INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER AT SEATTLE UNIVERSITY.
ACCELERATING ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERS FOR THE COMMON GOOD
As uncertainty across environmental and social changes becomes the norm, we need innovative leaders who are prepared to take on those challenges. That is why Seattle University’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) is where innovation meets humanity. Developing and producing entrepreneurial leaders who meaningfully impact organizations and advance the common good.
Founded in 1990 within the Albers School of Business & Economics, thanks to a generous Jones Foundation grant, the IEC serves as an active business gymnasium that accelerates “fit for the future” SeattleU students. At the IEC, future leaders are taught to apply entrepreneurship theory and innovation to solve real-life problems, launch new ventures that reflect their core values, interests, and talents, and advance the common good through social entrepreneurship and business innovation.
For the IEC, entrepreneurship is more than a collection of courses. It’s a philosophy, a mindset that inspires innovation, risk-taking, and seizing opportunities in any form of business venture.
Our guiding principles:
- Curriculum: Offer integrated curriculum and experiential learning programs that exceed the expectations of students and businesses. Accelerate student competencies in leadership and innovation through coaching and training.
- Community + Connections: Deepen and extend business community outreach and engagement. Hands-on learning.
Through the IEC, students are given many opportunities to tackle real-life problems and make meaningful connections that go far beyond the traditional classroom. Whether it be connecting across the globe in the Albers-SJIM Social Impact Competition, generating ideas to solve real company problems in the Jones Idea Challenge, or bringing their own business to life in the Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition, the IEC teaches through memorable experiences that will stick with students throughout their careers.
30 years of launching entrepreneurial leaders
As one of the largest programs in the IEC, the Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition (HSBPC) provides a platform for all SeattleU students and alumni to pitch their ideas and launch their businesses.
Founded in 1998 by Dr. Harriet Stephenson, a Seattle University faculty member who began teaching in 1967, the competition is designed to help students and alumni in launching new business ventures, including for-profit businesses, not-for-profit businesses, corporate entrepreneurship, and social enterprise.
Participants enhance their Seattle University learning experience, gain feedback on ideas, develop networks, and expose their ideas to potential investors.
Hosted annually by the IEC, SeattleU student and alumni-led teams advance through three rounds of judging and feedback to see who will take home the $20,000 grand prize. The competition is a public event and draws hundreds of investors, advisors, business leaders, community members, students, alumni, and faculty as audience members.
Through this competition, the IEC has launched many successful businesses for 30 years. Some of which include Vita Inclinata Technologies, which received a $150m valuation in Fall 2019, The Madrone School, which has two locations open in Washington state, and Ellebit, which was accepted into the 2022 WTIA Founder Cohort accelerator program.
Supporting the local economy
The IEC understands that leaders don’t lead alone, and that’s why the IEC is dedicated to supporting the whole community, even those beyond Seattle University. Through programs like the Family Business Exchange (FBX), a community of Pacific Northwest family business owners who gather to engage in education, networking, and professional development tailored specifically to their needs, the IEC works to enrich the whole Pacific Northwest economy.
By sharing the wealth and fostering community learning, the IEC aims to create a thriving business community. Creating a world where innovation is shared so that we can all be lifted up together.
Paving a way forward
Some may think that entrepreneurship is about taking on everything alone, but the Seattle University IEC proves that isn’t the case. True innovation is only possible with teamwork, and the IEC works to create an environment where collaboration can be fostered and leadership skills are developed.
Bridging humanity and innovation, the IEC strives to reflect Seattle University’s core values of care, academic excellence, diversity, faith, justice, and leadership in everything we do. It is by leading by that example that the IEC furthers Seattle University’s mission to educate the whole person and empower leaders for a just and humane world.
