Libraries and Entrepreneurship: A Natural Fit
July 12, 2022
Workforce and economic development are hot topics at libraries across the country—and many are tapping into ELI’s Entrepreneurial Mindset Training as a key resource. All public libraries in Georgia, Virginia, and Delaware offer free ELI training to staff and patrons. Many regional and local institutions do, too. For example, from the Mid-Continent Public Library in the metro Kansas City area to Spokane Public Library in Washington. Nashville Public Library joined these ranks in the…
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Kindling a ‘Go Before You Know’ Mentality Across Northeast Iowa
April 28, 2022
When Northeast Iowa Community College offered its first Ice House courses in 2020, it ignited what one faculty member described as a “virtuous brush fire.” People would hear about the Ice House program and want to get involved, explained Seth Gilbert, NICC Director of Organizational Development. That’s especially impressive considering that the college has 12 campuses and centers across eight counties covering 5,000 square miles of rural northeastern Iowa. The college implemented the Ice…
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Gaining a Sense of Usefulness and Ending the Cycle of Poverty Thanks to a Cincinnati Nonprofit
April 7, 2022
When the nonprofit Greater Cincinnati Microenterprise Initiative noticed that the individuals it serves needed an extra push beyond the typical business courses to get their ideas off the ground, it introduced the Ice House model to develop their entrepreneurial mindsets. That addition started a series of shifts within the organization. A community development financial institution or CDFI could help would-be small-business founders access capital and gain skills. Ultimately, it changed how Executive Director Willie…
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At Daytona State, Curiosity Turns to Conviction About the Benefits of an Entrepreneurial Mindset
March 15, 2022
In early 2021, Daytona State College received a grant for nearly $100,000 to introduce students in its Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to an entrepreneurial mindset. Looking back, the college seems prescient. Its Entrepreneurial Mindset Opportunity (EMO) initiative is intentional about helping students recognize the ways to harness their own life lessons in the pursuit of opportunities to create value for others. In addition, the EMO initiative also gives students the confidence and…
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Changing Mindsets in a County of Contrasts
February 25, 2022
If you look at a map of distressed communities within the U.S., the southern and eastern states are overrepresented. If you zoom in on Appalachia and then North Carolina, you’ll find Robeson County, the state’s most-distressed county in 2021. But, if you were to look at Robeson County in another way—as an area full of rich culture and interesting individuals—it would place near the top of the list. For example, U.S. News ranks it as…
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