Recapping Future Fest

March 10, 2022

On March 3rd, the Close School of Entrepreneurship hosted its shortened version of Startup Fest, Future Fest. This day-long event brought together students, staff, alumni, and entrepreneurs from the Philadelphia community. The day was packed with pitch presentations, informative panels, and a whole lot of networking!

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Diverse Entrepreneurs in Action

March 07, 2022

Meet Kimberly McGlonn, the founder and CEO of Grant BLVD. Kimberly was featured on our Diverse Entrepreneurs In Action panel where she shared her story about launching a business during the Covid-19 pandemic, her passion for helping others, and her journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Kimberly shared unique insights into her journey from teacher to entrepreneur and 6 key factors that go into making a successful entrepreneur.

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Five Tips for a Perfect Pitch

March 01, 2022

As an entrepreneur understanding your business inside and out is very important when crafting the perfect pitch. Whether you plan on pursuing funding, partaking in competitions, or presenting to potential investors, having a solid pitch will be what sets you apart from the plethora of other businesses. Creating a successful pitch takes more than just time, planning, and practice. You have to be dedicated to the business, know your role, and most importantly, you have to know your audience. Read the infographic below to see how you can level up your pitch and come out on top after your next presentation!

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Black Entrepreneurs Firsts That Paved The Way

February 02, 2022

February is Black history month and we want to share stories of successful Black entrepreneurs that paved the way for future generations through their hard work and innovative thinking. It is stories like these that show courage in starting a business and thinking like an entrepreneur. The entrepreneurs featured below took steps that were not taken by others before them, and became an inspiration an example of success to many entrepreneurs in the Black community. Whether they worked from the ground up to become a successful CEO or to become the first Black millionaire and even billionaire! Their stories are perfect examples that anyone can become a successful entrepreneur through dedication, hard work, and a passion for what they do.

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Black Owned Businesses in Philadelphia

January 16, 2022

Supporting black businesses is a continual effort, it helps to empower the community, their families, and honor black culture. One of the many people that helped pave a path to success for the black owned businesses of today is Martin Luther King Jr.. Today we see so many outstanding examples from black owned businesses, it’s hard to pick just a few of whom to shine a spotlight. Below is an infographic highlighting 5 black owned businesses in Philadelphia that deserve to be recognized for their hard work, innovative thinking, and continued service in the community!

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Startups - Pitch - Compete - Scale - the Importance of Funding

January 11, 2022

Many businesses start with a great idea, innovative thinking, and a passionate entrepreneurial spirit - but it takes more than that to make a startup work. It takes funding. 

Funding helps startups scale, gain access to better talent and resources, and grow to the point where they can begin to attract venture capital as well as more knowledgeable investors. Programs like the Drexel Startups Fund help young entrepreneurs by not only giving them access to funding but provide other important benefits such as mentoring, incubator space, and introductions to angel and venture capital funding from the university’s alumni network.

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