Entrepreneurship Group Creates Community, Shares Stories and Supports Female Students

This paper describes the development and growth of advocacy group, the Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs at NC State University. An action-oriented, programmatic support group, which tackles these issues and provides building blocks towards an equitable startup experience. The mission is to support students wishing to explore entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking in a safe, supportive and non-competitive atmosphere. “X” sits within a university-wide entrepreneurship alliance; a collaborative system that supports, promotes, and advances a culture of entrepreneurship throughout the university community. The alliance itself is part of an academic/community co-working space that fosters inclusive entrepreneurial experiences through shared makerspaces, creating sustainable social and economic impact. The purpose of the paper is to provide insights into best practices that have emerged from the program for female student engagement, strong community creation and development of relevant programming topics.