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Entrepreneurship at BW

Infusing Entrepreneurship Across BW's Campus

Entrepreneurship at BW

At BW, entrepreneurship is recognized as a way for students to convert passion for their majors into opportunities by building an entrepreneurial mindset. BW's programs and academic opportunities evolve from the belief that thinking and acting like an entrepreneur can help anyone navigate today's challenging world, regardless of career path. Finding or creating opportunities, taking action to keep moving forward, and demonstrating resilience while learning from failure are a few of the behaviors that successful entrepreneurs practice and prepare students for success. BW is one of thirteen membership institutions in the Entrepreneurship Education Consortium.

In addition to supporting students who have an interest in entrepreneurship, BW also works with alumni who may be looking for resources, which we offer through our business incubator, LaunchNET. We also partner with companies and organizations who are looking for students with an interest in entrepreneurship.


Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Students

Entrepreneurship Minor

Students in any major can add an entrepreneurship minor, allowing you to pursue the major you want, while adding on a minor that will be applicable to your entrepreneurial interests both now and after graduation.

The entrepreneurship minor provides a framework to understand the mindset, behaviors, experiences and skills of an entrepreneur; how an entrepreneurial business is planned, started and transitioned to the growth stage; and culminates in the development of a complete business plan. Key components to coursework include learning how to evaluate growth objectively, anticipate problems, develop pragmatic solutions and assemble the resources to implement a strategic vision.

Learn more about the entrepreneurship minor.

Arts Management & Entrepreneurship Major

The arts management & entrepreneurship major at BW offers an emphasis in business and the arts. The program gives you a fundamental and comprehensive palette of creative, analytical and entrepreneurial skills you can apply to not-for-profit and for-profit sectors. Students gain valuable experience through three required internships and a senior capstone project.

Learn more about the arts management & entrepreneurship major.

Music Industry Major

BW's music industry major can help you launch a career in management, marketing, touring, operations or artist representation, either professionally in a music business or in support of a musician's personal career.

Learn more about the music industry major.


Lori Long

Burton D. Morgan Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship

As the Burton D. Morgan Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship, Dr. Lori Long works to foster faculty excellence, across all academic disciplines, in entrepreneurship education. Long provides leadership for the entrepreneurship minor, instructs courses in management and entrepreneurship, and leads co-curricular entrepreneurship programming.

If you are a prospective student considering BW, or an entrepreneur looking for support from BW and our students, please contact Dr. Long at llong@bw.edu.


Entrepreneurship Opportunities at BW

LaunchNET

LaunchNET is a co-curricular program designed for students, BW alumni and faculty and staff.

Burton D. Morgan LogoPowered by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, LaunchNET is a co-curricular program that provides free and confidential venture coaching, idea contests, pitch competitions, networking opportunities, in-class presentations, and a host of visiting entrepreneurs and activities. Open to undergraduate and graduate students of all majors, faculty, staff and graduated alumni, LaunchNET clients have ideas to start something - from new businesses to nonprofits and more. The program is user-driven, which means that clients do the driving and LaunchNET helps to navigate. Getting an idea started is as easy as filling out a venture form.

BW LaunchNET is part of the NEO LaunchNET ecosystem. Clients not only have access to the resources available from BW LaunchNET, but also our partnering institutions at Case Western Reserve University, John Carroll University, Kent State University and Lorain County Community College. In addition, Baldwin Wallace is one of thirteen membership institutions of the Entrepreneurship Education Consortium, providing more opportunities for our clients to integrate into the NEO entrepreneurial ecosystem.

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LaunchNET Program Contact

Caite Lenahan

Caite Lenahan, M.A.Ed., M.M.

LaunchNET Program Manager
(440) 826-2472, clenahan@bw.edu 

Throughout her career, Caite Lenahan has been finding the perfect blend of her passions, education and music. As the LaunchNET program manager, she works with students, alumni and employees of the University to grow their entrepreneurial mindset in the classroom and provide resources to new and established entrepreneurs through one-on-one venture coachings, programmatic offerings and partnerships within the Northeast Ohio entrepreneurial ecosystem.

She holds a Master of Arts in Education, Leadership in Higher Education from Baldwin Wallace University, a B.M. in vocal performance and music education from Michigan State University, and a M.M. in voice performance from Roosevelt University. Professionally, she has found joy in education and on the operatic stage, including over a decade of artistic entrepreneurial experience performing in various operas, concerts and performance gig work.

Learn more about BW LaunchNET


Ratcliffe Growth Practice

The Ratcliffe Growth Practice is for companies looking for consulting projects and students who are interested in an entrepreneurial-related internship.

Supported by the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, Ratcliffe Growth Practice interns serve on professionally led project teams and conduct primary and secondary market research to help organizations overcome barriers to growth. At the conclusion of each project, the interns present their research findings and strategic recommendations to the organization's senior leadership team.

As a part of the internship, Ratcliffe Growth Practice interns complete presentation coaching and attend regular innovation and entrepreneurship tours. These tours provide interns the opportunity to meet and learn from a variety of Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs and innovated businesses, while building social capital along the way.

Current interns and graduates tell us that the Ratcliffe Growth Practice internship is transformational. Clients tell us that the project work we deliver compares very favorably with the quality expected from a top-tier consulting firm.

Ratcliffe Growth Practice Contact

Lacey Kogelnik
Executive Director, Corporate & Organizational Engagement
lkogelni@bw.edu