DREAM.

DISCOVER.

DO.

The Lipscomb University Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) exists to provide our students and other stakeholders with entrepreneurship and innovation expertise, experiences, and developmental opportunities.

Learn More

DREAM.

DISCOVER.

DO.

The Lipscomb University Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) exists to provide our students and other stakeholders with entrepreneurship and innovation expertise, experiences, and developmental opportunities.

Learn More

UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIAL

Our Center exists to help students and other members of the Lipscomb community take ideas and refine them into an executable business model.


Many of our existing students have had the opportunity to build and test their business models and successfully launch their ventures with the assistance of Center staff and resources.

View Student Success Stories

UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIAL

Our Center exists to help students and other members of the Lipscomb community take ideas and refine them into an executable business model.


Many of our existing students have had the opportunity to build and test their business models and successfully launch their ventures with the assistance of Center staff and resources.

View Student Success Stories

A Support Structure for Dreams

Lipscomb's Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation provides comprehensive programming and experiences for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Student Business Incubator & Accelerator

Extracurricular Opportunities

Academic Programming

Why students enjoy working with us

Dr. Cohu is very intentional, and he's helped us thoroughly refine and develop our ideas.

Bradley Bruce, All People Coffee

They are passionate about helping people move towards their passions.

Ciera Fernandez, Local Vocal

They are incredible at guiding you through the steps of the process to take it from an idea to a reality.

Aidan Miller, Kwizera Coffee

Their mentorship and guidance along the way was instrumental in helping my business grow.

Garrett Elmore, Haulee

DISCOVER THE STUDENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION HOUSE

View Our Creation Space

Leadership Backed by Experience

Dr. Jeff Cohu is an experienced management consultant, entrepreneur, and educator. In addition to his ongoing consulting practice, he currently serves as an Associate Professor of Management and Executive Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.


Cohu has also consulted on numerous start-up enterprises and has worked with business incubators and accelerators from coast to coast and internationally. Cohu has coached many student start-ups from inception through launch to Series D financing or exit strategy. He has advised and worked with venture capital groups around the globe and has also been heavily involved in creating and advising micro-financing funds focused on supporting entrepreneurship, social enterprises, economic development, and poverty alleviation.

Connect with Dr. Cohu

Compete for funding in the Kittrell Pitch Competition!

Do you have an idea for a product or service? Enter the Kittrell Pitch Competition and compete for a chance to win cash prizes!


Each semester, graduate and undergraduate students of any major have the opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of judges who award funding to the winners. All participants receive advising from the Center leading up to the competition.

Learn More

Compete for funding in the Kittrell Pitch Competition!

Do you have an idea for a product or service? Enter the Kittrell Pitch Competition and compete for a chance to win cash prizes!


Each semester, graduate and undergraduate students of any major have the opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of judges who award funding to the winners. All participants receive advising from the Center leading up to the competition.

Learn More

Resources for Aspiring Student Entrepreneurs

Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset

By Dr. Jeff Cohu • March 4, 2022
The world we live in today is characterized by rapid innovation and change and the business environment is best described by the acronym VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, chaos, ambiguity). The best strategy to combat these challenges is to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. What is an entrepreneurial mindset? In academic terms, it is the ability to sense, act, and mobilize under conditions of uncertainty. This is what entrepreneurs have historically done in the process of creating new ventures. However, today all businesses, both startups and long-established organizations, need people who possess an entrepreneurial mindset. In fact, a recent survey of Fortune 500 companies identified an entrepreneurial mindset as their most desired employee skill . Being an entrepreneur and developing an entrepreneurial mindset is no longer a choice—it is a necessity. So how do we develop an entrepreneurial mindset? Here are a few suggestions: Be Proactive —People with an entrepreneurial mindset have a bias for action. They are not passive—they are proactive. They do not let perfection get in the way of doing something. Be Curious —Curiosity is a driving characteristic of a person with an entrepreneurial mindset. Creative people are always learning new things. Be Creative —Practicing creativity requires the constant consideration of new ways of doing things—and it is essential to problem solving and serving and satisfying customers. Be Empathetic —Individuals with an entrepreneurial mindset practice empathy. This allows them to understand other people’s problems and pain points and develop viable solutions that can be monetized. Experiment & Embrace Failure —Entrepreneurs are resilient which comes from embracing failure as a form of experimentation. People with an entrepreneurial mindset use failure as learning opportunities and build new ideas upon a pile of quick failures. At the Lipscomb University Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, our top priority is to develop students who possess the entrepreneurial mindset. Along the way, we can also help you take your idea and launch a new business. We would love to work with you to accomplish these goals! Let us know how we can help!
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