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As the organizing body for entrepreneurship-related education and programs at the Carlson School of Management, the Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship is committed to inspiring and educating this next generation of entrepreneurs.
Mission:
The Holmes Center inspires and educates University students, faculty, alumni and the entrepreneurial business community to discover and successfully launch new business opportunities through innovative courses, insightful research and engaging outreach programs.
The future vitality of our state is dependent upon innovative entrepreneurs that will grow our economy. The Holmes Center addresses this mission through excellence in teaching, research and outreach to create a virtuous circle of knowledge and learning:
Key Objectives:
TEACHING: Delivering innovative curriculum with experiential courses and creative problem-solving, featuring quality faculty with applied entrepreneurial experience.
RESEARCH: Establishing a global reputation for insightful academic research on entrepreneurship that attracts leading scholars and students.
OUTREACH: Engaging alumni and business community with our students and faculty through quality outreach programs.
Entrepreneurship is the fastest growing and fourth largest undergraduate major in the Carlson School. Enrollment in entrepreneurship courses has increased more than 300% in the past five years, with more than 1,200 students enrolled this year. Students are electing to enroll in a growing range of entrepreneurship courses that better prepare them to create their own opportunities upon graduation, either independently or within a larger organization.
The Holmes Center leads the development and implementation of innovative entrepreneurship curriculum, in addition to overseeing the ongoing development and staffing of 17 entrepreneurship courses covering business formation, business planning, financing business ventures, innovation, entrepreneurial management, corporate venturing, technology-based entrepreneurship and venture capital. Graduate students also have the choice of two experiential courses in which they work on applied projects with sponsored companies to either design a new product prototype or launch a new venture. Undergraduate students can participate in the unique Entrepreneurship in Action course in which they conceive, launch and operate a real business.
Outreach programs organized by the Holmes Center engage our alumni and business community with our students and faculty:
Holmes Center Program / Intended Audiences
Entre Forum : Carlson School Faculty / Alumni / Business Community
3M Seminars : U of M Students / Carlson School Faculty
Minnesota Cup : Carlson School Students / U of M Students / Alumni / Business Community
Entre Interns : Carlson School Students / Alumni / Business Community
Business Hatchery : Carlson School Students / Alumni / Business Community
Student-run Clubs Carlson School Students / U of M Students / Carlson School Faculty / Alumni / Business Community
Joint Entre Events : Carlson School Students / Alumni / Business Community
The Carlson School has an immense advantage being located in a vibrant business community. The Holmes Center leverages the strong Carlson/University alumni base in the Twin Cities and the numerous longstanding supporters of the entrepreneurship program. More than 100 successful entrepreneurs speak in our clubs and classrooms each year to share their personal and professional experiences.
The Center has built a global reputation for its research capabilities that define scholarship in the field of entrepreneurship.. Our research faculty lead the discovery of knowledge in the areas of innovation, business formation, corporate entrepreneurship, venture capital, technology-based start-ups and international entrepreneurship. Prior gifts to the school by Curt Carlson, Bob Buuck, and Vern Heath have established endowed chairs to support ongoing research in these areas. Innovations from our scholarship will result in new practices in entrepreneurship and new ways of teaching aspiring entrepreneurs; they will have a lasting impact on our students and economy.
With a lead commitment of $6 million recently announced from Gary S. Holmes, the Center is positioned as the driving force for entrepreneurial education, research and outreach in the Twin Cities and beyond. The Holmes Center's leadership team and advisory board invite you to join us in shaping the future entrepreneurial business community and developing the next generation of entrepreneurs.
