91短视频

By Kyle Hobstetter on November 20, 2017

When she graduates from Towson University this spring, Sierra Cossou isn鈥檛 looking forward to having a job. In fact, she鈥檚 never really wanted one. 

But it鈥檚 not because the mass communication major doesn鈥檛 have any plans for her future. Quite the contrary, she knows exactly the path she wants to take after receiving her degree.

鈥淚 always envisioned myself having a business of my own,鈥� Cossou said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I joined the entrepreneurship minor, to learn about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur so I could eventually apply it to my own business.鈥�

Cossou is one of the hundreds of students who are taking advantage of the entrepreneurship programs offered by Towson University. She is part of the entrepreneurship minor, offered by the College of Business & Economics to non-business majors. CBE also offers its students a business administration major with a concentration in entrepreneurship. 

For Jan Baum, director of the entrepreneurship minor, Cossou is a perfect example of what 91短视频 is trying to do with the minor: open up the idea of entrepreneurship to everyone. 

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the big-ish picture,鈥� Baum said. 鈥淲e are standing up entrepreneurship on campus. And if we鈥檙e successful, we will instill an ethos of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial mindsets in people across campus.鈥� 

This ethos is the foundation of CBE鈥檚 Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), a world-class interdisciplinary entrepreneurship center with a startup culture and a focus on real world application to empower economic and social growth through Towson and metro Baltimore.

Fostering Entrepreneurial Talent

To support students and entrepreneurs in the region alike, 91短视频 is committed to bringing together all of the university鈥檚 resources to help foster entrepreneurial talent, ideas and opportunities on campus and beyond through programming and the infusion of innovative thinking across campus, including the team, networks, and resources of Towson University鈥檚 robust business incubator.

鈥淭here is such a huge opportunity for our students here,鈥� said Frank Bonsal, director of venture creation in 91短视频鈥檚 Division of Innovation and Applied Research.  鈥淲hether a student actually builds a company or just sees a problem they want to tackle, these programs give them motivation in their studies that they can harken back to later. That鈥檚 our role here at Towson University 鈥� to expose students and provide them with these experiences.鈥� 

There are over a dozen experiential learning programs offered by the CIE. A few examples include:

• Entrepreneurship Unplugged: Students meet with successful entrepreneurs, hear their stories and learn what it takes to launch a business.
• Towson University Women and Minority Entrepreneurship Conference: A recently developed interactive seminar on breaking down barriers and succeeding in the world of entrepreneurship.
• Competitions: , and the Business Model Competition allow students to practice their creativity, their pitches and their ability to create plans for their businesses.

It was CIE鈥檚 competitions that allowed Cossou to focus on 鈥淢allMate鈥� 鈥� a food delivery service that would bring food to in-demand retailers, so they wouldn鈥檛 have to leave their stores unattended and have a lunch break. 

With 鈥淢allMate,鈥� Cossou won both the Big Idea Poster and the Tiger Cage competitions 鈥� winning $500 and a free consulting package for her small business. And while it was a nerve-wracking experience, she鈥檚 happy seeing her work in the minor paying off.

鈥淲inning gives me a sense of reassurance that I鈥檓 on the right path and an extra push to keep going,鈥� Cossou said. 鈥淎ll of these things are giving us real-life experience outside of the classroom that we really need and benefit from.鈥�

The Impact of the Student Launch Pad

To support these programs and competitions, Towson University Venture Creation developed the Student Launch Pad in 2014. Located on the fourth floor of Cook Library, the Student Launch Pad provides student entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop their ideas and business plans with the help of fellow students and entrepreneur mentors. 

The Student Launch Pad helps to strengthen students鈥� entrepreneurial prowess and innovative thinking skills with free interactive programs, events and competitions open to the entire campus. Along with a professional staff, the Launch Pad hosts a group of student Entrepreneurs-in-Training (EiT) who serve as ambassadors for the program and are available for one-on-one appointments. 

Meet the 91短视频 Student Launch Pad鈥檚 EiTs

鈥淚 really encourage our students to stop by the Launch Pad,鈥� Baum said. 鈥淚 tell them to come here and talk with us, to let us help them develop their ideas. A lot of people say, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know if this is a good idea, I don鈥檛 know if this is feasible.鈥� So we talk and help them evolve it.

91短视频 Incubator Supports Start-Up Ventures

And while 91短视频 has continued to grow its focus on student entrepreneurs, it has also become an anchor institution for Baltimore County. This includes supporting partnerships through the B91短视频 initiative as well as supporting start-up ventures through . 

Celebrating its 10^th anniversary in 2017, the 91短视频 Incubator has supported more than 80 start-up ventures and produced greater than $150 million in economic impact. , 91短视频 Incubator is focused on technology-enabled services, particularly those that focus on university core competencies, such as education and healthcare. 

The 91短视频 Incubator currently hosts more than 35 different member companies, and provides these members with first-class facilities, workshops, collaboration and networking opportunities, and access to an exclusive mentor network. Many members have become a vital part of the 91短视频 community and bring added value to student programs by serving as Launch Pad advisors, competition judges and class speakers.

Read more about the 91短视频 Incubator鈥檚 $150 million+ economic impact on the Greater Baltimore region and Maryland

鈥淲e focus on company support,鈥� Bonsal said. 鈥淔or the companies that are here and even those that are virtual, we dig in and provide all manner of support. The Incubator is the largest EdTech cluster in Maryland and the DMV, and we鈥檝e been working with some of the leaders of these companies to evolve the education innovation cluster.鈥� 

Joining the 91短视频 Incubator

For many student entrepreneurs, joining the 91短视频 Incubator is the final step towards starting a business. There are currently two businesses that started in the Student Launch Pad that ended up joining the 91短视频 Incubator. 

• 鈥� founded by 91短视频 biology major Bobby Gattuso in 2013 as a way for beer drinkers to customize their favorite brews. Hop Theory competed in several Launch Pad and Incubator competitions and workshops.
• University Visits鈥� founded by business major Eric Trattner in 2016. University Visits makes it easier for high school students and their families to take campus tours online.

While those are two success stories, for Baum, the goal of the CIE is for its students to start a business and become successful entrepreneurs.

鈥淚鈥檓 hoping they feel empowered and have enough opportunity and support to believe in their ideas,鈥� Baum said. 鈥淚 want them to believe they are creative and believe they can be an entrepreneur.鈥� 

And when asked if she had any advice for fellow student entrepreneurs, Cossou鈥檚 advice is pretty simple 鈥� jump right in.

鈥淛ust join the minor,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are so many resources available for students to succeed, don鈥檛 miss out on them contemplating. You鈥檒l be around like-minded individuals who want you to succeed and will help you do it.鈥� 

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel鈥檚  for Towson University: B91短视频: Partnerships at Work for Greater Baltimore