Dr. Micheal Stratton, dean of the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business and Technology, has announced the establishment of The Center for Innovation at Georgia College & State University (GCSU).
Multiple programs at the center will provide students and local residents with opportunities for originality, invention and creative thinking.
An opening celebration for the center will take place in August.
“The center will facilitate the growth and impact of community-based engaged learning,” Stratton said. “With faculty mentorship, students will serve as consultants for local and regional organizations in a variety of areas, including marketing, business strategy, human resources and operations.”
New programs, like Bobcat Business Builder Bootcamp, will help students develop entrepreneurial skills. Students can participate in local, state, national and international competitions to showcase their ideas and win startup capital to kickstart innovative businesses.
Students will also learn to manage Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) portfolios for investments.
Talks have commenced with regional economic development authorities to create a business incubator facility at the center. It will provide new businesses an opportunity to grow in a low-cost environment with shared resources and more direct access to faculty experts.
Grant-funded research will be administered at the center, as well. These opportunities give faculty additional avenues for multidisciplinary research and a chance to partner with existing university programs, such as the Minority Youth in Business (MYB).
“It is our hope that no great idea goes untapped and every business endeavor we help with is given its best possible chance to succeed,” said Dr. Nicholas Creel, founding director of The Center for Innovation and assistant professor of business law and ethics.
“Further, we believe that rural America is far too often overlooked as an engine of economic growth. With this center,” he said, “it is our aim to work with the surrounding community to more effectively address that.”
– Contributed