WINGATE — Wingate University’s Porter B. Byrum School of Business is proud to announce its partnership with the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, a collaboration that will help students enrolled in Small Business Management to maximize their entrepreneurial potential.
Founded in 2002, IFEL is a nonprofit that leverages the power of relationship capital to increase inclusion and equity within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Its mission is to eradicate the systemic barriers that prevent people from historically excluded populations from being able to access the knowledge, networks and capital required for entrepreneurial success and wealth creation.
As part of the program, Wingate professor Katlin Cundiff’s Management 315 class is organized into nine four-member groups, each assigned to work with one of the following national companies: Femininity Free, South Bay Naturals, Lolly Lolly Ceramics, The Mighty Microgreen, Heavenly Botanicals, OMSutra, Communication and Culture LLC, We & Us, and The Commission for Health. Working closely with the company founders, students will provide competitive analysis, website user experience, social media marketing, and financial projections. IFEL selected each of the organizations for the program.
“These students have an opportunity to put what they are learning into practice and get real-world experience while making a difference in the world,” said Jill Johnson, CEO & co-founder of IFEL. “The partnership creates a win-win for students and small businesses.”
Caleb Peters, a senior management major, says the opportunity is a first of its kind for him.
“My initial reaction to this project was excitement, driven by my desire to apply real-world knowledge and engage in hands-on experiences that mirror the business world,” he says. He describes the experience as a culmination of everything he has “dipped his toes in” throughout his academic journey.
Dr. Cundiff says all her students are eager to collaborate with the participating IFEL companies.
“Entrepreneurship is best learned through hands-on experience,” she says. “This course combines faith in small-business entrepreneurship with knowledge in management, marketing and finance while serving our partnering firms to enhance their sustainable competitive advantage.”
IFEL has a track record of collaborating with corporate, higher education, and community partners to create inclusive, high-touch programs that target small business owners, entrepreneurs, and volunteers to enhance inclusion within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“I’m excited to witness the influence these partnerships will wield, not only on the business owners but also on the students themselves,” said Amanda Hubbard, director of volunteer programming at IFEL and a Wingate alum. “There’s simply no replacement for immersing oneself in the world of a real, thriving business, even if it’s just for a brief period of collaboration. The growth, leadership and remarkable determination demonstrated by these teams are already becoming evident.”
For further information, visit: weareifel.org.
Learn more about Wingate University at wingate.edu.
