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TCC launches training program for entrepreneurs

Mar 10, 2010

by Kirby Lee Davis
The Journal Record 

Copyright © 2010 The Journal Record All Rights Reserved


TULSA – This spring Tulsa Community College will launch what it considers a groundbreaking training program for entrepreneurs.

The college started taking applications Tuesday for 15 openings in its new “Launch: Your Entrepreneurial Journey” program to help would-be executives take their business concepts to market. The 16-week course starts May 3.

President Tom McKeon said the college would use a mix of faculty and area executives to lead the program, training students at different locations around Tulsa.

“We believe this curriculum design will become a new model for community college education and launch new businesses for the Tulsa area,” McKeon said Tuesday at a news conference in the TCC’s Center for Creativity.

Small businesses comprise 82 percent of Tulsa’s business community, McKeon said – with nearly 30,000 firms employing more than 55,000 people, for a total $3.1 billion annual economic impact.

“Future jobs in Tulsa will come from the innovating spirit of entrepreneurs,” said Mary Philpott, the college’s dean of work force development programs. “TCC has stepped up and created a startup program that will support entrepreneurs in a module that will accelerate the growth of new companies and jobs.”

Sean Griffin, the founder of Vizalution and the TCC entrepreneurial program developer, said applicants will start with a four-question sampler at www.launchyourejourney.com. After the April 12 cutoff, TCC will interview candidates to choose the final 15 participants. Tuition costs $1,250 – the “skin in the game” required of all entrepreneurial efforts, said Griffin.

“You don’t need a business plan, and you can be any age,” he said. “We’re going to look them in the eye and verify that they have what it takes to start a commitment, to follow through a commitment as well as coachability.”

Griffin said the program focuses on connecting student passions and ambitions.

“Studies and researchers have shown that if you can connect your passion to your business ideas, you can go from an 80-percent failure rate to an 80-percent success rate,” he said.

Southeast Campus Provost Carol Messer said Launch sessions would range from connecting and engaging business passions to market research, branding, and building a revenue model. It will end with a new-business launch celebration on Aug. 19.

While TCC will provide no venture capital or other funding mechanisms, Griffin said participants will work with coaches and trainers from several different financial subsectors.

“We focus on bootstrapping,” he said. “We believe very strongly that you don’t need as much capital as you used to need to start a business. Bootstrapping is bartering, going to friends, family, trying to realize the best way to leverage the position you have that don’t necessarily take cash out of your pocket.”

Contributors and participants in the program include the Collaboratorium – Entrepreneurial Accelerator, I2e, Entrepreneurial Organization, Gable Gotwals, Atmos Strategic Communications, HRB, Strategies for Oklahoma, SpiritBank, TulsaMobileDevs, TulsaTweetUps, TulsaWebDevs, and Tulsa.rb.

The college drew financial support from the U.S. Department of Labor program Wavebreak.org.

“The ultimate goal for the Launch program is to support entrepreneurs with great ideas to build great businesses,” said Griffin. “We are looking to create the next generation of Tulsa entrepreneurs, and the Launch program will instill the skills, experience and knowledge that they will need to build successful and sustainable companies.”

Complete URL: http://journalrecord.com/2010/03/09/tcc-launches-training-program-for-entrepreneurs-general-news/