Breaking into the business world is difficult, but it's even more difficult when you're a student trying to balance classes with university life. A new program hosted by the Illinois Multicultural Center hopes to give students the resources to become confident college entrepreneurs.
Last fall, the Multicultural Center held a series of promotional events for its new program, Tomorrow's Entrepreneur Institute, a series of entrepreneurial classes aimed at educating students on the ins and outs of running a business. His 90-minute classes at the institute, which has a capacity of 25 students, will begin on February 16 and will be held every Friday until mid-April. Applications are due by February 12th.
Conceived by Laura Tomorrow ’08, a former aide to Michelle Obama, and Dr. Krista Pratt ’09, ’17, director of the Multicultural Center, the institute is a multicultural leadership program, African American Entrepreneur Spiritual Circle and the George R. and Martha Means Center for Entrepreneurial Research have built a support network of alumni and teachers for this spring class. Topics include types of business, financing, branding and marketing, developing entrepreneurship, and more. Each student will have an entrepreneurial mentor who will walk with them through the process.
“In a nutshell, this program is entrepreneurship from a culturally relevant perspective, leveraging culturally-backed entrepreneurs to help students with big ideas, big dreams, and big visions move forward.” It helps us chart a path,” Pratt said.
To promote the institute, the Multicultural Center hosted events throughout the fall semester for students to learn business tips from invested alumni. That includes an in-depth interview with Tomorrow on Nov. 2, in which she spoke at length about her career and offered encouragement to aspiring entrepreneurs. audience.
“This campus taught me the fundamentals of what it takes to run a multibillion-dollar company,” Tomorrow said. “For me, success is not defined by money. It's everything else. That's the harder part, and those skills are developed and honed in college.”
The program was created in part as a response to the marginalization of minorities in entrepreneurship. According to the Pew Research Center, “In 2020, Black or African American majority-owned businesses accounted for just 3% of all U.S. businesses that can be categorized by the race and ethnicity of their executives.”
“We want to create a place where students can crack the code to entrepreneurship, learning from a diverse range of billionaire entrepreneurs and investors who have cracked the code themselves,” Pratt said. . “What we want to do in all aspects is provide students with culturally relevant information that centers culture and identity.”
For students, this program is an opportunity to build toward their entrepreneurial goals.
“Honestly, I need help. I need the knowledge, I need the network, I need the money,” said Kennedy Jackson, a graduate student in sports psychology. “I know what I want. I just need help right now. I want to do something for athletes and the entertainment industry. I don't want to do it all just to start over again.” ”
James Austin Jr., a freshman business major, said he was inspired by his family to pursue a career in business.
“My brother and sister-in-law got me interested in being a leader,” Austin Jr. said. “Being financially free and creating something out of nothing is what drives me to do my best and work hard. Entrepreneurship teaches you that you have to work extremely hard to get to the top. It has to be. It suits me perfectly.”
Pratt said she wants students enrolled in the program to feel seen and encouraged by the multicultural center's community. And she hopes this institute will leave a lasting impression on their hearts and minds.
“My hope is that they will go away having learned information that helps them focus on who they are as people, take what's in their head and heart, and feel confident and excited about their ability to make it happen.” ,” Pratt said. “And they have a community that surrounds them, supports them holistically, and helps accelerate their entrepreneurship and ventures.”
