Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity selected for Inspiring Programs in Business Award

Earlham College’s Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity has been selected for the 2024 Inspiring Programs in Business Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. 

The award was given to 27 programs across the country who support and encourage students from underrepresented groups to enter the field of business. Winning institutions will be featured in the magazine’s April 2024 edition.

Inspiring Programs in Business Award winners were selected by Insight Into Diversity based on efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in business through mentoring, teaching, research, and successful programs and initiatives.

Earlham College offers majors and minors in business and accounting, with concentrations in finance, marketing, management, entrepreneurship and supply chain. The Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity is a hub for students to classroom theory into practice by starting a business or launching a social venture that tackles some of the world’s biggest challenges.

“We appreciate Insight Into Diversity magazine’s recognition of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Gene Hambrick, the senior executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity.

“Our programs are open to every student at Earlham College — no matter their course of study or area of interest,” he said. “We purposely bring students together from different backgrounds and perspectives and show them how working together can bring about meaningful change in the world. We help transform their passion, ideas and ideals into action.”

“Our programs are open to every student at Earlham College — no matter their course of study or area of interest. We purposely bring students together from different backgrounds and perspectives and show them how working together can bring about meaningful change in the world. We help transform their passion, ideas and ideals into action.”

Gene Hambrick

The Center annually sponsors the Dimick Eastman Grand Challenge that awards seed capital to students to scale ideas that can make a lasting impact on the lives of people living in Richmond and Wayne County. Many of those same students compete in the Hult Prize, the world’s largest social entrepreneurship competition for students. In 2016, a team of students won the $1 million grand prize for an idea that is optimizing public transportation in Africa.

Leadership boot camps, an ethical debate club, and opportunities to compete in an acappella singing circuit are also sponsored by the Center.

The Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Creativity (CEIC) at Earlham played a key role in enabling and building my entrepreneurial ventures,” said Daniel Kibet, an Earlham graduate from the Class of 2019. At Earlham, co-founded the Mashinani Farmers Initiative in Kenya, which works with rural smallholder farmers to improve their farm productivity and increase their revenues. 

“The center showed me that business careers can be diverse, creative, and impactful,” Kibet said. “I learned that business is not just about making money, but also about solving problems, creating value, and improving the world. I have also seen how business can be interdisciplinary, collaborative, and global. The program prepared me to work and lead in a dynamic and complex society.”

A call for nominations for this award was announced in November 2023. 

“We know that many business programs are not always recognized for their success, dedication, and mentorship for underrepresented students,” says Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine. “We want to honor the schools and organizations that have created programs that inspire and encourage young people who may currently be in or are interested in a future career in business. We are proud to honor these programs as role models to other institutions of higher education and beyond.”

For more information about the 2024 Inspiring Programs in Business Award and Insight Into Diversity magazine, visit insightintodiversity.com.

***

About Insight Into Diversity  

Insight Into Diversity magazine is the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education today and is known for its annual Insight Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only award that recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across their campuses. Insight Into Diversity magazine presents timely, thought-provoking news and feature stories on matters of diversity and inclusion in higher education and beyond. Articles include interviews with innovators and experts, as well as explorations of best practices and profiles of exemplary programs. On our Career Center, readers will also discover career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses that embrace a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived, and digital issues of Insight Into Diversity magazine are available online at insightintodiversity.com

***

About Earlham College 

Since 1847, Earlham College has fostered a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with transformative opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Located in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham is one of U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 national liberal arts colleges and offers one of the top 20 classroom experiences in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.

Media contact

Brian Zimmerman
Director of media relations

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 765.983.1256

EARLHAM ALERT:
We continue to monitor the effects of an industrial fire 1.1 miles from campus.
EARLHAM ALERT:
We continue to monitor the effects of an industrial fire 1.1 miles from campus.