4/2012

EPG’s Annual Appalachian Ideas Network Showcase

In collaboration with the Sullivan Foundation, Berea EPG hosts the 2-day 8th annual competition on April 13th and 14th. Berea College also sponsored four teams to compete in the showcase against other universities from the Appalachian Region.

Brenau University’s team won 1st place with their concept, Real Interactive Summer camp Experience.  Eastern Kentucky University’s Christian Wyler placed 2nd with his concept, Ethanol of Appalachia.  Hampden-Sydney College’s Alex Davidovich placed 3rd with his concept, Blue Ribbon Science.  Asbury University’s team placed 4th with their concept, Pact Three.

The Appalachian Ideas Network Showcase is a regional, multi university, entrepreneurship education initiative designed to enable Appalachian undergraduate college students to develop entrepreneurial social ventures that address local community issues. Teams of students partner with local organizations and develop an innovative, viable business concept to address a local community issue.

2/2012

EPG Students go to Phoenix, AZ

Four EPG students, along with Dr. Peter Hackbert, traveled to Arizona to present at the AshokaU exchange.  Natalie Crone, Rae Hartley, Candace Mullins and Rachael Mason present the One Page Business Model Canvas to attendees from all across the globe.

Ashoka builds communities of innovators who work together to transform society and design new ways for the citizen sector to become more entrepreneurial, productive, and globally integrated.

12/2011

EPG Fellows Graduate

Two young ladies who have been with the EPG program throughout their career at Berea College graduate this month. EPG Fellows, The Sue Moe and Tina Feier, are graduating. We will be honoring them at our All-Hands Dinner and you can check out the EPG Facebook Page for photos of the event!

11/2011

EPG Accepts New Members for Cohort 9

EPG is gearing up for a new summer and has accepted new members. These students are: Catherine Beechie, Jenna Brooks, Rachel Burnside, Ashley Champ, Ali Djire, Jalissa Hunter, Ability Kakama, David Kretzmann, Leena Larina, Jordan Neal, Donna Reeves, Amberly Shook, Jamar Sullivan, Latrice Williams, Murtaza Sharifi, Nasser Mostafazadeh, and Brianna Dennis.
We look forward to working with them throughout the summer institute!

10/2011

Berea College EPG Students work with Michael Shuman for Berea City Economic Development

Berea College students  and members of the Berea community work with Michael Shuman, Cutting Edge Capital (CEC) facilitator, to effectively communicate and support a community economic development strategic work with community partners in Berea, Kentucky.

The students assist with a variety of on-the-ground assignments or projects, which include steering committee strategy/implementation (travel, visioning opportunities, public presentation and reporting drafting and writing) assignments as well as general administrative support in the CEC campaigns.

06/2011- 08/2011

EPG's Summer Institute

20 Berea College students were accepted into EPG’s Cohort 8 and traveled to Eastern Kentucky to work with Social Media and practice entrepreneurial leadership skills such as creativity and recognizing opportunity by pursuing both social and commercial enterprises in Central Appalachia. One focus of the summer’s learning experience was expanding local economic opportunity through value-added agriculture products in the form of farm markets, farmers markets, and kitchen incubators.

The EGP Program developed a community partnership with the civic and entrepreneurial leaders in the Kentucky River Area Development Districts of Lee, Wolfe, Owsley, Perry, Leslie, Knott, Letcher and Breathitt Counties in Eastern Kentucky. 

4/26/2011

EPG presentation honored as 1 of Top 5 Most Valuable Workshops at National Conference
In February 2011, the first National gathering of Social entrepreneurs in the academic setting, under the umbrella of Ashoka took place at Duke University in North Carolina. 300 Faculty, staff, administrators, students, practitioners and funders from over 70 colleges and universities, of which Berea was one, participated in this 3-day conference. 100 workshop proposals were submitted, with 27 being accepted to provide participants with tools on how to enrich the social entrepreneurship programs at their various universities. Dr. Peter Hackbert with 3 EPG students: Lyndsay Willis, Cliford Sakutukwa and Jennifer Mante presented to over 30 participants, on the One Page Social Venture Plan for Undergraduates. This workshop was rated by the participants as 1 of the most valuable 5 workshops at the conference. Here is a link to a summary of the conference activities.

4/8/2011

EPG students commit to global change

EPG students commit to global change Two Berea College students, Hong Durandal and Alexandra Solomatova participated in the annual Clinton Global Initiative University that was held last weekend at the University of San Diego in California. They were part of a force of entrepreneurial students across the world who pledged commitments to creating global change in areas of climate change, social injustice, etc.

We are very proud of them! Here is a link to a video report on the conference in which our own Berea College students were interviewed.

11/22/2010

President Obama declares November 14-20th as National Entrepreneurship Week.
It is known that entrepreneurs are the people behind many job and innovative opportunities that have employed many citizens of the USA today. President Obama has recognized this outstanding entrepreneurial spirit and leadership of people in this country and declared November 19th as National Entrepreneurs Day. Click here for more information.

11/16/2010

Berea Tourism Commission seeking EPG students for City Project
The Berea Tourism Commission, an EPG Community partner, is seeking two Berea College students from the Entrepreneurship for the Public Good program for the Spring Semester.  The students will work an average of five hours per week helping to plan and implement a cultural economic development project.  Students will need to be able to work independently and will be invited to contribute ideas to the project.  Students interested in this position should contact Judy Sizemore at circuit@prtcnet.org for more information.

11/12/2010

EPG and Social Media
The EPG Summer Institute will examine social media campaigns and the implications to support new ventures, both commercial and social. An article in today's New York Times confirmed what we have been studying these past months when it stated that digital marketing managers, social media directors and new media directors are in demand by nonprofits.

11/08/2010

EPG Fellow Tells Start Up Story
Hong Ren Zhang Durandal, a senior economics major and EPG Fellow from Cochabamba, Bolivia, drove to Hindman, Kentucky yesterday to “tell his startup story” to the participants of the Knott County Tourism Commission Core Four training program, conducted in partnership with Hazard Community and Technical College. The training instructor is Richard Crowe. Professor Hackbert appeared also through SKYPE after he finished his Berea College evening class.

11/07/2010

Berea Students Attend Social Entreprenuership Retreat
Alexandra Solomatova, Sai Thiha, Clif Sakutukwa, Samantha Kindred, Loreal Bell and EPG Director Peter Hackbert attended a Social Entrepreneurship Retreat convened by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The outcome of the weekend was a 12 month action plan to inspire Berea College students to practice their servant leadership abilities while at Berea College and to deepen the awareness among students of social entrepreneurship as a career upon graduation.

4/20/2010

Berea Students have award winning IDEAS

1/04/2010

EPG Welcomes New Cohort
Entrepreneurship for the Public Good program accepts new students into the Summer 2010 Cohort. Read more...

7/16/2009

Knott County to gain from Berea program
By the end of an hour long Knott County Chamber meeting, business and organization representatives learned how a partnership between Knott County and Berea College summer entrepreneurship program could benefit the county ’s economical growth. Read more...