On Tuesday afternoon, officials from the University of Texas at El Paso announced that the college was joining the Blackstone LaunchPad College Entrepreneurship Network.
According to official data, the Blackstone LaunchPad College Entrepreneurship aims to equip students with the tools and resources to acquire knowledge and critical skills that will help them thrive as founders or contributors to the 21st century economy while being diverse and underrepresented To assist students in finding opportunities related to entrepreneurship.
“We are excited to partner with Blackstone LaunchPad to prepare more UTEP students as future entrepreneurs,” said John Wiebe, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. This preparation will benefit our students throughout their careers. Entrepreneurship is a major potential engine for the local economy, and Blackstone’s investment helps us accomplish our mission in public universities. “
At UTEP, through the Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce (MLCIC), a Blackstone Launchpad Center will be established in Prospect Hall, providing a comprehensive framework for doing business at the university.
“The LaunchPad offers unique entrepreneurship experiences and programs for all UTEP students, graduate and unqualified,” said Maria Fernanda Fiscal Centeno, director of Blackstone LaunchPad and Techstars at MTEIC of UTEP.
“Students have space to start a business, team up with another founder, or learn about entrepreneurship. UTEP LaunchPad provides students with the mindset, skills, and networking they need to be successful, regardless of their background, starting point, or future plans. “
As a member of the network, UTEP students can use LaunchPad events, coach and access extensive mentor and industry networks in order to be successful in business at all levels. You can start a business, change course, team up with another founder, or pursue a traditional career.
“It is a pleasure to work with the UT System and the Blackstone Foundation to bring the Blackstone LaunchPad to the UTEP campus,” said James Payne, Ph.D., Dean of the UTEP College of Business Administration. “The ability to provide students across campus with the tools and resources to learn and develop their entrepreneurial talents is very exciting.”
“A Blackstone LaunchPad here on campus is the biggest UTEP entrepreneurship event in its history,” said Michael Garcia, director of the MLCIC.
“It brings the power of TechStars, the world’s most recognized source of entrepreneurship resources, right to our door. Blackstone and TechStars give us everything we need to show our students that entrepreneurship is a viable and exciting career option, regardless of discipline, background or degree. Our vision is that startups that are incubated in our LaunchPad will one day become a source of employment for UTEP graduates and mature into critical components of new supply chains in our regional economy. “
