Georgetown Entrepreneurship Receives the 2024 Nasdaq Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence Award
Georgetown Entrepreneurship was recognized by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) as a Nasdaq Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence for its “enormous contributions in advancing entrepreneurship as the force in economic growth.” The award was presented during the GCEC conference, which brings together global entrepreneurship center leaders to advance and strengthen educational and experiential opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.
“The GCEC Awards honor the best in higher education entrepreneurship,” said Holly DeArmond, executive director of the GCEC. “The Nasdaq Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence is a special award category created by the GCEC in association with Nasdaq to recognize the outstanding efforts of entrepreneurship centers worldwide. Georgetown University now joins a prestigious list of Nasdaq winners who set the highest standard in our field. We are pleased to honor Georgetown Entrepreneurship with this well-earned award.”
The Nasdaq Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence award recognizes entrepreneurship centers that have achieved extraordinary success in the following categories: outreach to emerging ventures; entrepreneurship curriculum; community collaborations; special projects; overall prestige; recognition in the entrepreneurship field; and entrepreneurship research. Georgetown Entrepreneurship was among a small number of universities across the globe to receive top honors during the award ceremony.
“Through the efforts of Georgetown Entrepreneurship, our entrepreneurial community is uniquely positioned to lead with innovation, explore their passions, and launch new ventures that leave the world a better place than how they found it,” said Paul Almeida, dean and William R. Berkley Chair of the McDonough School of Business. “As we move forward in this mission, we are proud to be recognized as a top entrepreneurship center for delivering on these efforts and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs to serve the common good.”
As noted in the center’s recent annual report, Georgetown Entrepreneurship – which serves the broader university from the McDonough School of Business – supports over 2,000 students and 100 alumni entrepreneurs annually, in addition to its broader entrepreneurship community, through student formation, thought leadership, and community engagement and venture development.
The center engages students through a variety of academic coursework, including the popular undergraduate Minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which has grown by approximately 30% every year since its inception in 2017. Students at all levels can pursue entrepreneurship curriculum at Georgetown McDonough and across the university, which includes unique classes such as Hacking for Defense/Diplomacy within the Walsh School of Foreign Service and Entrepreneurship for the Common Good within the College of Arts and Sciences.
Looking beyond the classroom, Georgetown students have the opportunity to participate in a range of programs to pursue or gain experience working with entrepreneurial ventures, including the Georgetown Startup Interns and Global Startup Interns programs, Georgetown Venture Fellows, the Summer Launch Incubator, a range of student clubs and activities, and signature pitch competitions and events such as the Leonsis Family Entrepreneurship Prize “Bark Tank” Pitch Competition and the Venture in the Capital Summit.
“Here at Georgetown, we are committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to build an entrepreneurial mindset while they’re on campus – and this vision also extends out into our local community, to our alumni, and to our global network of aspiring entrepreneurs,” said Jeff Reid, founding director of Georgetown Entrepreneurship. “It’s an honor to be recognized among our peers as a leading center that excels in these efforts as we empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to use innovation for the common good.”
Georgetown also champions “common good entrepreneurship” by promoting research, thought leadership, and programs around how innovation can be used as a force for positive change in the world. In 2023, the center hosted the inaugural Entrepreneurship for the Common Good Summit to convene leaders, academics, investors, and practitioners to discuss and connect with one another, celebrate key innovations, and expand the field. Georgetown Entrepreneurship also leverages the power of entrepreneurship to serve underserved and underrepresented communities throughout the world through specialty programs such as the Pivot Program supporting formerly incarcerated citizens; the Women Innovators Fellowship to empower women entrepreneurs from the MENA region; and the Dog Tag Bakery Fellowship for wounded veterans, spouses and caregiver, among several others.
“Georgetown Entrepreneurship is a clear leader in every dimension,” said Gurpreet Singh Jagpal, chair of the GCEC Awards Committee and chief commercial officer of Aston University. “The Nasdaq Award recognizes the excellence that Georgetown offers in areas across the board including curriculum development, venture support, community collaborations, entrepreneurship research, special projects, and impact on the field of entrepreneurship education. The judging panel recognizes Georgetown’s strong program with strong leadership and a growing student base.”
Read more about the GCEC Awards online. To learn more about Georgetown Entrepreneurship, please visit eship.georgetown.edu.