Baiada Center Ranked Among Top 10 Entrepreneurial Emphasis Programs in U.S.
Drexel University’s Laurence A. Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship in Technology at LeBow College of Business was ranked among the top 10 in the nation for entrepreneurship emphasis programs by the research firm EntrePoint in its Annual Collegiate Programs Rankings. The survey, released February 28, was formerly published in Entrepreneur magazine.
“With an increasing number of U.S. workers employed by small businesses or starting up their own companies, entrepreneurship is an increasing focus of our curricula, research and outreach to the business community,” said Dr. George P. Tsetsekos, Dean of Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. “The Baiada Center continues to be at the forefront of this trend in addressing entrepreneurs’ increasing needs.”
The Annual Collegiate Entrepreneurship Program Rankings were compiled from a combination of primary survey information from faculty, center directors, deans, program heads and alumni, along with public secondary data culled from college program catalogs, viewbooks and Web sites. TechKnowledge Point, a research and referral exchange, also conducted student surveys to determine whether schools were viewed as having national reputations or regional reputations in the comprehensive program grouping.
Other colleges ranked in the Entrepreneurship Emphasis Tier One category include Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University and Washington State University.
In fall 2005, LeBow College of Business added an undergraduate concentration in entrepreneurship, a concentration at the graduate level, as well as a minor in entrepreneurship accessible to students from other schools within Drexel University. Classes take place in the Baiada Center and dovetail with the Center’s other offerings, including StartUp!, a summer camp for high ability high school students; business plan and entrepreneurial skills workshops; a regional entrepreneurial breakfast series; and an annual entrepreneurship conference that includes a business plan competition.
The Center serves as an incubator for eight thriving start-up companies, which were past winners of previous business plan competitions, and provides these companies professional development through its Growth Acceleration Program (GAP).
“The mission of the Baiada Center is to develop entrepreneurial leaders and foster the creation of successful technology ventures within the Drexel communities,” said Mark Loschiavo, executive director of the Baiada Center. “We take an interdisciplinary approach to achieve this goal, which produces synergistic opportunities to connect students and start-up companies with mentors and potential partners in the business and investment communities.
About Drexel University’s Baiada Center in LeBow College of Business
Drexel University’s Laurence A. Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship in Technology was created to bridge education and entrepreneurship by linking research, coursework and entrepreneurial thinking with practical guidance for budding entrepreneurs. The Baiada Center also brings a wide range of successful entrepreneurs to campus to share their valuable insights.
