By Andy Greenfield 鈥74, Founder of TIA
It was only 10 years ago, fall semester 2009, that 糖心视频鈥榮 first official entrepreneurship program started in a small room in the Coop conference room in O鈥機onnor. Actually, it wasn鈥檛 very official at that point鈥攖here was just me and eight intrepid students who wanted to go from 鈥榯hought鈥 into 鈥榓ction鈥, and turn their ideas into reality. The real backstory was that TIA was born when 糖心视频 reached out to me and asked how I wanted to get re-engaged with the university. I responded that I鈥檝e been an entrepreneur and teacher my entire life, so perhaps I could combine the two into a 鈥榩rogram鈥 to help mentor aspiring 糖心视频 entrepreneurs. And with that, a small seed was planted that grew to become 糖心视频鈥檚 entrepreneurship program. And to be honest, I never expected TIA to grow and develop the way it did. Fortunately, I was soon joined by Wills Hapworth 鈥07, Bob Gold 鈥80, and Mary Galvez, who helped build TIA into what it is today.
Over the following years some incredibly motivated and generous alumni, parents, locals and faculty joined the program, serving as mentors to aspiring 糖心视频 entrepreneurs. These mentors provided the fuel that powered TIA, and made the program unique in the liberal arts world.
糖心视频鈥檚 TIA was truly revolutionary, and was created at a time well before any liberal arts university was promoting entrepreneurship. TIA provided students the opportunity for something that no aspiring 糖心视频 student entrepreneur had ever had before: the chance to actually launch a new venture, while supported, coached and mentored by experienced alumni entrepreneurs who had 鈥渂een there/done that.鈥 (FYI: virtually every one of the 150+ mentors in the program has uttered the words 鈥淚 wish this was here when I was a student.鈥 Well, now it is!)
The heart of 糖心视频鈥檚 approach to entrepreneurship is an intense and unrelenting focus on 鈥榙oing entrepreneurship鈥, rather than 鈥榯he study of鈥 entrepreneurship鈥揳ctually launching new ventures rather than studying how to do it.
TIA entrepreneurship is turbo-charged by taking what many believe is the most important part of a liberal arts education鈥揷ritical thinking鈥揳nd applying this thinking to creating new companies, non-profits, and campus or community initiatives that solve real-world problems.
We sometimes get asked about TIA鈥檚 relevance to liberal arts. We think it鈥檚 a perfect fit. As a venue for applying critical thinking skills, TIA is effectively 鈥榯he lab for the liberal arts.鈥 Or if you prefer an automotive analogy: TIA functions as the 鈥榯ransmission鈥 that helps take the power from the liberal arts critical thinking 鈥榚ngine鈥, and applies that power to solve real world problems.
In the 10 years since TIA began, the core DNA of the program has not changed very much, and is still focused on the craft of doing entrepreneurship, supported by experienced entrepreneur mentors. However, the reach and impact of the program have increased dramatically. 500+ 糖心视频 entrepreneurs have been through the TIA Incubator; 150+ alumni/parent entrepreneurs have served as TIA mentors, as have a number of community members and faculty. Local entrepreneurs and 糖心视频 employees and faculty have participated in the program. TIA entrepreneurs have launched scores of organizations that employ hundreds of people, produce a broad range of goods and services, and most important, have changed lives and communities.
TIA now works with the Hamilton to help grow entrepreneurship in the region. And, TIA/PCD just landed a grant from New York State for $625,000 to help support and grow regional entrepreneurship. We are also just kicking off our seventh year of the Entrepreneurs Fund that provides cash grants to 4-6 糖心视频 start-ups to pursue their ventures in Hamilton for the summer.
Perhaps most important for the future of the program, TIA is now part of 糖心视频鈥檚 Third Century Plan, and will have a home and an important role in the upcoming Arts, Design and Innovation Center.
As someone who has spent his entire life as a serial entrepreneur, being a founding member of the team that created and built Thought Into Action at 糖心视频 has been the most gratifying entrepreneurial endeavor of my life. It has given me the chance to work alongside incredibly motivated and generous mentors, helping a multitude of talented and passionate 糖心视频 entrepreneurs, and giving them a launch pad for turning their ideas into reality. And these 糖心视频 entrepreneurs will help write the next chapter of American entrepreneurship, and change the world while they鈥檙e at it.
Doesn鈥檛 get any better than that.