Hundreds Gather at Deshpande Symposium to Hear Experts on Teaching, Supporting the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Image by Tory Germann for UMass Lowell
06/11/2018
Contacts for media: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHEN: Monday, June 11 through Wednesday, June 13
WHAT: An estimated 57.9 million Americans are employed by small businesses and each year, 200,000 new startups launch in the U.S. alone. More than 300 people from across North America representing education, industry, investors and economic developers are gathered at UMass Lowell starting today to do their part to educate the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The Deshpande Symposium for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Higher Education is presented by the university and the Deshpande Foundation, which supports entrepreneurship efforts around the world, including in Massachusetts. Noted tech entrepreneur and Deshpande Foundation co-founder Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande and UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney will be among the speakers.
The event features nearly 30 sessions over three days and awards to universities from around the country and one individual leading the way in the field will be presented Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Keynote addresses will feature Julie Lenzer, co-director of the University of Maryland’s UM Ventures, on how universities further the impact of innovations in research through collaboration with businesses, investors, government and others (Tuesday, 8:40 to 9:30 a.m.) and Jonathan Ortmans, president of the 170-nation Global Entrepreneurship Network, on how innovation and entrepreneurship are driving forces for global economic and social development (Wednesday, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.)
Other programs are scheduled to cover topics including:
- How teaching core values of entrepreneurship – including creative thinking and problem-solving – benefits college students academically and inspires them to launch their own ventures, presented by representatives of Clark University and UMass Lowell (Monday, 1 p.m.)
- Using an entrepreneurial mindset in building relationships between educational institutions and the community, featuring panelists Desh Deshpande and representatives of MIT, Georgia State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including moderator Buck Goldstein, author of a new book on the subject (Tuesday, 3:15 p.m.)
- Cultivating entrepreneurship among nontraditional students, presented by representatives of Emerson College, Morehead State University and St. Francis College (Wednesday, 9:45 a.m.)
- Encouraging non-tech ventures among liberal arts students, featuring representatives of Baldwin Wallace University, Emerson College, Hiram College and John Carroll University (Wednesday, 11:15 a.m.)
All symposium sessions are open to the media. For a full list of events and presenters, see www.deshpandesymposium.org.
WHERE: UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell, Mass. Contact UMass Lowell media relations for directions and parking information.