Entrepreneurial Development
The Center was envisioned in 2009 as a unit within the organization that had responsibility for motivating innovative thinking and developing a culture of entrepreneurism among students, faculty and friends of the College. In spite of a quality education, pharmacy graduates in general have not been strongly supported in entrepreneurial endeavors. A school culture should encourage creative thought and innovation that will inspire graduates to pursue their dreams of ownership, service innovation and product development.
An Advisory Group assembled in 2009 and working throughout the Spring of 2010 has made it possible to open the Center for the inaugural class. Initiatives of the Center will be available to students in the Fall of 2010.
The Founding Advisory Group:
- Richard Stull (Dean, Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy)
- Caron St.John (Director, Sprio Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and
Dean, School of Business, Clemson University) - Tommy Sharpe (V.P. Business Development, U-Save-It Pharmacy)
- Norman Scarborough (Business School, Presbyterian College)
- Gene Reeder (Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy)
- David Atchley (External Relations, Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy)
- Katherine Smoak Wood (Smoak Public Relations)
- Ron Smith (McMillian-Pazdan-Smith Architecture)
In January 2010 Charles Pulliam joined the faculty to coordinate the development of the Center.
Offerings:
The Center will address the entrepreneurial interests of several groups: students, faculty, alumni, pharmacists in practice and occasionally the owners of non-pharmacy businesses.
Students / The Center will exist for the benefit of the students during their pharmacy education and after graduation. From the start the Center will need to be proactive in raising student awareness of the Center and its mission. The culture of the school will take shape quite early in the academic year. In order to have an influence the evolution of this culture the Center must capture the attention of students, making them aware of the Center’s offerings as well as the benefits of these offerings to their education and professional development.
Faculty / The Center will also strive to benefit faculty in their teaching and research. One component of creating a culture of entrepreneurism will be to integrate entrepreneurial exercises in as many courses as possible. To this end the Center will take the initiative of working with each member of the faculty to identify appropriate exercises relevant to the course content and objectives.
In addition, faculty research often has potential market value. The Center will provide the faculty with the same support planned for ‘external associates’ of the School with regard to assisting the transfer of ideas to market success.
Alumni / Presbyterian College alumni are well known for community service and successful careers in a wide assortment of endeavors. Future graduates of the School of Pharmacy will surely enjoy the same reputation. During the early years of pharmacy education at PC the Center will reach out to alumni in the pharmacy profession as well as other professions to build a network of entrepreneurially inclined associates. As PC’s pharmacy alumni community grows the Center will give special attention to assisting those who wish to start independent pharmacies, launch pharmaceutical products, and expand the services of existing businesses.
Pharmacists in Practice / Creative and innovative endeavors in all pharmacy practice models (community pharmacy, institutional pharmacy, public service pharmacy, the pharmaceutical industry, etc.) will be of interest to the Center. The Center will strive to identify and support pharmaceutical innovation wherever it exists in the region.
Businesses that Compliment Pharmacy / Pharmacy is but one aspect of health care. It is also a field that uses a variety of business models in delivering service. Numerous non-health related businesses parallel or complement pharmacy’s business model. Some might not be identified with pharmacy, but may well be relevant to the purposes of pharmacy. Packaging is just one such field among many. The Center will welcome building relationships with such endeavors to further the purposes of both that business as well as the Center.
Click here for the printable brochure.
Click here for information about our Entrepreneurial Workshop Series
