I used to think of entrepreneurship as some distant and unattainable goal for anyone. It is been ingrained that there is only one type of person for entrepreneurship and that is absolute. It is hard yes, but I have enjoyed observing the last couple of years those who have articulated and analyzed what it has meant to be an entrepreneur. Truth is, anyone can be an entrepreneur. For me, I never thought of entrepreneurship until mid-way through my college experience. Since then, I have been locked in. I noticed how opportunities for entrepreneurship in Oregon and Eugene are present, however it was difficult for me to get involved within this field as a student on a campus that does not prioritize entrepreneurship as much as it should.

When the Provost Student Fellowship Innovation application became available last October, I could not pass up the opportunity to try and get more involved with the entrepreneurial community at the University of Oregon and Oregon as a whole. Since being accepted in November, I have learned so much about the potential that Eugene and Oregon have for becoming an epicenter for entrepreneurs. It is frustrating to observe the likes of Boulder, MIT, and Boston in terms of how they have built a sustainable culture of entrepreneurship and then observe the University of Oregon.

However, what being a Provost Innovation Student Fellow has taught me is that a change is possible. It will be slow but there is too much potential for the ecosystem to be left underdeveloped. The fellows are tasked with creating a project to tackle certain gaps within the ecosystem. For my project, I wanted to focus on creating something for minority students. Entrepreneurial field is not representative and represents many more uphill challenges for women and minorities compared to their white counterparts. As I conduct my research, the question is finding a perfect way to support these students in a sustainable fashion. Is the right avenue an accelerator program? A class that is focused on building and supporting their passions? A competition run by undergraduates to connect potential student entrepreneurs with funding and local entrepreneurs? I do not have a concrete answer quite yet.

What I have enjoyed about creating my project is truly figuring out a way to support students and creating something where they can connect themselves with founders who can offer realistic advice, because they have been throughs similar experiences. The frustrating aspect of my project is knowing the lack of resources available and the culture that surrounds the University when it comes to supporting minority students. I hope that my project can at least provide a good outlet for some change and opportunity. I am excited to see how my cohort addressed these gaps to change how the entrepreneurial ecosystem will be in the years to come.