Edison Community College...
Edison Receives Grant for Entrepreneur Boot Camp  
March 3, 2012 

The Business and Industry Center at Edison, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and The Entrepreneur Center in Dayton have partnered to present an intense weekend boot camp for aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs, titled “Growing Entrepreneurs.” Area business people will present topics that are vital to the success of new business owners, such as what it takes to start a business, marketing, legal issues, finance, and leadership. 

The event is scheduled for Friday, April 20 from noon to 5:00 pm, and Saturday, April 21, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and will be held at Edison’s Piqua campus. The fee is $59 and includes lunch both days as well as materials that will be helpful for new entrepreneurs. 

The arrival of Dr. Cristobal Valdez as president last May signaled a new focus on entrepreneurship for Edison. Under his direction, Edison applied for and received a small grant from the Coleman Foundation, a private grantmaking foundation based in Illinois. Information on their website states that their goal is to “create change by supporting practical, financially sustainable, results-oriented initiatives” in the areas of entrepreneurship education, cancer research care and treatment, housing and education for the handicapped, and diverse educational programs. This purpose of this grant was to help colleges creatively engage with practicing entrepreneurs from their communities. 

“The primary mission of a community college is to serve its constituents and promote economic development. Increasing business entrepreneurship has proven to be a successful strategy for economic growth,” Dr. Valdez stated. “Edison is well positioned to provide the level of expertise necessary and is committed to partnering with entrepreneurs. We are confident that these joint efforts will increase entrepreneurship in our communities.” 

According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses make up 43 percent of the private sector payroll and created 65% of the new jobs over the last 17 years. “People are beginning to recognize the important role entrepreneurs play in our society,” stated Jim Hill, Business Incubation Manager of The Entrepreneurs Center. “Research has shown that one-third of our country’s GDP is now created by growing entrepreneurial companies that didn’t even exist 20 years ago.” Hill is excited about the opportunity to be involved in the boot camp. “It is a great time to join the entrepreneurial movement and the “Growing Entrepreneurs” Boot Camp is a great way to get started!” 

The format of a boot camp allows new entrepreneurs to receive information in several areas in a relatively short period of time. In addition, since the presenters will be local business people, the participants will have the chance to network and learn from successful people who can help them with their business. Following the boot camp, participants will continue to receive training from Edison’s SBDC and will form their own networking organization. 

The boot camp will kick off with a lunch and speaker Wesley Gipe, the founder of Agil IT, an organization based in Troy that offers solutions in healthcare information technology. The lunch speaker for the second day of the boot camp will be Greg Smith, president of Energy Optimizers, an energy-efficiency and conservation organization in Tipp City that specializes in helping schools and government agencies reduce energy usages and costs. Both speakers will share their personal experiences and insights as small business owners. Other presenters for the event will include Jim Hill and Patricia Newcomb of The Entrepreneur Center, Jerry Alexander from the SBDC, Kevin Behr and Audrey Gutman from Behr Design, John Deeds from Faulkner, Garmhousen, Keister, and Shenk, Sam Robinson from Murray, Wells, Wendlen, and Robinson, and Peggy Wiggins, Edison Community College. 

Valdez stated that he truly believes this venture is the first step of many in serving entrepreneurs and promoting their growth and development. “Edison will continue to serve its communities and strengthen its efforts to promote economic development, eventually increasing the offerings and services to entrepreneurs. We invite and encourage anyone who has experienced entrepreneurial success or has ideas about how we can promote entrepreneurship to join Edison in our efforts.” 

Registration can be completed online at www.edisonohio.edu/training or by calling Helen Willcox at (937) 778-7816 or emailing hwillcox@edisonohio.edu.