BGSU entrepreneurship offering goes virtual

 

A new virtual incubator in the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Bowling Green State University is ready to assist current students in any program in pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams in a 100% online format. 

 

“Students’ ideas might be at the beginning stages, or as far along as being ready to go to market,” said Kirk D. Kern, director of the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. 

Students can apply to participate in the virtual incubator.

 

Once accepted, they will receive individualized curriculum designed for their idea’s success, weekly check-ins with a virtual incubator advisor, assistance from mentors, access to human and technical resources, and introductions to potential investors and/or partners. 

 

Kern said that they also have the ability to work through eight educational sessions at their own pace.

 

Topics include Ideation, Prototype Design and Product Testing, Product Story Creation (branding, marketing and social platforms), Business Modeling and Legal Aspects, Funding, Preparation for a Start-up Structure, Market Strategy and Scaling, and Launch. 

 

“Because of this ever-changing environment, we felt it was important to keep the momentum going for our entrepreneurship opportunities,” said Ray Braun, dean of the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business. “Isn’t that what being entrepreneurial is all about?” 

 

“The Paul J. Hooker Center Virtual Incubator is one of the few in the nation to offer a unique educational opportunity in entrepreneurship. Our students will benefit from the strength of our existing entrepreneurship programming and the expertise of our advisors and mentors.” 

 

“We collectively feel that every student at Bowling Green State University should have the chance to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, and following the model of our successful Hatch program, we feel this can be accomplished,” Paul Hooker said about the virtual incubator.