University Prepares Entrepreneurs for Success

By Glenn Manigault

The University of Bridgeport has a reputation for providing students with exceptional support. The campus’ Innovation Center plays a significant role in that. The Innovation Center has many resources available to students such as the Student Entrepreneur Center, Technology Transfer Office, and two accelerator programs just to name a few.

A crucial part of the Innovation Center is the director, Sherri Dente, who is a patent attorney. She attended Quinnipiac University for law school after completing her undergraduate studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). She worked as a patent lawyer in private practice for seven years before returning to RPI to manage their Tech Transfer Office. In 2018, she was hired by the University of Bridgeport to start a Tech Transfer Office at UB and since then has been able to help students with any issues pertaining to intellectual property, patents, copyright, trade secrets and trademarks.

The Innovation Center strives to assist students and faculty in their efforts to become entrepreneurs by helping them build enterprises or commercialize their intellectual property. They work to support local businesses in the community so they may hire more people and contribute to Bridgeport's economic growth.

In 2015, the Student Entrepreneurship Center was launched. The program has produced more than 300 businesses and helped more than 400 students. Everything provided to students, including their weekly Lunch and Learns, is completely free. Mentors present at the Lunch and Learns guide the students through the steps of beginning a business.

Professionals with decades of expertise in their fields serve at the Student Entrepreneur Center. The center transforms initial concepts into a feasible business strategy designed for future success. Students have access to cutting-edge workstations, student lounges, meeting rooms, and a podcast studio in addition to special community activities. Students can connect with alumni and local business organizations, as well as with one of the in-house mentors. Additionally, participants can develop their abilities and turn concepts into successful companies.

In order to achieve its goals from the perspective of economic development and investment in the community, the Innovation Center operates two separate accelerator programs. The first of these is the 40-week Bridgeport Accelerator program. Every year, 12 Bridgeport businesses are selected to participate in this rigorous, intensive program that involves weekly meetings with mentors. So far, the program has accelerated 48 local companies by managing their logistics over time until the goals they set are accomplished. M&T Bank sponsors another accelerator, the Multicultural Small Business Lab. Every fall, they provide a program for companies in the area that lasts eight weeks.

“I love working here,” says Sherri. “I love that I have a direct impact on the lives of our student population and the community. I think the people we work with, the mentors, make the programs. They’re dedicated, and they are really passionate about the work that they do.”

The Innovation Center is always growing, expanding, and adding programming.

Getting into entrepreneurship is very important in today's world. Entrepreneurs need to build and sustain their businesses to provide for themselves and for others. Learn more about the University of Bridgeport’s Innovation Center at their web page.

https://www.bridgeport.edu/research-grants/innovation-entrepreneurship/bauer-hall/

Glenn Manigault is a student at the University of Bridgeport.