The entrepreneurial spirit is strong within the student body at Guilford College. Young minds with a lot of passion for hard work and giving back to the community provide the perfect combination for new business ideas and start-ups. Now, thanks to a series of courses designed by Ashley Raper and the business department at Guilford College, the students have a new avenue to learn more about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, gain valuable skills and network within the business community, all while creating new business ideas of their own.

In the spring of 2023, two new entrepreneurship classes were added to the course schedule at Guilford. These present a new avenue for students to minor in entrepreneurship, and have also helped grow the offerings of the College’s business program.

The hands-on aspect of the courses create an exciting educational experience. Students start out working with Lego blocks to improve problem-solving skills and practice creativity. They progress to identifying problems that exist within the community and working on potential
Solutions.

“With any type of entrepreneurial program, you’re seeing a need and trying to fill that gap,” Ashley says. “What our students are trying to do is make the community a better place. Within this course, we have created a curriculum that combines entrepreneurial skills with an ethical leadership component, so we’re doing things for good in our world.”

The courses have a strong focus on creativity and problem solving, as well as teaching communication skills and providing avenues for students to work with mentors and business leaders within the community.

Each of the entrepreneurship courses culminates with a Pitch Day. Students work together in groups throughout the class to create a business solution to the problems or gaps they found while exploring the needs of the community. After only two sessions, one three-week seminar and one 14-week course,  many great ideas to come out of the class.

Financial Literacy App. One group studied the issue of financial literacy among college-aged students. They found that with more knowledge of credit scores and basic finances, banks would be more willing to work with young adults for loans and other products. The students proposed putting a bank’s financial literacy curriculum into an app that students could work through and show they’ve completed the course.

Ridesharing for College Campuses. For college students without a car, transportation can be an issue. Public transportation isn’t always convenient and ride sharing can be expensive. After identifying the problem, a group of students in the entrepreneurship course created a framework for an app that will serve as a for-student, by-student rideshare to operate on college campuses. With an online sign-up and lower fees than traditional rideshares, it could be a game changer for transportation woes.

Helping the Homeless. People experiencing homelessness, often carry all of their belongings with them. This can be a problem for someone who has a job and has to leave their property unattended. Using creative problem-solving skills, a group of students within the entrepreneurship classes came up with the idea to provide lockers, free of charge, for the unhoused population in Greensboro.

Working with Cone Health, the City of Greensboro and Downtown Greensboro, the students are in talks to install lockers at the downtown train depot.

The great ideas coming out of these new entrepreneurship classes are only the beginning of the work these students will do in their education and future careers. Offering these entrepreneurial classes at Guilford College is an important part of fostering a sense of creativity and innovation with a focus on ethical, sustainable solutions within our future business leaders. Many of the students taking these classes go on to participate in the Guilford College MBA program, and from there enter the community prepared to make a change for the better in our community and the world.