Congressman Mike Pence visited Ball State's Alumni Center on May 16 to accept gratitude and show support for the $1 million grant given to the university's entrepreneurship program to instill the Entrepreneurship Dynamics Laboratory.
The federal education grant was awarded on February 14 from the sponsorship of U.S. Sens. Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh and U.S. Rep. Mike Pence.
"Thank you for coming together and not being content," Pence said.
The grant was directed to Dr. Donald Kuratko, director of the laboratory and founder of the university's entrepreneurship program.
"With your help, we now have the power to take an idea and turn it into reality," Kuratko said.
Undergraduate and graduate students were present to show their enthusiasm and support for the new laboratory, Kuratko and the entrepreneurship program in general.
"Dr. Kuratko shows enthusiasm even at 6:30 in the morning," said Obie
LeFlore, graduate student.
In its April 2003 edition, Entrepreneur magazine named Dr. Kuratko as a top director of a college entrepreneurship program. The magazine ranks schools in two different categories: nationally and regionally prominent.
Ball State's program was ranked as one of the nation's best regionally in a survey of other program directors and another through a survey of entrepreneurship faculty.
Pence shared his experiences with the group and showed support for future success.
"I started my own business in the basement of my own home. I know firsthand how exciting it is," Pence said.
The Entrepreneurship Dynamics Laboratory allows Ball State's nationally recognized entrepreneurship program to offer services to different businesses and people. The program helps transfer ideas and projects onto commercial applications and projects.
"Entrepreneurship is America," graduate student Smitha Nathan said. The new laboratory is thought to help boost the current state of Indiana's
economy.
The project will include:
-Idea Accelerator Initiative: A program that assesses the quality of a
business proposal. This program will seek to review business ideas on a wider geographic scale.
-Entrepreneurship Consulting Teams: Undergraduate entrepreneurship majors are assigned to businesses to help build skills.
-MBA Business Plan Review Teams: Graduate students assist people in
developing feasibility plans as a part of the Idea Accelerator Initiative or
Muncie Innovation Connector.
-Fast Growth Internship Program: The EDL will add more students to the
current fast-growth internship program.
-Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization: A student-run club that introduces
undergraduates to the process of starting their own businesses.
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