Startups & Students: Big Ideas Behind Entrepreneurial Education
Entrepreneurship is a habit of mind anyone can adopt, and York College of Pennsylvania (YCP) is creating pathways for students to explore their entrepreneurial ambitions.
Entrepreneurs come from any field of study and any background. This spring, the College’s Center for Community Engagement and the J.D. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship partnered to offer a three-day entrepreneurial boot camp, Spartan Startup, inspired by the “3 Day Startup” (3DS) program through the University of Texas. Attended by both College students and a diverse group of individuals from the community, all attendees got firsthand experience learning how to start a company. They developed ideas, conducted market research, created prototypes and pitched to real investors (members of the York business community) that included York community members such as Patti Stirk (SMALL STAR Art House), Jen Phillipe (Penn State York), Anthony Moore (Graham Architectural), Scott Fisher (York Daily Record) and York College’s Dean of the Graham School of Business Dr. James Norrie.
“When I look at companies moving forward with innovation, there are people at those businesses contributing to those advancements,” says Kate Kennelly, a freshman dual math and computer science major. “Entrepreneurial skills can be applied almost anywhere.”
“Being an entrepreneur means believing that anything’s possible,” says Felix Diaz, a junior computer engineering major and double major in philosophy.
“Everyone wants someone who can take an idea and move it from start to finish,” YCP Center for Community Engagement Dean Dr. Dominic DelliCarpini says. “Programs like Spartan Startup give us an opportunity to invite members of York’s creative class to mentor our students and help them build entrepreneurial skills.”
“We need many more opportunities as a York community to engage with young people who are starting out and sharing ideas,” community leader and Spartan StartUp participant Sal Galdamez adds. “An idea doesn’t have to turn into a full-fledged business; it could be an idea that inspires change in the community.” This event was one step toward that positive change.
INSIDER TIP
The J.D. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship is home to a student-centric business incubator. This incubator gives students the environment and the resources to turn ideas into full business ventures. The Center for Community Engagement’s mission is to bring the intellectual and human resources of the College to the local community and to provide community opportunity to its students.
- 441 Country Club Rd. York, PA 17403
- 717.846.7788
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- 441 Country Club Rd. York, PA 17403
- 717.846.7788