Entrepreneurship Education Consortium is excited to announce plans for ideaLabs 2023 happening on April 13th.

EEC Member Hiram College has agreed to chair this annual event, with students from all 13 member campuses eligible to participate. Each member institution will hold its own competition, with the winners of those events progressing to the regional idea pitch. The top ideaLabs teams will be awarded cash prizes, generously supported by the Fred A. Lennon Charitable Trust. 

EEC believes in the power of the idea competition to support undergraduate students in the development and articulation of innovative ideas. We structure the opportunity as an immersive learning experience that will deliver benefits beyond the competition itself.

EEC selects engaged judges who listen carefully to student pitches, posing constructive questions to each team aimed at encouraging next steps and critical thinking about the idea.

​The program promotes access from all EEC member institutions facilitating learning among all the participants and their various areas of study.

The top teams are eligible to receive mentoring and coaching opportunities to take their ideas to the next level. The 2023 event will feature a panel of student businesses sharing their startup experiences. 

To learn more about ideaLabs, please contact EEC Chief Relationship Officer, Reka Barabas, [email protected].

Dear Friends of EEC, As we close out 2022, it seems the perfect time to reflect on EEC’s path to the future. Our Board and Staff teams have spent the year assiduously building organizational capacity, launching new programs, and raising EEC’s profile.
And here we are on the eve of 2023 excited to tackle our second year of transformation into Northeast Ohio’s collegiate entrepreneurship hub. What lies ahead? 

EEC will be hosting the annual ideaLabs competition on April 13 at Bounce Innovation Hub, with new twists and learning opportunities. IdeaLabs 2023 will recognize outstanding student businesses in a variety of industries and different stages of growth. This evolution is a demonstration of the energy and teamwork that is driving EEC forward. We thank Hiram College for serving as our presenting school and champion of this event.

Tech Side Hustle and the Tech Internships Program will be growing and evolving; our Member Benefits team is developing new educational programs for entrepreneurship directors and faculty; and EEC will build awareness of the criticality of entrepreneurial skill building for all higher education students in preparing for an inconstant future. EEC will also help students pair their entrepreneurial experiences with opportunities to earn applicable tech-credentials.

We see a future in which our NEO colleges and universities are sharing entrepreneurship resources, learning together, and inspiring students to turn their audacious dreams into reality. We envision students better prepared to think like entrepreneurs and the business community able to tap into this pool of talented students to meet their goals. We foresee Northeast Ohio becoming one of the top regions in the nation for students to practice their entrepreneurial skills in a supportive community that values and deploys their talents in startups and growing businesses. 

We look forward to 2023 and sharing this journey with all of you! 

Colette T. Hart, EEC Board President