At Eastern Michigan University’s Collegiate Entepreneurship Organization’s annual conference, the EMU Chapter of CEO received the Teaching Entrepreneurship Award out of more than 400 different colleges and universities.
EMU’s chapter received the award “for their great efforts in teaching not only their own students, but students from local area high schools and beyond about entrepreneurship,” said Michael Luchies, CEO’s national growth and programs manager.
Chapter president Jessica Smith received the award on behalf of EMU. Each year the organization hosts a conference, this year it was in Chicago, Ill. More than 1,200 students, faculty and entrepreneurs come to this event, where over 80 different entrepreneurs and business leaders share their ideas and expertise.
Within the CEO chapter at EMU, business majors have the chance to work on the business aspects of a project, while those with technical or creative majors can work on product development. The club always tries to include fun, creativity, teamwork and great opportunities for all students in their chapter.
At the meetings the club holds, oftentimes one can find guest speakers and other interesting opportunities, and each year they give their members the chance to compete in the CEO National Convention. This year their hard work paid off as they received the Teaching Entrepreneurship Award.
In 1983, some professors and students got together and with additional donations formed the Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs. This organization continued to grow and receive donations, and soon they were able to change their name to the Collegiate Entrepreneurs of the Midwest Conference, covering more area for the increasing amount of people interested in becoming entrepreneurs.
Finally, after continuing years of success, growth and interest, Gerry Hills, the organization’s founder, was able to accomplish his dream. In 1997, the Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization was formed as a national organization.
The EMU CEO chapter’s mission is to aid students of every major in learning the aspects of starting their own business. Students even have the opportunity to run current chapter businesses and be involved in real world experiences like working on selling real products to clients. Some of their projects include: software solutions, creating new apparel, new market products, promoting techniques and training videos.
