The Entrepreneurship Education Consortium, which has fostered collaboration and entrepreneurial education for local college students since 2007, announced it will become the hub for the collegiate entrepreneurship ecosystem in Northeast Ohio.
Longtime philanthropic leader Deborah D. Hoover will lead the charge as the EEC drives the next level ofgrowth and impact in the region.
Over the next three years, the EEC will coordinate existing programs to grow ventures, instill an entrepreneurial mindset acrosscampuses, and match students to entrepreneurship opportunities, according to a news release. The goal is to serve the talent needs of the business community by creating a pipeline of graduates who possess well-honed entrepreneurial and innovation skills that can be deployed in new ventures and existing businesses.
“Northeast Ohio has many resources to help entrepreneurs and students develop ideas and become important drivers of the local economy,” EECboard President Colette Hart stated in the release. “These resources could be even more impactfulif brought together. The Entrepreneurship Education Consortium will serve as the hub that will connect the dots that make up ourecosystem, paving the way for enhanced collaboration, alignment and strategic coordination.”
To lead this initiative, the EEC has hired Deborah Hoover as its new CEO. Hoover will retire as the president and CEO of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation at the end of this month, following a 15-year tenure. Entering her fifth year with EEC, Reka Barabas will continue her work on the leadership team as the chief relationship officer.
“Watching students develop entrepreneurial skills and mindset, helping them expand their potential and figure out how to bring ideas to life has been exciting and rewarding,” Hoover stated in the release.” This opportunity to assist EEC transform into the region’s collegiate hub is a great match for my personal and professional goals as a committed ecosystem builder.”
Among the new efforts will be participation in the newly formed Cleveland Talent Alliance, as well as continuing to work with the Young Entrepreneur Institute at University School, JumpStart, Bounce Innovation Hub in Akron and MAGNET, the release stated.
The Entrepreneurship Education Consortium was formed in 2007 and includes11 member institutions: Ashland University; Baldwin Wallace University; Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland State University; Hiram College; John Carroll University; Kent State University; Lake Erie College; Lorain County Community College; The University of Akron; and University of Mount Union.
