: Network supporting communities of entrepreneurship
- Tom Tom Founders Festival: Pitch competitions, luncheons, workshops & mixers in a SXSW-esque setting
- Trailhead Boise: Helps entrepreneurs in Boise, ID, start and scale businesses and projects
- Y-Combinator: Mountain View accelerator
Supporting Student Entrepreneurship
- Dorm Room Fund: A student-run venture fund backed by First Round Capital
- Entre-Ed: Support for teachers and program leaders (see feature)
- The Future Project: Helps high schools provide entrepreneurship programs
- Junior Achievement: Fostering work-readiness, entrepreneurship & financial literacy skills (Note: also see 10 Maker resources here)
- Kairos Society: Network for entrepreneurs under 25
- Lean LaunchPad: From Silicon Valley’s Steve Blank
- MIT Launch: High school entrepreneurship programs
- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): Preparing young people for business
- National Student Leadership Conference: Conference supporting high school entrepreneurs
- One Stone Solution Lab: Organizations, foundations, businesses & start-ups can engage a team of One Stone students in design thinking a solution, business idea or product.
- Real World Scholars: Works with teachers who use entrepreneurship to engage students in core curriculum
- Roadtrip Nation: Roadtrip offers experiences, interviews & curriculum
- Summer Programs:
- Babson Summer Study: Introduces students to Babson’s entrepreneurship methodology that encourages combining reflection, experimentation, and analysis with action
- Berkeley Academy for Youth: introduces youth from around the world to the disciplines and skills that make business work
- Stanford’s Summer Fuel: Provides business and leadership skills to help students become socially conscious entrepreneurs
- University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Pre-College Program: Provides an opportunity for students to develop leadership skills and explore their interest in business.
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This Smart List is sponsored by Getting Smart Services, Getting Smart’s consulting division that helps schools, districts, networks and impact-oriented partners create, implement and amplify thought leadership campaigns, education initiatives, powerful learning experiences and forward-leaning strategies. Learn more about what they can do to support your education initiatives here.
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