Lehigh University expands entrepreneurial program on West Coast

Lehigh University‘s exclusive partnership with Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center has been so successful, the university is expanding the program. 

Samantha Dewalt, managing director of Lehigh@Nasdaq Center (LNC) in San Francisco, said Lehigh University is expanding the program to meet the demand of both students looking to learn entrepreneurial skills and the number of start-up companies looking to work with students to help solidify their businesses. 

In 2017, Lehigh University partnered with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center to create the LNC to serve aspiring student entrepreneurs, operate programs pairing interns with start-ups all over the world, and conduct research on entrepreneurship. 

“This partnership has enabled us to serve the needs of students and the startup community while attempting to perfect the art and science of entrepreneurship,” Dewalt said.  

“We’ve seen exciting growth in demand for our programs from undergraduate and graduate students across the university, as well as increased demand from startup companies looking for top talent,” she said. “Now, under our new arrangement, we’re going to take our successes at combining the scholarly with the practitioner to the next level.” 

That includes moving beyond Silicon Valley and working with companies across the country and around the world through both in-person and virtual experiences, Dewalt said. 

“Currently, the partnership is looking for other entrepreneurial hubs where startups are strong to allow more students and companies to participate. Dewalt said the new locations, where both physical and virtual programs will be offered, should be opening in 2025.

“We are identifying where they are right now,” she said, adding she can’t disclose the possible locations just yet. 

LNC has served over 1400 students since the start of the partnership. In 2023 alone, the programs, courses, and workshops served over 400 students and 150 early-stage companies.  

LNC will break ground on the new San Francisco space this spring, in preparation to welcome the 2024 summer cohort of 24 Startup Academy interns who will live in San Francisco and work for Silicon Valley based startups, Dewalt said.  

As part of the summer immersion, Dewalt said the students will be required to complete a full-time internship along with a course of study on entrepreneurship led by Lehigh faculty, while working closely with mentors across industries to hone their professional development.  

“Lehigh’s physical presence in San Francisco has become a second home to some of our students – a space to not only learn about entrepreneurship but also to experience it firsthand,” Lehigh Provost Nathan Urban said. “Our West Coast programs have turned out to be transformative experiences that enhance our approach to serving our students, alumni, and the startup community.” 

The expansion is timely, arriving as entrepreneurship in the U.S. is surging and entrepreneurial education is more in demand than ever. From the outset, LNC has accelerated access and inclusion in entrepreneurship and promoted the philosophy that anyone, whether corporate executive, independent contractor or potential start-up founder, can – and should – learn to think and act like an entrepreneur.  

Dewalt said that includes learning about themselves and thinking critically, creatively and imaginatively on the job.  

Of students who have experienced entrepreneurship through LNC, 47% are ethnic minorities, 50% are female and they represent 74 different disciplines.  

 This partnership’s beneficiaries are not only the students, but the early-stage startups supported by the innovative and diverse perspectives of their college student interns. Dewalt said the program hopes to help sustain small businesses past the five-year mark, where many fail. 

Dewalt said early-stage companies often don’t have HR departments and have never run internships, so the program supports them as they grow.  

“The companies go through the program while the students are learning,” she said, adding the program looks for companies that are advanced enough to provide students with experience, but not so advanced they don’t need support. 

“Our collaboration with Lehigh University has enabled us to broaden our services for early-stage entrepreneurs and provide them with valuable support through the Startup Internship Program,” said Nicola Corzine, the founding CEO and executive director of the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center 

 “This endeavor has afforded us a significant vantage point into the transformative power of entrepreneurial learning experiences, which are instrumental in shaping the future landscape of education and work,” Corzine said. “Moreover, it consistently informs our actionable research in entrepreneurship education.” 

 LNCs research and thought leadership – for example, on the 11 key attributes of an entrepreneurial mindset, how start-ups can better manage and mentor interns, and how entrepreneurs can be more emotionally intelligent – has appeared in publications like Fortune, Fast Company and Startups Magazine.  

LNC continues to utilize and develop relationships and experiences that create connections for students with Silicon Valley while also being rooted in San Francisco’s financial district – further establishing Lehigh’s presence on the West Coast. 

“We believe we are solving the talent pipeline and developing entrepreneurial leaders,” Dewalt said.