East Carolina University

The $20.5m Miller School of Entrepreneurship focuses our efforts on engaged student learning & rural regional transformation. Our core purpose is to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in our students and demonstrate the viability of entrepreneurship as a key element of regional economic development. The Entrepreneurship degree includes courses with significant client interaction. Our faculty are focused on thought leadership in the areas of rural entrepreneurship, small business development, and entrepreneurship education. The newly endowed $3.2m Gene T. Aman Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge is our signature student showcase. The investment allows us to ensure the future of the competition and to expand its reach across campus to support other colleges in fostering entrepreneurial endeavors. This competition has included over 900 students and surpassed $1M in cash and in-kind prizes since its inception. We provide impactful internships for our students and award-winning consulting projects for business clients, and this work is transforming our region through new venture growth and job creation. Our Crisp Center boasts a Faculty Alliance program, bringing small businesses into classrooms across campus for experiential learning projects and providing resources & best practices to help students convert knowledge into actionable ideas and new ventures. The Isley Innovation Hub (15,000 sq. ft. facility) connects our campus and serves as a catalyst for entrepreneurship & innovation through multidisciplinary efforts. The space includes an Innovator-in-Residence who supports students and faculty, ideation & collaboration spaces and a makerspace for early-stage prototyping. Based on this work we have been recognized by USASBE as the winner of the Best Emerging Program and Excellence in Co-Curricular Innovation Awards as well as the Emerging Center Award from GCEC.