C•Cube: About This Project
How this Toolkit Came To Be and Who Produces and Maintains ItAbout the Project
Conversations for Colleges and Universities in Building Ecosystems (C•CUBE)—a project of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Venn Collaborative, and national partners—aims to provide inspiration, resources, community, definitions, case studies, practices, and other tools for higher education stakeholders to help them support entrepreneurial ecosystem building, and to strengthen and improve established ecosystems. Central to the tools offered here are “conversation guides”—suggested topics and formats for dialogue between and among higher education professionals, ecosystem builders, and other stakeholders.
Why Conversations?
The toolkit is designed to help you initiate and sustain meaningful conversations about ecosystem-building challenges. Here is a perspective from the Kauffman Foundation’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Playbook that we think describes well why conversations are at the heart of C•CUBE:
“The primary focus of an entrepreneurial ecosystem is to move knowledge and resources from the people who have it to the entrepreneurs who need it, and much of that transference happens through conversations with people. It is also in these conversations that we inspire possibility and action.”
Why Colleges and Universities?
Let’s be clear: colleges and universities don’t build ecosystems. But they can play a tremendous role in supporting ecosystem building by making knowledge and talent assets available, by convening ecosystem builders and other stakeholders, and simply by using their voice to lift up entrepreneurs, ecosystem builders, and ecosystem support organizations.
Colleges and universities are a key part of their communities—they help fuel innovation, supply talent, and create great places to live and work. C•CUBE helps higher education professionals and their partners build on this capacity. The toolkit helps institutions understand the potential they have to convene and support the network of organizations and individuals in the community—the ecosystem—and support in setting the stage for stronger economic growth and flourishing regions.
Background and Vision
C•CUBE toolkit was inspired by work undertaken by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as well as the Association for Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the International Business Innovation Alliance (InBIA), the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), the University Economic Development Association (UEDA), and many other organizations and advocates nationwide. These groups are unified in the realization that colleges and universities are often an untapped resource in supporting ecosystem building. They have a shared vision in which all higher education institutions will have the tools and opportunities to develop ecosystem mindsets and tools to incorporate practices into their work that advance entrepreneurship ecosystems, including helping to build strong collaborations among ecosystem partners. Higher education has a key role in increasing prosperity and building thriving communities. The C•CUBE toolkit can help.
A parallel component of this vision is that we can only do this together, and that by building a network of networks—practitioners and organizations engaged in this work nationwide—the work can be amplified and enhanced. That’s why it’s important that you not only use the toolkit in your local efforts, but that you also engage in the national conversation by joining our C•CUBE community. In some ways, building successful ecosystems is a question of initiating and supporting great conversations to spark successful collaboration. We hope that the toolkit provides the inspiration and resources to begin this, and that our LinkedIn group provides a platform to sustain the national conversation.
Audiences
C•CUBE is primarily intended for the higher education community, across all types of colleges and universities, and all relevant roles and responsibilities within institutions:
- Entrepreneurship Center Leaders
- Entrepreneurship Educators and Researchers
- Engagement and Outreach Professionals
- Technology Transfer Officers
- Small Business Development Centers
- Research and Economic Development Professionals
Additionally, other ecosystem stakeholders may find the resources and tools available here helpful in their ecosystem building efforts, and in building connections with local colleges and universities:
- Ecosystem Builders
- Entrepreneurial Support Organizations
- Economic Developers
- Venture Development Organizations
- Community Organizations
This toolkit is not primarily intended for direct use by entrepreneurs and founders, businesses, customers, and investors, but will help supporting individuals and organizations build stronger connections with these stakeholders.
About the Project Partners
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and Venn Collaborative are co-leads on the C•Cube project.
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a hub for fostering entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, providing resources, guidance, funding, and support to aspiring entrepreneurs and startups within the university community and beyond.
College of Business
The College of Business at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is AACSB accredited and is a leading institution for business education, offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, certifications, professional training and development, and industry partnerships.
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a public university located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs to approximately 14,000 students each year.
Venn Collaborative
Venn Collaborative is a consulting agency providing services, community and networking, and professional learning to higher education partnership professionals. We also serve community, economic, and workforce developers with an aim of helping drive transformation at the intersections of talent, innovation, and place. Projects including stategic planning, partnership development, coaching, content development, evaluation grant development, research, and discovery. Recent Venn clients include The University of Oregon, East Carolina University, University of Central Florida, NIST, and Northern Illinois University.
About the Dissemination partners
Established in 1976, the University Economic Development Association has been working to bring together higher education institutions, private sector businesses, non-profits, government organizations, and community economic development stakeholders to create local and regional economic opportunity. Our membership has grown to more than 160 organizations, who represent those at the leading edge of modern economic development thinking and practice. Learn more at https://universityeda.org.
InBIA is a global nonprofit with over 1000 members that lead entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) in more than 30 countries. InBIA serves these ESOs by creating an impactful community through comprehensive resources, training, and thought leadership. For nearly four decades, InBIA has been a leader in providing industry-specific resources for building thriving entrepreneurship ecosystems through sustainable ESOs across a wide scope of industries and disciplines. InBIA is the go-to organization for business incubators, accelerators, coworking spaces, and other ESOs dedicated to nurturing the unique startups in their communities. Learn more at https://inbia.org/.
Founded in 1981, the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) is an inclusive community of educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs advancing entrepreneurship education through bold teaching, scholarship, and practice. Membership is open to all, as is attendance at USASBE’s hallmark annual conference. USASBE also publishes a peer-reviewed academic journal, Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy, and develops a variety of helpful resources and professional development opportunities for entrepreneurship educators as they create a positive impact. Learn more at https://www.usasbe.org/.
The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship through community colleges. NACCE provides resources and support to help community colleges build and sustain high-impact entrepreneurship programs. For more information, visit https://www.nacce.com.
APLU is a membership organization that fosters a community of university leaders collectively working to advance the mission of public research universities. The association’s membership consists of more than 250 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and affiliated organizations spanning across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, Canada, and Mexico. APLU and its members collectively focus on: increasing access, equity, completion, and workforce readiness; promoting pathbreaking scientific research; and bolstering economic and community engagement. Learn more at https://www.aplu.org.