National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship

Did you know such a group exists? (www.nacce.com)
Did you know it was growing rapidly?
Did you know that community colleges are the hottest venue for entrepreneurship training?

I went to both the 2011 and 2012 conferences and some of you know how cranky I can get about mediocre entrepreneurship programs but... I was seriously jazzed by what I saw from this group. North Idaho College has joined and I'm betting that CWI isn't far behind!

Here my notes and thoughts from the recent conference (early October in Chicago)
Plus implications for Idaho and beyond!

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

NACCE notes

1. Community colleges are the fastest growing segment of entrepreneurship training anywhere.

            (both adult education & for-credit classes)

1a. Quality is remarkable and also growing

2. Why?? There are VERY good reasons for community colleges' success! (Here are 5.)

A) Perfect position: Deep co-immersion with community, civic and business communities

            Implications for Idaho/elsewhere: Use already-existing deep engagement/market orientation as key selling point!

B) Surprisingly good partners in tech transfer/technology commercialization

            Indian River CC in Florida is.. go look it up! [http://www.irsc.edu/ Has med school, nuclear research lab, biotech and nanotech.. all on their campus. .

            Implications for Idaho/elsewhere: Co-locating research facilities near/next to CC's will help - we can sell this by bringing in rock stars in tech commercialization

C) Open to new processes and deploying the right people

            (some of that is CCs can lack inertia in the wrong direction from pre-existing programs, some of it is a strong market orientation)

            Implications for Idaho/elsewhere: Support only the places/people where it is NOT 'business as usual', that you are making sure to hire VERY entrepreneurial people and make them visible

            other factors helping community colleges...

D) Exploding demand for online/blended courses

But... competition is fierce, demanding highest possible quality for these courses

            (So... who has bandwidth to add courses? who can respond fastest to competition?)

            Implications for Idaho/elsewhere: Deploy IMMEDIATELY some world-class programs [Ice House and...] Begin planning our OWN courses.

E) Proliferation of potential allies to grow ecosystem

(who is most likely to see nearby programs as allies, not rivals?)

            Implications for Idaho: CWI! NIC? NNU? (CSI? etc.?)

            Implications for Idaho/elsewhere: Start DEFRAG** effort NOW

p.s. Global Entrepreneurship Week (www.gewusa.org)

            Implications for Idaho/elsewhere: Join GEW - post events, etc. Get visible!

** Developing Entrepreneurial Framework for Resilience And Growth (new proposed initiative)