Vermont Business Magazine Forbes has debuted a new list of colleges touted for their entrepreneurial programs, and Middlebury College has landed very close to the top. In its list of “America’s Most Entrepreneurial Colleges 2015,” Forbes ranks Middlebury second out of 50, just behind first-place Cooper Union. Bennington College was fourth on the list. In the past, Forbes has ranked universities that support entrepreneurism, but the new list recognizes a growing trend among liberal arts colleges.
"Top research universities aren’t the only startup launchpads,” writes Liyan Chen. "The Cooper Union (New York City), which tops our Most Entrepreneurial College List this year, boastsmore founders and owners among alumni and students onLinkedInthan Stanford University and MIT(adjusted for student body size). Middlebury, which ranks second on our list, is one of manysmallliberalartscolleges reinventing themselves as modern-day startup incubators.”
On Middlebury, Forbes wrote: "The four-week immersion program MiddCore has brought in over 40 entrepreneur mentors such as Peet’s Coffee and Tea CEO Dave Burwick."
Bennington College. Courtesy
On Bennington College, Forbes wrote: "Students often start ventures during Field Work Terms–four seven-week winter terms required for graduation."
In a related article, Chen features Middlebury alumna Emily Nunez Cavness ’12, who, with her sister Betsy, launched the company Sword and Plough, which recycles surplus military materials into stylish handbags,tote bags, and other items. Cavness credits her work with Middlebury’s Center for Social Entrepreneurship for the success of the company, noting that without that support,“Sword & Plough would have remained just another interesting idea rather than an exciting reality.”
Read the full article,“How Liberal Arts Colleges Reinvent Themselves as Startup Factories"
View the Forbes list of“America’s Most Entrepreneurial Colleges 2015"
Source: Middlebury College. 7.30.2015. VERY TOP PHOTO: Middlebury graduation file photo by Stephen Mease.