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Eckerd College, Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative form partnership

By Tom Scherberger
Published October 14, 2014
Categories: Academics

The Eckerd College Leadership Development Institute is partnering with the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative in Ohio to measure the entrepreneurial mindset of students and aspiring entrepreneurs.

The partnership will provide the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative and their innovative Who Owns the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program (IHEP) with the cutting-edge Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile, a powerful online tool that assesses entrepreneurial capacity.

Founded in 2007, the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI) is a social enterprise dedicated to expanding human potential through education programs built around experiential education and blended learning methods. The Initiative’s key partners include the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Global Entrepreneurship Week and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship, along with dozens of other institutions and organizations around the world.

Using the Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile will allow ELI to assess the entrepreneurial skill set of participants before and after their training. Nearly 30 colleges and universities are using the IHEP curriculum. The number of participants doubled from 2012 to 2013.

“The EMP is the last piece of the puzzle that our clients have been requesting,” said ELI CEO Thom Ruhe. “We have received overwhelming anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of our educational programs, and will now be able to quantify that with data.”

The partnership is a major step forward for the EMP, which launched a year and a half ago as the Entrepreneurial Dimensions Profile. Based on extensive research into the traits, motivations and skills of entrepreneurs, the EMP helps business leaders, entrepreneurs and students assess the degree to which they are utilizing an “entrepreneurial mindset.”

“Eckerd College is very excited to partner with ELI and become an integrated component of a scalable program with global reach,” said Kelly Kirschner, Dean of Eckerd’s Division of Executive and Continuing Education.  “Both ELI and Eckerd are firm believers that cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset can empower anyone to succeed.”

For more information on the EMP, go to emindsetprofile.com.  Available through Eckerd College and certified practitioners, the EMP assessment can also be purchased directly online.