“Entrepreneurship is not about business, it’s about a mindset,” says Dr. Renee Just, Assistant Professor in Business Management and Director of the C.E.E.D. program. The Ketner School of Business at Catawba College offers a wide variety of programs for students to choose from. From management to marketing, our small liberal arts school provides the opportunity to learn and develop skills for future careers and endeavors. One of the newest additions to the business program is the concentration in Entrepreneurship, which will be available as both a major and minor.

As well, with the inception of the new curriculum, students will also be able to access the new Center for Entrepreneurship and Experiential Development or C.E.E.D. Lab. Students will be able to craft pitches and execute their business plans with real professionals. “It’s about being innovative, creative and thinking outside the box whether it be a $2 billion corporation or a mom and pop business.”

Last semester, to coincide with the inauguration of the C.E.E.D. Lab, C-Level Entrepreneurial executive, founder and operator of Kingside Partners, Nick Mammola delivered the keynote address at Catawba’s CEO lecture. He discussed the tools needed to be a successful entrepreneur and through his presentation, encouraged students to become innovators of tomorrow. He stressed the importance of the C.E.E.D. Lab and the invaluable opportunity students had to work and collaborate with real business professionals during their undergraduate years.

The program is growing strong (no pun intended) with a number of business majors gravitating to the entrepreneurship concentration. With the rise in number, the Ketner School of Business began the Brown Bag and Pitch where students can learn the fundamentals of creating a pitch and a substantial business plan. The lab is an amazing way for the students of Catawba to be familiarized with the realm of small business and how to navigate through the corporate world as a young professional.

Student reaction has been positive with a number of students coming out to the events hosted by the center and networking with some of today’s most prominent professionals both in and around North Carolina. Junior, Madalyn Liefert is the first student to be accepted into the program and she stated, “I had a few ideas for products I had bounced around in the past but after talking to Dr. Just, I fell in love with the program. This is what I was looking to do my whole life!” We wish you the best Ms. Liefert in your journey to success in your future endeavors.

[This article is featured in the Fall 2016 Print Edition of the Catawba Pioneer.]