OSU and community resources for entrepreneurs
By Karla Rockhold, Senior Director II of Alumni Career Engagement, OSU Alumni Association
January is the month of possibility — when fresh starts feel tangible and goals feel achievable. Did you know that 55% of adults in the U.S. have started at least one business in their lifetime? For aspiring entrepreneurs, though, success depends on more than a great idea or perfect timing.
If you’re exploring a business idea this year, considering a side venture or simply curious about entrepreneurship as a career path, Oregon State University offers a robust ecosystem of support for alumni, students and community innovators.
Ready to flip the ignition on your great idea? Get started with these OSU and community resources.
Building blocks for entrepreneurship
Every entrepreneurial journey starts with a first step. InnovationX in the College of Business supports early-stage idea development for students of all majors through education, mentorship, pitch competitions and a collaborative community.
If you’re ready to take your idea further — fine-tune an invention, test a business model or gear up for market launch — there’s the OSU Advantage Accelerator. It offers faculty researchers and the broader community structured guidance and resources to move ideas from concept to market, including help commercializing research and connecting with customers.
Finally, continue to grow your capabilities. The College of Business offers entrepreneurship courses, certificates and microlearning opportunities through Professional and Continuing Education, covering business planning, finance, marketing, leadership and the fundamentals of launching a venture.
Discover possibilities and pitfalls through your network
While entrepreneurship is often imagined as a solo pursuit, leaning on your Beaver network can dramatically boost follow-through and resilience — and help you avoid beginner’s stumbling blocks.
The OSU Alumni Association offers year-round mentoring, career development and networking programs to help you connect with peers who have launched companies and navigated real-world challenges. Make plans to join us for the Jan. 21 Ask Alumni webcast, where five Oregon State entrepreneurs will share what helped them build successful ventures and speak candidly about the realities of entrepreneurship.
Plus, make sure to leverage the Beavers-only networking platform OSU Connections, where nearly 200 registered users have founded or owned companies and are ready to provide guidance and discuss hard-earned lessons. Just look for the “Willing to Help” badge on their profiles.
Explore regional pathways
Entrepreneurship thrives when you tap into local networks and resources, and OSU helps connect Beavers with opportunities statewide. For example, in Central Oregon, where more than 80% of companies are small businesses or startups, OSU-Cascades entrepreneurship resources link Beavers to region-specific resources.
In many communities, you can also tap into Small Business Development Centers, often housed at local community colleges. Nearly 1,000 SBDCs across the United States provide no-cost or low-cost, one-on-one entrepreneurial advising on a variety of topics: starting a business, access to capital, accounting and finance, sales, marketing, permits, insurance and more.
Keep the momentum going
This January, permit yourself to start small, be imperfect and focus on the steps that will make you a stronger, more capable entrepreneur.
You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to start — and Oregon State is here to help.