Building meaningful partnerships through authentic collaboration
About Us
Our Partners
The Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative cultivates meaningful partnerships with organizations that are philosophically aligned and demonstrate mutual trust and respect for authentic collaboration.
![]() | NC IDEA is a private foundation with a mission to maximize the economic potential of the people of North Carolina by supporting the formation and fruition of high-growth entrepreneurial endeavors in the state. Through their powerful combination of competitive grants and programs and a network of strategic partners, they help entrepreneurs when they need it most. NC IDEA’s resources are highly competitive, enabling the foundation to support North Carolina’s most ambitious entrepreneurs. We believe entrepreneurs transform communities and view our work as a catalyst for positive change. In collaboration with ELI, NC IDEA is touching 100,000 North Carolinians with an entrepreneurial mindset using the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program. |
![]() | EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO): EBSCO is a leading provider of research databases, e-journal and e-package subscription management, book collection development and acquisition management, and a major provider of library technology, e-books and clinical decision solutions for universities, colleges, hospitals, corporations, government, K12 schools and public libraries worldwide.EBSCO partners with industry-leading organizations to improve research and outcomes through quality content and technology. EBSCO’s offerings include an eight-module online Entrepreneurial Mindset Training Course that incorporates the Ice House model. |
![]() | National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE): NACCE is a member organization of over 300 community colleges representing nearly 2,000 staff. Presidents, educators, administrators, and center directors are focused on igniting entrepreneurship in their community and on their campus. NACCE has two main goals: (1) Empower the college to approach the business of leading a community college with an entrepreneurial mindset; (2) Grow the community college’s role in supporting job creation and entrepreneurs in their local ecosystem. NACCE partners with ELI to bring entrepreneurial mindset, thought leadership, and training to NACCE members. |
![]() | Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (TEC): TEC is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious private and non-profit educational systems in Latin America. With 31 schools in Mexico and 21 international sites, TEC educates approximately 90,000 students each year at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels. With a stated mission to educate leaders who have an entrepreneurial spirit, a humanistic outlook, and are internationally competitive, TEC contributes greatly to the educational, social, economic, and political improvement of Mexico. ELI and TEC partner on the creation of customized entrepreneurial mindset programming, teacher training, thought leadership, and consulting to measure the impact of the entrepreneurial mindset. |
![]() | Allan & Gill Gray Foundation was established in 2015 by Allan and his wife Gill, partners and soulmates for over 60 years, and their family. The Foundation serves two purposes. Through their asset management firm they focus on playing a key role in the financial security of hundreds of thousands of clients globally while their philanthropic work helps individuals and communities to thrive and live with dignity and hope. Together we are working together to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges across South Africa. |
![]() | The Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile® (EMP): EMP is an empirically based, cutting-edge assessment tool based on extensive research into the traits, motivations, and skills of entrepreneurs. Available online, the EMP helps leaders, students, and entrepreneurs assess the degree to which they are utilizing an “entrepreneurial mindset” and provides resources to leverage their competitive edge. The instrument was developed by the Leadership Development Institute (LDI) at Eckerd College, a Network Associate of the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®). Individuals who wish to use the EMP in the classroom, leadership and organizational development, coaching, consulting and workforce development may become certified as an EMP Practitioner. Pairing the EMP assessment and Development Guide with ELI’s Ice House Entrepreneurship Programs provide practitioners and facilitators robust training resources and benchmarking capability. |