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Mott Funds Incubator Project
BY TABITHA WHISSEMORE
A
s an economic solution for their communities, commu-
nity colleges inspire and incubate local businesses to get
through the difficult start-up phase. Ten community col-
leges are now developing or expanding incubation models,
including testing the theory that the services provided by
incubators need not come from a brick-and-mortar facility.
The Virtual Incubation Network
initiative will make use of technology
to deliver support services that reach
beyond campus centers. This means
that businesses in isolated and hard-to-serve areas can receive the same help as
those inside the city limits, and some of
our most severely challenged communities can be helped.
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
is funding the project through a $995,500
grant, with hopes of second-year funding
to build on the first year’s success. The
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has implemented the project, in collaboration with the National
Association for Community College Entrepreneurship and member colleges that
will pilot community college commercialization strategies. Colleges also will work
with small business development centers
and small business association resources
to expand their capacity.
“This new initiative presents an exciting and innovative way to encourage
small business growth without costly
investment in new facilities and added
infrastructure,” said Walter Bumphus,
president and CEO of AACC.
Throughout the year, each of the 10
pilot colleges will work to address the
needs in its community. They’ll share
their findings and best practices with
the other colleges to determine what
can be replicated to accelerate entrepreneurship and microbusinesses.
“Our goal is to pull out of these col-
leges the best applied business practices
and distribute them broadly as a cook-
book collection of promising college-
based commercialization
practices,” said James
McKenney, AACC’s
vice president
for workforce,
economic
development,
and inter-
national
programs.
and to be better at what we do at the
end of this,” Eneguess said. “I want to
see something positive happen for our
people.”
The college is working on its own
virtual incubator—no easy task since
broadband Internet and cell phone
service are spotty in many
areas. It’s an important
project, though.
Going “virtual”
with small busi-
ness services
means area
entrepre-
neurs won’t
have to drive
for hours to
get the help
they need.
Eneguess is
positive about
the project and
about being part of
the network.
“We’re excited to learn
collaboratively. This is a very exciting
undertaking for us,” she said.
next steps
Members of the initiative will convene
for the first time in mid-April to discuss
existing models and supportive policies
and to plan for the first year of research
collection and promotion.
The other pilot colleges are Rio
Salado College (Arizona), Long Beach
Community College (California),
North Iowa Area Community College
(Iowa), Mott Community College
(Michigan), Southeast Community
College (Nebraska), Burlington County
Community College (New Jersey),
Santa Fe Community College (New
Mexico), Lorain County Community
College (Ohio), and Northeast Wisconsin
Technical College (Wisconsin).
MARK HOOPER/GETTY IMAGES
