November 12, 2021
Academic updates from the Miller School
The Miller School actively engages in rural entrepreneurship through its programs and academic efforts. Over the past 18 months, faculty with the Miller School has edited, currated, and reviewed many academic works in the field of rural entrepreneurship. Some of the papers are theoretical, empirical, and descriptive. There is a growing movement throughout the world in building programs and curriculum tailored to rural entrepreneurship. In November of 2021, the Journal of Small Business Strategy will publish a special issue on Rural Entrepreneurship, edited by the Miller School of Entrepreneurship faculty.
Rural Entrepreneurship Education Certificate
One of the major initiatives through the Rural Research Fellows launched by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) in collaboration with the Miller School of Entrepreneurship at ECU is the Rural Entrepreneurship Education Certificate. Dennis Barber III co-created the program and will serve as a director and instructor. The program will take place in Urbania, Italy.
USASBE’s Rural Entrepreneurship Education Certificate is designed to introduce educators, municipal leaders, and economic developers to the expanding research and efforts to bolster rural ecosystems. With proper understanding, the rural context offers the opportunity to apply frameworks for constructing meaningful research, educational programs, and effective local programming. The Rural Entrepreneurship Education Certificate is an intense, immersive program designed to challenge entrepreneurship educators to see the rural context with a new appreciation for the complexity and opportunity inherent in comparatively isolated ecosystems.
To learn more about the program, click here.
The Launch Podcast
Dennis Barber III joins Whitney Peake from Western Kentucky University as the new cohost for The Launch podcast. The launch podcast highlights bite-sized real stories of paths to and through entrepreneurship that are relatable and educational. We discuss entrepreneurs’ experiences that shaped their journies, where they are now and where they’re going. Entrepreneurship students, educators, aspiring entrepreneurs, or anyone who likes a good story can learn from our guests.
Two recent guests on the podcast include Amena Ali and Robin Mee. We have two more episodes recorded and will announce when they are released.
Amena Ali, CEO of Airside, talks about her journey in telecommunications, data management, software, and scaling startups. She highlights the value of building diverse strengths, intrapreneurship, identifying trends, and fundamental market changes.
Robin Mee of Mee Derby talks about her journey as an entrepreneur in putting people to work, working remotely before that was really “a thing,” networking and mentorship, and lifelong learning, among so many other valuable things.
To find recordings of all of the episodes, click here.
Management Consulting Projects: A Step-by-Step Experiential Guide
Micheal Harris and Dennis Barber III of the Miller School of Entrepreneurship at ECU join Ron Cook of Rider University as co-authors in the 6th edition of Management Consulting Projects: A Step-by-Step Experiential Guide published by Routledge.
This textbook provides students with an easy-to-use, proven roadmap for completing a successful consulting project from start to finish. Primarily designed for students who work as outside consultants on solving client problems and investigating potential opportunities, the textbook’s structure first explains the consulting process to students and then depicts it in a chronological flow, using real-life examples to demonstrate practical application. Each section builds upon the previous one, focusing on the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills for employability.
For more information and reviews, click here.