College of Business

Center for Strategic Entrepreneurship

An Entrepreneurship Tradition

Coppin has a legacy of entrepreneurship. From our founding in 1900 and the eventual naming of our beloved institution in honor of Fanny Jackson Coppin, we have always been deeply rooted in the community. This foundation uniquely positions us to think creatively about how we address the challenges in the communities around us. The Center for Strategic Entrepreneurship (CSE) is important to that effort.

Center for Strategic Entrepreneurship (CSE)

CSE is the epicenter of entrepreneurship research, teaching, and practice activities across Coppin State University. Our goal is to improve entrepreneurial outcomes in our West Baltimore community and across the globe.

We are advocates of transdisciplinary approaches to business and entrepreneurial development. Through this advocacy, we provide direction across all areas of study. We hope to provide opportunities for collaboration across industries that infuse ingenuity in a larger economic context.

Who is CSE’s programming for?

Part of our mission aligns with the greater Coppin mission. We seek to prepare students to become change agents who go back to meet the challenges facing urban communities. To that end, the main populations we serve include:

  • Communities in West Baltimore

  • Baltimore City Public School students and graduates

  • Baltimore County Public School students and graduates

  • Coppin State University students and stakeholders

Read the 2023 CSE Annual Report

What is ingepreneurship?

Gold circle within a blue circle explaining the entire ecosystem of entrepreneurship
The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: This framework guides our approach to develop and share knowledge and skills related to entrepreneurial efforts within Coppin State University, the greater Baltimore community, and the world.

A blend of the words ingenuity and entrepreneurship, ingepreneurship is a method to build and nurture socioeconomic growth, specifically within urban communities. In his white paper entitled Strategic "Ingepreneurship", Ronald Williams defines ingepreneurship as “the act of infusing ingenuity into an entrepreneurship and business development process.” Simply, ingepreneurship is the process of thinking of unique ways to solve complex societal problems, while also creating opportunities for education and jobs.

Ingepreneurship looks like community building. It also looks like entrepreneurship, business development, and strategic industry, private, and public sector partnerships. Ingepreneurs are entrepreneurs, but not all entrepreneurs are ingepreneurs. As Williams points out in his white paper, entrepreneurs focus on the development, growth, and expansion of a business opportunity. Ingenpreneurs focus more on business opportunities within the context of quality of life social issues. Specially, an ingepreneur is someone who:

  • Engages in entrepreneurial activity focused on innovation in enterprise development

  • Infusing creativity into every phase of the entrepreneurial, business development process

  • Demonstrates concern for influencing socioeconomic growth for an identified geographic or demographic community

Especially in a city like Baltimore, the concept of ingepreneurship can be a powerful tool to address some of the most impactful challenges facing our communities today.