Q&A talks about entrepreneurship education with Dr. Cheryl Braxton, director of continuing education & community outreach at St. Joseph College in West Hartford.
Q: What is the social entrepreneurship program at Saint Joseph College? What made the college start it?
A: This six-course certificate program is designed to experientially let participants “get their hands dirty” in the real work of the ideation-evaluation-selection-design-planning process that they will use in the “real world” as they start and run their own businesses. In this certificate program, participants will take Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship and the Business Plan Competition — Capstone Course plus four other courses of their choice. In addition, they will work in teams designing a strategy to develop a business plan. Social Entrepreneurship provides participants with information on socially beneficial enterprises. Explorations on the continuum of not-for-profit/hybrid/socially conscious for-profits are explored. The program is delivered using lectures, discussions, group work, guest speakers, readings, and videos to promote interactivity through mixed media.
Bank Street Center for Social Entrepreneurship developed the content and we decided to collaborate with them based on my previous meeting with its founder, Greg Sparzo. Greg’s vision entailed partnering with local schools to leverage each other’s resources and to get the message out to the community.
Q: What is social entrepreneurship? Isn’t it difficult enough starting a new business without the added goal of making a social impact?
A: Social entrepreneurship is a relatively new idea based on blending the for-profit business model with the desire to solve vexing social problems. It has become an international phenomenon with a grass roots basis. Organizations like Gameen Bank introducing micro-loans in India to the Open Hearth organization here in Hartford that runs a woodlot staffed by residents of their shelter are good examples. Many people have expressed that they would like to start a socially conscious business but don’t know what or how to start. This certificate program will help them move forward.
Q: Is this a course existing entrepreneurs would be interested in? Can it teach you how to take existing businesses and make them have more of a social impact?
A: Yes. The basis of the course was Greg Sparzo’s many years of teaching in an MBA program, including entrepreneurship and high tech ventures. The principles are the same. The idea of transforming a conventional business into a social one is compelling and challenging. A good example locally is how Kate Emery at Walker System Support transformed her business.
Q: You are partnering with the Bank Street Center for Social Entrepreneurship. Explain a little about that group and what its goals are.
A: Bank Street was founded by Gregory Sparzo. Greg started his career with large organizations and became entrepreneurial about 20 years ago. He has a masters in management and is working on a doctorate in higher education with an emphasis on new delivery models for lifelong learning. Bank Street is somewhat of a laboratory for his research.
The Bank Street Center for Social Entrepreneurship provides real-world-based education in how to evaluate, plan, launch and grow a small business in a complex world. Add to that platform the “social” aspect of encouraging learners to design their own job and future, while helping to solve vexing social problems in a sustainable manner. You can view their web site at http://www.bankstreetcenter.org.
Q: How long will it take someone to earn a certificate? What is the cost of the program and how often will it be offered?
A: Participants have two options.
Option 1 — Basic entrepreneurship/social entrepreneurship is a seven-week course that introduces fundamental aspects of designing and launching a new business. It gives participants the tools needed to evaluate, plan, and start a small business. The cost is $880.
Option 2 — Social entrepreneurship certificate program is a six-course program that builds on the fundamental aspects of launching a new socially conscious business. In addition, students take courses called: Idea Recognition and Evaluation; Teamwork and Leadership; Entrepreneurial Finance; SALES is not a Four-Letter Word; Public and Private Partnerships; and Business Plan Competition — the capstone course. The cost is $2,880.
The program was originally scheduled to begin in October but because of schedule conflicts, we are planning to launch it in the spring after a couple of information sessions. The original schedule was for evening classes The schedule will be posted on the Continuing Studies web page once it’s confirmed.
Q: What are the advantages to a certificate program? Does this make it more accessible to more people? Is it the equivalent of undergraduate or graduate work?
A: Advantages of a certificate program are: 1) Tuition is much less than a for-credit program; 2) Courses are pass/fail; no angst for an “A”; 3) Classes are conveniently scheduled to accommodate the schedules of most working adults; 4) Certificates from an accredited institution are a respected indication of continual professional development; 5) There are no admissions requirements; 6) There is usually no “cap” on the number of students that can enroll; 7) Courses are taught by faculty and/or practitioners; 8) It is more accessible because there are no admissions requirements or enrollment caps; 9) Some certificate programs can be the equivalent of undergraduate course work.
