A full circle of entrepreneurship support through ETSU

When people think of where startups are founded, major cities and technological hubs like San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, often come to mind. But you don't have to be in a major tech hub to build a successful business. Across the Tri-Cities, entrepreneurs of all kinds are showing that innovation can thrive close to home.

The thriving entrepreneurial scene hasn't happened by accident either, with East Tennessee State University (ETSU) taking intentional steps to nurture and develop the culture around startups.

One of those steps is the entrepreneurship minor. Housed in the ETSU College of Business and Technology’s (CBAT) Department of Marketing, the program equips students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to turn ideas into reality through coursework in design thinking, startup operations and small business management.

This structure sets students up to either run their own business or apply that knowledge and skill set to assist others.

For alum Isaac Deel and current student Emma Ayala, they’ve chosen the path of assisting businesses through FoundersForge, an entrepreneur-focused non-profit.

From offering guidance, teaching lessons learned at ETSU, providing social media promotion and event management, multiple hats are needed when helping local businesses.

“Going through the entrepreneurship minor program while I was in undergrad really set me up for the work that I do today,” said Deel, marketing manager for FoundersForge. “The content and curriculum that I went through were all focused on how to work in a startup, how to build your own business, how to market things and I learned how to market myself.”

While the program teaches both technical and soft skills, the reason behind the work couldn’t be taught in a classroom. For Deel and Ayala, the impact of their work was a more personal reason: helping prevent brain drain in the region.

With more support and entrepreneurship literacy in the region, people are more likely to stay and continue their startup journey.

“I was always prepped to leave as a young person who lived in this region,” said Deel. “And part of my mission is trying to keep our young, talented people here in the region through resources and the opportunity to launch a business here.”

Resources and support aren’t the only elements that help businesses. A unique element of the entrepreneurship scene is community.

Donning the same ETSU navy and gold colors is a starting point, and the community’s encouragement goes beyond what you’ll find in other regions.

“The businesses are constantly pushing people to go shop and support other small businesses,” said Ayala, current marketing student, ETSU American Marketing Association president, and marketing intern with FoundersForge. “Having the supportive culture here, I think it makes more people win.”

Learn more about the entrepreneurship program here!