William Paterson University’s Cotsakos College of Business has formed a Center for Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship and Innovation to empower current students, alumni, and members of the general public in various industries and geographical locations to formulate new business ideas and develop socially responsible innovations for their new or existing organizations.
The Center will support individuals from diverse backgrounds in developing organizations that align economic, social, and environmental goals, and guide them in generating economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion. Plans include educational services integrated with academic programs in a variety of disciplines, including science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), arts, social sciences, and health, among others.
“We formed this Center so that our highly qualified faculty can serve as a resource for entrepreneurs and support business development initiatives in the region, nationally, and internationally,” says Joshua Powers, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
“Economic activities have shifted as we move beyond the pandemic and many businesses, such as those led by women and minority entrepreneurs, need support to recover and evolve their organizations,” says Anthony Bowrin, dean of the Cotsakos College of Business. “This Center will support both entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship by enabling individuals from diverse backgrounds and career interests to create their new startups or develop their existing organizations.”
Among the Center’s initial offerings will be flexible e-learning opportunities, including a virtual New Venture Incubator course. Participants can develop their for-profit or nonprofit organizations by completing online sessions supported by a community-based interactive approach. The Center will also produce research in entrepreneurship and innovation focusing on organizations that align economic, social, and environmental goals.
Plans include offering the virtual New Venture Incubator to interested participants, including current students, alumni, and members of the general public, who have career interests in various industries and diverse academic backgrounds or work experiences. “Some of the themes of the virtual New Venture Incubator course will include developing entrepreneurial ingenuity, sources of capital, formulating the business model, mission, and vision of the organization, taking the business online, community entrepreneurial solutions, as well as social and environmental responsibility,” says Ana Siqueira, a William Paterson University associate professor of management, who will serve as director of the Center.
A specialist in strategic management, entrepreneurship, international business, and management of technology and innovation, Dr. Siqueira has published her research in the Journal of Business Ethics, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, and Journal of Business Venturing, among others. She is a co-founder of reframery.org, an online platform that empowers diverse individuals in various countries to develop socially and environmentally responsible organizations. Dr. Siqueira holds a PhD in management from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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