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The University Of New Mexico - Entrepreneurship Initiative

Opportunity: New Mexico has a major opportunity for a $5 million grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to establish a campus wide UNM Entrepreneurship Initiative. UNM is one of only 15 universities in the country invited to apply. The funding requires a match of up to $15 million in cash and in-kind. This is a unique opportunity to create an entrepreneurial culture at UNM in the arts, technology and professional services and enhance the relationship between UNM, the NM business community and state economic development initiatives.

Mission: Create and empower entrepreneurs through education and business partnerships

Goals: Create a cross disciplinary academic program in entrepreneurship relevant to the business climate in New Mexico. Build a new partnership between UNM and the business community to actively support development of entrepreneurs and stimulate new businesses and economic activity in New Mexico. Integrate entrepreneur academic programs and student and faculty involvement with active interdisciplinary business outreach and state economic development initiatives to grow entrepreneurs, create new businesses, and foster economic growth in the state.

Plan: The UNM Entrepreneurship Initiative includes the following major components:

§  Cross Disciplinary Academic Approach: Establish a campus-wide freshmen orientation in entrepreneurship and innovation through a series of elective courses in University College with follow-on or supplemental courses for upperclassmen and graduate students

§  Distance Learning and Rural Outreach: Develop course offerings in entrepreneurship through distance learning, web-based courses, and linkages with UNM’s four branch campuses and two learning centers for a statewide impact.

§  University/Business/State Partnerships: Develop partnerships that promote the creation of new businesses by linking higher education expertise, research and technical resources with entrepreneurs, emerging, existing and growing businesses, state agencies and the national labs through a New Mexico Innovation Center.

New Mexico Innovation Center: The creation of an Innovation Center allows UNM resources to be a major driver in New Mexico’s economic development. The Innovation Center will have the following components:

§  UNM Innovation Clearinghouse: Links higher education expertise and technical resources with entrepreneurs, emerging, existing and growing businesses, and the national labs.

§  UNM Innovation Incubator: Establishes a full-service NBIA approved incubator associated with UNM Science and Technology Corporation – that includes outreach, leadership, business and technical services to a broad range of entrepreneurial ventures and small business enterprises.

§  Incubator Assistance Initiative: Offers UNM assistance in economic development initiatives throughout the state in the form of technical expertise, seminars, workshops, research, and business support services to other regional incubators.

§  Innovation Mentoring and Internship Programs: Creates mentoring and internship programs to both provide leadership, business and technical assistance to entrepreneurs and to expose students to hands-on business development.

Focus: The Initiative focuses on the creation of entrepreneurship in the arts and culture as well as engineering, medicine, technology and science. There will be a particular focus on businesses that serve Hispanic and Native American markets-arguably the fastest growing markets in the western hemisphere..

UNM – Entrepreneurship Program
Creating a Culture of Entrepreneurship at UNM
Academic Innovations at UNM:
·  Creation of “Entrepreneur” paths and courses for students across campus
·  Workshops, Contests, Seminars that promote an entrepreneurial culture across academic disciplines.
·  Faculty incentives to teach, promote, and engage in the program
·  Distance Learning and Web-Based Instruction for rural inclusion
Engage Students and Faculty in Entrepreneurship / Linkages Between UNM Academics and Business Entrepreneurship
·  Sharing Faculty Resources and Expertise
·  Business/Entrepreneur Projects with Graduate Student Involvement
·  Mentoring and Internship Programs for Students and Businesses
·  Research Projects on Entrepreneurship and Best Practices in Entrepreneurship
·  Cyber-infrastructure / UNM Partnership with Business for Entrepreneurship
New Mexico Innovation Center:
·  UNM Innovation Clearinghouse
·  Innovation Incubator
·  Incubator Assistance Initiative
·  Creativity and Culture Innovation
·  Integration with state economic development initiatives
·  Closely linked to academic programs
·  Engaging faculty as entrepreneurs
Grow Entrepreneurs and Create Businesses