UNC Charlotte is making an effort to enhance its educational and outreach initiatives that target the region's entrepreneurial growth.
It aims to achieve that through the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which will combine Ventureprise — the city’s longest-serving entrepreneur support organization — the Small Business and Technology Development Center and the university's undergraduate and graduate certificates in entrepreneurship. On Dec. 12, UNC Charlotte announced the merger of those three divisions will be effective in January.
UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon Gaber said entrepreneurship is vital to the region's economic advancement, adding that the school aims to be a driving force in that area.
The merged offerings come after a 2021 analysis from LendingTree, which ranked Charlotte the No. 3 metro in the U.S. to start a small business.
“Integrating our work strengthens our ability to build the pipeline of entrepreneurs in the metro area, increase the resources available to start-up companies in our community and leverage the expertise of entrepreneurial faculty from across the University to benefit our region," she said in a news release.
The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will be housed in UNC Charlotte's PORTAL Building. PORTAL is an acronym for Partnership, Outreach and Research to Accelerate Learning. It’s where entrepreneurs and established businesses can collaborate with peers, faculty members and students to plan strategies for success. The center will report to the Belk College of Business following its integration. It will be co-directed by Devin Collins, current director of Ventureprise, and Justin Webb, Belk College's professor of business innovation.
“While this center will live within Belk College, its focus will continue to be campus- and community-wide,” said Jennifer Troyer, dean at Belk College. “Devin and Justin bring unique and complementary skills to their roles as co-directors. Through their combined efforts, we will enhance our curricular and co-curricular offerings for students to engage in entrepreneurship, while building additional opportunities to encourage innovation and use-inspired research for our faculty that results in the commercialization of technologies.”
UNC Charlotte said Collins will continue his efforts to lead student experiential activities, technology commercialization and community entrepreneurial support. Webb’s primary responsibilities will include academic programming and supporting the faculty’s innovative research efforts in entrepreneurship.
