BMCC’s Fiterman Hall.
Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) will receive a total of $300,000 over three years, as one of eight CUNY colleges accepted as partners with the Blackstone LaunchPad Program.
The partnership will help create a framework for campus-wide entrepreneurial skill-building for students in any major. The Blackstone LaunchPad Program also adds value to existing BMCC programs by providing access to resources, networks and events.
At least six BMCC academic departments—Media Arts and Technology, Computer Information Systems, Music and Art, Health Education, Business Management and Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts—as well as the Center for Career Development, Academic Support Services, the BMCC Library, Office of Internships and Experiential Learning and others—are involved in the project.
Student entrepreneurs can emerge from any academic area
The Blackstone LaunchPad Stewardship Council at BMCC will help raise awareness of the program across campus and connect students in a variety of majors, with opportunities to develop their startups.
The Council members include Vincent Cheng, Chair of the Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts Department; Jody Culkin, Professor, Media Arts and Technology and Acting Makerspace Coordinator; Kathleen Dreyer, Chief Librarian; BrianHaller, Director, Foundation and Corporate Relations; Mahatapa Palit, Chair, Business Management Department; Sharon Reid, Director, Experiential Learning; Lesley Rennis, Chair, Health Education Department; Christopher Stein, Chair, Media Arts and Technology Department; Christopher Thunberg, Director, Center for Career Development; Don Wei, Professor, Computer Information Systems Department; Eugenia Oi Yan Yau, Chair, Music and Art Department and Janice Zummo, Assistant Dean, Academic Support Services.
“Our Stewardship Council and departments involved in the Blackstone LaunchPad Program reflect academic areas all across the college,” says Business Entrepreneurship Professor Roderick Shane Snipes, faculty lead for the Blackstone LaunchPad Program at BMCC. “That’s one of the unique things about this project. Student entrepreneurs can emerge from any field, any academic area. We welcome their ideas and special knowledge related to their fields of study.”
Bottom line, Snipes says, “Our students want to succeed in the 21st-century economy. BMCC’s partnership with Launchpad will enable us to connect students with startup resources so their business ideas can get off the ground.”
Eligible students can receive $5,000 fellowships to develop their startups
According to Snipes, “Entrepreneurial thinking is an important perspective to bring to our students—modern work life requires it. Adaptability and grit are essential in this era of rapid change and huge volumes of information at our fingertips.”
The Blackstone LaunchPad Program at BMCC supports students as they build their entrepreneurial strengths in events, workshops and specialized team activities. They can also explore alternative career paths and gain access to a global network of mentors and advisors.
Opportunities for BMCC LaunchPad student participants include $5,000 fellowships to support their startups in an eight-week virtual program. They will also take part in the Blackstone Techstars Startup Weekend, in which students work in teams to find a creative business solution to a specific problem.
Another opportunity for students through the BMCC Blackstone partnership is a speaker series that will feature successful entrepreneurs, investors, industry experts and others who will share their stories and insight.
“Students in many different majors have potential as successful entrepreneurs and this is a program where the speakers, mentors and fellow students come together in a strong community of support, creativity and skill sharing,” says Snipes.
For more information, contact Professor Roderick Shane Snipes rsnipes@bmcc.cuny.edu.