New Microcertificate Empowers Undergrad Entrepreneurs

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The Entrepreneurship Undergraduate Microcertificate is tailored to undergrads from all disciplines to sculpt their startup skills and gain the experience needed to breathe life into their business ideas.

The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation has developed a new microcertificate for undergraduates designed to help them take their first steps into the world of entrepreneurship and bring their ideas to life by working on real-world problems, finding solutions, and crafting business models.

The Entrepreneurship Undergraduate Microcertificate is tailored to undergrads with budding ideas and will help them uncover the secrets of the Lean Canvas methodology, customer discovery, and research techniques to validate their ideas and prepare for the next steps.

"Our microcertificate is designed to nurture the seeds of innovation," said Phil Shellhammer, adjunct professor in the Walton College's Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation and senior director of business incubation at OEI.

"This program invites students from all disciplines to sculpt their startup skills and gain the experience needed to breathe life into their business ideas."

There will be an information session about the certificate from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3 at the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub in downtown Fayetteville. Free pizza will be provided.

The certificate includes three 3-hour courses spread out over at least two semesters. Starting in the spring with the Start Up Toolkit course, students will dive into the Lean Canvas methodology, helping them discover a unique value proposition and a viable solution for their project and teaching them how to gain initial buy-in for their idea.

By the end of this microcertificate, students will be well-prepared to pitch their business to potential investors or compete in business pitch competitions, Shellhammer said.

"It's all about taking your ideas from the classroom and putting them into action in the world," Shellhammer said. "Even if they're not ready to start something tomorrow, students who go through this program will have the tools to begin when the right inspiration hits."

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village, and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation  also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.