Vance-Granville Community College’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC) is open for business! Students and community members attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce to mark this momentous occasion. The November 9 event coincided with Global Entrepreneurship Week.
The EIC is located at VGCC’s South Campus in Creedmoor. While housed at the South Campus, the Center serves Franklin, Granville, Vance, and Warren counties.
The EIC furthers VGCC’s mission of strengthening the economy of North Carolina by helping rural NC young adult/adult students and clients achieve their entrepreneurial potential by exposing them to entrepreneurial thinking and entrepreneurial opportunities by connecting them with local mentors and entrepreneurial ecosystem partners. The outcomes directly relate to the College’s mission of educating, inspiring, and supporting a diverse community of learners. The EIC will help entrepreneurs succeed by offering the training and learning opportunities that prepare them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and ideas.
“I think that the Center is a great opportunity for networking, gaining business skills, and preparing for the future in business,” Tanya Weary, Dean of Business & Industry Solutions said. “I am really excited for VGCC. This is the start of something that will grow and develop. The opportunities this innovation environment will create are endless.”
Serena Aycock, member of the newly formed Vanguard Entrepreneurship Club, was on hand to take part in the ribbon cutting. “I am absolutely inspired, and honored to attend this great community college,” she said. “I feel the energy of success in this room during this unforgettable ribbon-cutting event.”
EIC Partners
The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center will enhance VGCC’s Small Business Center offerings of Ice House Entrepreneurship, Kauffman FastTrack, and NC REAL Entrepreneurship training, and others. It is also in keeping with VGCC’s signing of the NACCE Presidents for Entrepreneurship Pledge.
The Center has had support from NC IDEA, an independent, private, 501(c)(3) foundation whose vision is to help North Carolinians achieve their entrepreneurial ambition to start and grow high potential companies. NC IDEA fosters sustainable economic development with competitive grants, programs for entrepreneurs, and funding to strengthen the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
VGCC thanks the special guests who were present to support the College’s continued entrepreneurial efforts:
- Thom Ruhe, President & CEO of NC IDEA
- Dr. Rebecca Corbin, President & CEO of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE)
- Alyssa Martina, Director of Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship for Elon University
- Dr. Rudi Colloredo-Mansfeld, Senior Associate Dean for Social Sciences and Global Programs, UNC Chapel Hill
For more information about VGCC’s entrepreneurial endeavors, contact Tanya Weary at [email protected] or 252-738-3521.
