Chaminade University of Honolulu announced Monday it received a $600,000 federal grant from the Minority Business Development Agency, as part of an expanded pilot program to support entrepreneurship among undergraduate students.
The award will allow Chaminade to develop the Inana Sustainability Entrepreneurship Program, which aims to encourage minority entrepreneurial innovation among undergraduate students in Hawaii.
Chaminade is one of seven educational institutions that received a total of $1.75 million in funding.
“The Inana program is highly collaborative and builds on foundations laid by Chaminade's more-than-20-year history of promoting business and entrepreneurship,” Principal Investigator of the program, Dr. Helen Turner, said in a statement. "Inana will bring together our new UN Sustainability Center, our outstanding School of Business and Communication, and the highly regarded Hogan Entrepreneurs Program, as well as our Marianist Leadership Center and Experiential Honors program. Together we will laser-focus on supporting the next generation of sustainability focused entrepreneurs for Hawaii and our Pacific region.”
Funding will support the development of curriculum, pilot courses, seminars, and products and tools that address inclusive innovation, entrepreneurship and general economic development, according to Chaminade University.
“This marks another proud achievement and win for our faculty members,” Chaminade University of Honolulu President Lynn Babington said in a statement. "Principal Investigator Dr. Helen Turner and a supportive leadership team shepherded this grant through a rigorous vetting process, and deserve all the recognition for bringing this nationally competitive award to the university.”
