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Center offers networking opportunities |
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Thursday, 31 January 2008 |
by REBECCA GARDNER
News Reporter
According to a survey conducted by the Center for Entrepreneurship of 316 students from across campus in spring 2005, 81 percent of Appalachian State University students have thought about starting a business.
Appalachian’s Center for Entrepreneurship is in the Walker College of Business and is located in room 1016 of Raley Hall.
The center started in 2006 and moved into the current office location in spring 2007.
“Our primary mission is to infuse entrepreneurship all across campus,” said Bryan C. Toney, director of
the center. “Our audience is anyone on campus or in the region because there are very creative folks
across campus and we want to reach those [people] through new curricular and co-curricular
programs.”
 Bryan C. Toney, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, works with faculty, students and alumni to provide networking and lecture opportunities through the center. Photo by Holt Menzies
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Some of the new curriculum and co-curriculum programs include the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour
and the annual Carole Moore McLeod Entrepreneur Summit.
Shortly, the center hopes to have a new mentoring program where students at Appalachian pair up with
entrepreneur professionals for a year or two when they are in school, Toney said.
“Our focus is on outside experience with inspirational, motivated student entrepreneurs, and connecting
the Appalachian community with the outside community,” Toney said.
Currently, only Appalachian students in the college of business can have a major in marketing with a
concentration in entrepreneurship.
An opportunity for non-business majors to have a minor in entrepreneurship is in the works, Toney
said.
The center works on international projects as well. Among these projects, the center supports and
promotes programs in Spain, Germany and Belgium and is currently working on a course with India
within the next year.
“This is an opportunity for students to interact and work with like-minded students in the world,” Toney
said.
In the center, there are different ways to get involved including participating in programs, the Carole
Moore McLeod Entrepreneurship Summit, dropping by the office and the entrepreneurship club at
Appalachian.
Last year, about 40 business owner speakers and over 300 students participated in the
entrepreneurship summit, Toney said.
The Association of Student Entrepreneurs (A.S.E.) is the entrepreneurship club on campus. It is open
to everyone interested in starting his or her own business; you do not have to be a business major.
“We get students with very diverse backgrounds,” said Julia A. Rowland, assistant director of the
center. “Entrepreneurs have sought us out for students who participate in our programs.”
“There is a very high level of interest by non-business students and this will better prepare students for
an entrepreneurial world,” Toney said.
Other schools in North Carolina have or are developing programs and it is common to see
entrepreneurship majors and minors across the country, Toney said.
“[Western Carolina University] and [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill] probably have the most
established programs,” Toney said.
These programs have been around longer than Appalachian’s center, Toney said.
“These programs are driven by the increase in the student market of entrepreneurship and is externally
driven by what our economy needs by creating jobs,” Toney said. “Entrepreneurs help businesses start
and help existing businesses grow.”
The center will host the Young Entrepreneurship Symposium Feb. 25 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in room 1020
of Raley Hall. The symposium is sponsored by Backyard Burger.
“There will be five to six panelists that are current students or very recent graduates that will share their
stories,” Rowland said.
The center will also host the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour Feb. 29. It is free, but all interested
students are asked to R.S.V.P.
“This tour will be with many entrepreneurs who made millions by age 25,” Rowland said.
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