NACCE Welcomes Five Colleges to the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund Program Phase II

RALEIGH, N.C. - illiNews -- The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) is thrilled to announce the acceptance of five institutions into the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund (EEVF) Program Phase II. EEVF is a signature pilot program that serves to build a sustainable system that launches new businesses by leveraging community college resources. With an eye towards innovation, diversity, inclusion and local economic growth, the program provides training, mentoring, seed funding and loans to would-be entrepreneurs who are women, people of color, veterans and others who do not qualify for traditional financing.

"We are delighted to build on the success of the first phase of the EEVF pilot by onboarding five leading community colleges that will work together to leverage existing academic resources, spur local matching dollars, and create new everyday businesses. This work has never been more important than it is today with the national and global crises at hand. NACCE is working diligently to raise additional funds to support these colleges in their efforts and to provide matching dollars for their local communities," said Rebecca Corbin, president & CEO of NACCE.

The partnership between NACCE and the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund (EEVF) addresses one of the most urgent needs of our country – that of supporting local economies via entrepreneurship. Please join us in welcoming the following colleges to the EEVF Program:

Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC)
Located in Hickory, NC, Catawba Valley Community College believes that business creation and entrepreneurship are critical to the economic health of their community. Supported by CVCC President Dr. Garrett Hinshaw, the college is excited about expanding support to entrepreneurship and business creation by providing students with the support necessary to turn business dreams into realities.

Dabney S. Lancaster Community College (DSLCC)
Over the past few years, DSLCC has been partnering with community organizations to focus on issues related to increasing entrepreneurship in the region it serves. Through its work in rural Clifton Forge, Va., DLSCC President Dr. John Rainone has found that there are numerous budding entrepreneurs who have not yet been identified, assisted, trained and served in ways that would greatly enhance the likelihood of their starting and growing small businesses. The EEVF Program will assist the college in maximizing their efforts to grow a strong, local ecosystem.

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Salt Lake Community College (SLCC)
Serving Salt Lake County, Utah, SLCC has tremendous support from both President Dr. Deneece Huftalin and their surrounding community. SLCC has been teaching entrepreneurship in various programs, including automotive, fashion, arts and media, and general education. The additional support provided by EEVF stands to increase their impact and further their significant effort to launch small business in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area.

South Mountain Community College (SMCC)
SMCC President Dr. Shari Olson and her team may serve the lowest median income community in the City of Phoenix, but they celebrate a rich history of entrepreneurship and innovation. Recognizing that the majority of their students are members of families with small businesses, SMCC is eager to share EEVF funding and additional support to South Mountain to bring opportunity to the small business community that surrounds them.

Tarrant County College District (TCCD)
Tarrant County College (TCC) is dedicated to supporting aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs of the region we call home in Tarrant County, Texas. The entrepreneurial ecosystem of Tarrant County is robust and supportive as it is a key economic driver. It is through entrepreneur education that our community can create more jobs, increase productivity and be a leader in innovation. TCC is honored to participate in EEVF Program Phase II.

"NACCE has a long tradition of leading the way for entrepreneurship and innovation in higher education. TCCD is pleased to serve as a Center of Practice and resource hub for NACCE's 340+ member community colleges and universities across the nation. Our participation in Phase II of the pilot will amplify our impact in creating new businesses and jobs to support a national economic recovery in the months and years ahead," said Gene Giovannini, Chancellor of Tarrant County College.

Phase I of the project began in 2017 with an initial investment of $1 million from Chip and Stuart Weismiller, who launched the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund in order to support community colleges who are best positioned to assist community-based start-ups, scale-ups of existing businesses, and the implementation of proven replicable business models. Earlier this spring, NACCE announced a gift of $100,000 from the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund (EEVF) to continue the work initiated in Phase I and expand the program across the nation.

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The footprint of this program stands to grow exponentially in the year to come, with the anticipated launch of more than 100 businesses in Phase II communities before the end of 2021. NACCE is committed to raising additional funding, expanding the program and its impact for the foreseeable future.

Learn more about the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund at www.nacce.com/EEVF.

About NACCE
NACCE is an organization of educators, administrators, presidents and entrepreneurs focused on igniting entrepreneurship in their communities and campuses. NACCE has two main goals: to empower college leaders to approach the business of running a community college with an entrepreneurial mindset and to grow the community college's role in supporting job creation and entrepreneurs in their local ecosystem. NACCE has over 340 member colleges, representing nearly 2,000 members and approximately 3.3 million students. For more information, visit www.nacce.com. Follow us on Twitter at @NACCE, like us on Facebook, and join our LinkedIn group.

About the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund
The mission of the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund is to launch committed community college entrepreneurs into business, with a focus on community-based startups, scale-ups of existing alumni business and the implementation of proven, replicable business models. Learn more at www.eeventurefund.org/.