PORTLAND, Oregon — Since its inception in 2012, the Portland State University Center for Entrepreneurship has propelled student success and seeded the next generation of entrepreneurs through excellence in innovation. The Center for Entrepreneurship empowers students to see themselves as innovators and inspires them to solve big problems for the benefit of our community. In fact, 76% of students see themselves as entrepreneurs and inventors after completing their programs.
“It’s incredible to see the complex, timely solutions these students are developing for very real issues the world is facing today,” said Juan Barazza, director of student innovation at the Center for Entrepreneurship. “We see them blossom from ‘What if we can?’, to, ‘We can – let’s do this’. It’s exhilarating to watch them in action and really make a difference.”
About PSUCE
The Center for Entrepreneurship (CE) at PSU is the premier source of innovation, inspiration and action in the state of Oregon. Students in the CE program are in an inclusive environment that fosters creative, bold thinking which produces new companies, products, technologies, and jobs.
Companies like…Liquid Wire, whose creators are CE alums who developed and patented a non-toxic printable liquid metal, bringing stretchable electronics technologies to the medical wearables industry. Or…Nexgarden, owned by graduates of the CE program who established a sustainable microgreens company on the South Portland Waterfront.
CE umbrellas several programs with the same approach: supporting skill building through peer-to-peer learning, mentorship, and real-world experience. CE hosts several student events throughout the year including:
PSU CleanTech Challenge
Invent Oregon
PSU Kickstart Weekend
Invent for the Planet
The Cube
“The spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship is evenly spread across Oregon zip codes; opportunity is not. During the last 10 years the PSU Center for Entrepreneurship has developed programming and collaborations to support Oregon College Innovators and Entrepreneurs, seeding the next generation of Oregon Startup Founders” said Barraza. For students who participate in CE programs, 58% indicate that they will likely or definitely pursue launching a business.
About the Center for Entrepreneurship
The Center for Entrepreneurship works closely with the Portland State University Business Accelerator and the office of Intellectual Property under the umbrella of Propel PSU. The CE provides a robust and inclusive entrepreneurial experience to PSU students at any time during their academic journey. For more information about CE, visit PSUCE.