I'm an instructor in the Certificate of
Entrepreneurship Program. It's a 30 week
program cut into three segments and so
people take the idea, develop it as to
what an entrepreneur might be able to do
with that, build on that idea so that
they can have a business plan
surrounding it, and articulate that
business because business is about
storytelling. Whether or not you're
building a marketing plan or you're
preparing to pitch your idea to investors. I
was studying about renewable energy but
I didn't know really how to approach
talking to businesses or banks. The very
first day I walked in and I knew exactly
how I wanted to do this, We have people
who are just exploring the idea of being
entrepreneur to those who are actually
operating their own companies. The VIBE
program works hand in hand with the Key
Bank Professional Development Center and
we're trying to help the military
veterans transition from the military
into the civilian world. To allow them to
have the experience of mentorship and
incubation of a business through the
certificate program. In this particular
program the instructors also act as
mentors. Working with the various
instructors they actually provided me
different takes on how to present myself,
how do we write those proposals, how to
market myself. Being face to face with
the mentor, the excitement is there, the
energy is there, your creative juices are
flowing.
We will meet outside of the class to
give personal one-on-one advice and
experience and I know that a lot of
entrepreneurs are busy with their jobs.
One of the ways that the certificate
program helps is that it's a night based
course. I would recommend this program to
all students, anybody who has the
slightest bit of interest in business.
The world's changing and to work and
retire from the same company, it's no
more. There's been a palpable culture
shift in regards to what people can do
with their lives when it comes to the
working world and now more and more
people are saying I can build my own
company. See how a certificate in
entrepreneurship can help you create
your startup at tacoma.uw.edu/startup.
