Gen Y Inspired by Entrepreneurship Education

October 23, 2013 by Tamara Bell

Dr. William Bygrave is Professor Emeritus and a Trustee at Babson College, where he co-founded Global Entrepreneurship Monitor in 1997. He is co-editor and author of several books and journal articles about entrepreneurship, including The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship and The Venture Capital Handbook. With a Ph.D. in Physics from Oxford University and an MBA from Northeastern University, Dr. Bygrave has several honorary doctorates as well as served as the Frederic C. Hamilton Professor for Free Enterprise and Visiting Professor at the London Business School. Additionally, he was director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Babson College from 1993 to 1999.

More than 2,000 colleges and universities in the United States, about two-thirds of the total, now offer a course in entrepreneurship. But the question remains: what is the influence of entrepreneurship education on intentions to become and actually becoming entrepreneurs? Dr. Bygrave joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to discuss findings from a recent survey that overwhelmingly suggest that participation in more than one entrepreneurship class propels college students towards becoming business owners after graduation. He also offers advice for Gen Y, whether majoring in Business or other programs, on how to start their entrepreneurial dreams.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Babson College, college entrepreneurs, Gen Y Entrepreneurs, Keeping Up with Gen Y, tamara bell, William Bygrave

About Tamara Bell

Tamara Bell is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Y Gen Out Loud, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that provides a platform for Generation Yto discuss national politics and public policy issues.

Tamara began her journalism career as a staff reporter for the Dallas Times Herald. A few years later, she moved to York, Pa., as a political reporter for the York Dispatch, covering local, state, and national government as well as writing investigative stories for the mid-sized daily newspaper.

A Texas girl at heart, Tamara returned to Dallas a year later to work as press relations director for the re-election campaign of U.S. Rep. John Bryant. The next year, she moved to Austin and the Texas Legislature, where she stayed for 15 years. While at the Legislature, Tamara worked for Democratic House members as Chief-of-Staff and Press Secretary, and as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Senate State Affairs Committee chaired by a Republicansenator.

In 1996, Tamara became co-owner of a political newsletter covering state issues and elections. As Editor-in-Chief, Tamara helped shape the weekly publication into a must-read for state officials, legislative aides, and lobbyists. More recently, Tamara wrote a regular column analyzing coverage by the Texas Capitol Press Corps for an online political publication. She also works as a lecturer in the Advertising Department at The University of Texasat Austin.

Tamara has also been a judge for the 2010 Bright Ideas Award given by the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, served as a panelist at the Society of Professional Journalists 2010 Region 8 Conference where the theme was How to Save Journalism, and has been a guest lecture for the Advertising Department’s Internship course, speaking about the jobs outlook for graduating seniors.

Tamara earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, and her B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University. She resides in Austin with her son, Jackson.

Tamara Bell is also the Host of Keeping Up with Gen Y on WomensRadio. Keeping Up with Gen Y offers discussions, interviews, and commentary about important issues of the day from the perspective of Generation Y (18-to 30-years-old). Aimed at all generations interested in learning about and inspiring young people, this show features professionals, experts, researchers, and members of Gen Y who share insights and experiences about the topics on the minds of today’s young adults.