To help Michigan women tap the entrepreneurial spirit within them, Inforum Center for Leadership is partnering with UM-Dearborn to bring ACTiVATE to campus. ACTiVATE is an interactive series of classes designed to help women find ideas, validate commercial viability and launch growth-oriented businesses.
“Our goal is ambitious: to position Michigan as the Midwest hub for high-tech, high-growth women entrepreneurs,” said Viges, executive director of entrepreneurial strategies at ICL.
Women with five or more years of experience in science, technology, business development, management or professional services are encouraged to apply for the course.
“ACTiVATE will appeal to women with early start-ups or technologies who want to commercialize, along with women with the experience and drive to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit,” Viges says.
The yearlong applied learning course will cover 40 topics addressing two main questions: What should I do and how should I do it?
“We are pleased to partner with Inforum Center for Leadership to offer these courses,” said Tim Davis, director of University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research (iLabs). “With a focus on developing entrepreneurs, the ACTiVATE program has the potential to positively impact not only the participants who complete the course, but also the local communities in which they develop their ideas.”
Classes meet one evening a week and one Saturday a month. The course fee is $3,500 with opportunities for scholarships or work study.
Interested in the program? Web information sessions will take place March 12, March 19 and March 26, with classes beginning in April.
