Investing in the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs: A Collaboration with Coppin State’s Center for Strategic Entrepreneurship
This spring, Endeavor TBD had the opportunity to partner with the Center for Strategic Entrepreneurship (CSE) with Ron Williams at Coppin State University to support emerging entrepreneurs participating in the University’s I-Corps program. Student entrepreneurs spent six weeks receiving instruction on the I-Corps curriculum and coaching from an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR), as well as completing customer discovery for existing businesses preparing to scale or start-ups preparing to launch.
Final presentations incorporated findings from customer discovery that confirmed or changed their B2B / B2C business models, plans to prototype or gain traction, and sharing about products and services that are pretty dope.
Anderson Haywood introduced Amplify, a digital platform designed to personalize and streamline student engagement on campus.
Akos Regal shared her plans to scale Regal Clothes, a fashion brand rooted in Afrocentric design and community pride. Her business strategy blends global design influence with a commitment to serving culturally conscious consumers. See Regal featured in the Made in Baltimore and follow them on IG at @regalclothes.
Micah Smith, co-founder of Calm Curations, presented a self-care solution for youth navigating stress and anxiety, the Balance Box.
The CSE serves as a hub of entrepreneurial research, teaching, and practice at Coppin State University. Its mission is to strengthen entrepreneurial outcomes both locally in West Baltimore and globally by equipping students, faculty, and community members with the mindset and resources to build viable, community-driven businesses. Through this short-term engagement, Endeavor TBD partnered with the CSE to provide hands-on guidance to student-led ventures as they refined their ideas and presented final business concepts.
The project exemplified what it looks like to bring in operational and coaching support into early-stage innovation pipelines at HBCU’s. Many came in with bold ideas that centered communities, legacies, or lived experiences. The program culminated in a final pitch event where each entrepreneur shared their business concept, target market, customer discovery insights, and next steps. These presentations reflected meaningful progress, thoughtful iteration and businesses that have the opportunity to command market share, lead to economic impact for the entrepreneurs, and have positive impacts on customers—proof of what’s possible when early-stage entrepreneurs are given the space and structure to grow.
This kind of work is foundational to the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem. When organizations like the CSE are resourced to include not just curriculum but also embed coaching and culturally grounded mentorship, participants are more likely to persist in their ventures beyond the classroom. They gain more than a business plan; they develop the operational fluency required to move their ideas forward.
We’re proud to have partnered with CSE on this effort and grateful to the student entrepreneurs who allowed us into their process. Their creativity and commitment are the real story. And we look forward to seeing their businesses thrive.