Businesses or organizations that have internship opportunities available  for students may call the Simpson College Career Services office at 515.961.1667 to list the internships on the career services web page.  Students provide vital assistance to start-ups, existing businesses or organizations which support the small business sector.

Simpson College offers coursework in Small Business Management (Management 324) and Innovation, Entrepreneurship and New Product Development (Marketing 338).  Entrepreneurs may find either or both of these courses helpful.  Simpson College offers degree programs in business management, marketing, accounting, economics and international business and students may specialize in entrepreneurship.  Post-graduate certificates in management and in accounting are available.  Students who major in management or marketing may specialize in entrepreneurship by completing several specified courses as well as a relevant internship.

The Simpson College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team is available for a variety of projects which impact small businesses and the greater Indianola and Des Moines  business communities.  Please contact co-advisors Marilyn Mueller (Marilyn.mueller@simpson.edu) or Jerry Kelley (jerry.kelley@simpson.edu)  for more information.  SIFE is a vital part of the Simpson College experience and promotes the positive power of business while doing good things in the community.

In Spring 2011 Macy Koch organized “Start Up Storm,” a day devoted to talks and discussions surrounding entrepreneurship on the Simpson College campus.  She and student Lyndon Haselhuhn are organizing a similar day of events for Spring 2012 on our campus.

For the second year in a row the Simpson College SIFE team is sponsoring “The Road to Eagle” merit badge university.  On three Saturdays in January and February Simpson College will host 100 – 200 Boy Scouts who will be earning merit badges in 31 different areas, including entrepreneurship, invention, and American business among many other topics.

The Gerald Edwards Entrepreneurial Fund provides resources for our efforts to create and support an entrepreneurial environment on campus.

• An Executive in Residence (Central alumni with extensive entrepreneurship experience) was added to encourage and build the program

• Partnership with Veel Hoeden (Pella Coworking space).  This allows students full access to the space, networking sessions, special events, internships and co-hosting activities

• Formation of an Entrepreneurship Minor

• Further cultivation and implementation of national and international partnerships with for/non-profits

• Continue developing major student lead projects that enable students to learn experientially

• Created a new position at Central to lead and administer this program and further develop the innovative culture within the college.

• Development of student lead business on campus

• Development of entrepreneurship student on campus student organization

This program provides students with greatly enhanced entrepreneurial skills and experience, within the context of Central’s experiential learning and international studies strengths. This program is fairly new to Central but certainly one of the fastest growing.  Here are some student outcomes worth noting.

• Students develop a tool kit to assist in starting their own venture
• In-class interaction with 10-15 entrepreneurs per semester
• At least 10 opportunities to  attend outside of class interactions with entrepreneurs per semester
• Partner with Des Moines entrepreneurs (Silicon Prairie News, The BIZ, Startup Job Crawl, Startup Weekends and multiple area entrepreneurs)
• Not only interaction with startups but also non-profits, franchises, intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs who purchase established businesses
• Business plan development within their area of passion and around their leadership skills

More information at http://www.central.edu

• Funding student summer internships in (mainly) the private sector – profit or non-profit.

• Bringing alumni back to campus to share their real-world experience and insights by teaching short (3-week) courses.

• Funding class visits by professionals who stimulate student thinking about entrepreneurship and innovation.

More info at http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/wilson/mission

More info at

http://www.grandview.edu/aspx/audience/programlanding.aspx

More info at https://go.dmacc.edu/online/Pages/entrepreneurshipcertificate.aspx

The Degree and Certificate program provides students with an understanding of the many facets of entrepreneurship. Students learn the process of identifying a business opportunity and developing an organization to establish a new venture. The curriculum provides students with the proper tools to evaluate the feasibility of a new venture and to identify the available resources for assisting an entrepreneur during the start-up phase of the business.

More info http://www.niacc.edu/pappajohn

Entrepreneurship Scholarships

Full-time NIACC students enrolled in the Associate in Science (Business) Entrepreneurship Degree program are eligible for up to $2000 in scholarships. This scholarship opportunity is worth $500 per semester.

Students planning to graduate with an Entrepreneurial Certificate are eligible for up to $1000 in scholarships. If enrolled full time (12 semester hours or more), the scholarship is worth $1000 ($500 per semester). If enrolled part time (minimum of 6 semester hours), the scholarship award is worth $500 ($250 per semester).

Full-time students enrolled in entrepreneurial classes as electives are eligible for a $500 scholarship per semester.

More info http://www.niacc.edu/pappajohn/scholarships.html

The Certificate in Entrepreneurship is designed to engage students in active participation in the development of entrepreneurial enterprises. Students do this through a combination of traditional course work specifically directed to entrepreneurial ventures and participation in an enterprise experience through the development of a business plan for a new venture and an experiential project.

The Student Business Incubator is a private philanthropy and Small Business Administration- funded program of the JPEC designed to inspire and educate UNI students interested in entrepreneurship and small business. The incubator is an educational learning lab for student business owners to explore ideas with the assistance of the JPEC and other professionals. The incubator has ten fully equipped professional suites for student businesses and a comprehensive small business education and counseling program.

More info at http://www.jpec.org

• Iowa Business Plan Competition- annual state-wide competition for start-up businesses

• Iowa Venture Capital  and Entrepreneurship Conference- annual October conference held in Des Moines

• Iowa Student Business Plan Competition- held each spring semester

• CEIC- Collegiate Entrepreneur Iowa Conference – held each spring semester

More info at http://www.cbpa.drake.edu/entrep/pappajohn