Oberlin founder John Jay Shipherd was no slouch when it came to being an entrepreneur. Nor was his partner, Philo P. Stewart. In 1833, they had a lofty idea –– perfecting humankind through higher education –– and realized it by taking a patch of swamp that no one wanted and turning it into what would become a world-class college.

Following enthusiastically in their entrepreneurial footsteps are sophomores Cher-Wen DeWitt and Alex Birnie, participants in the College’s new Creativity and Leadership (C&L) Project (CLP).

An outgrowth of the Northeast Ohio Collegiate Entrepreneurship Project (NEOCEP), funded by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the C&L program offers Oberlin students a variety of opportunities to build the skills, knowledge, and experiences they need to launch their own ideas.

DeWitt says her ultimate goal is to develop a non-governmental organization (NGO) that will train communities in developing countries to create self-sufficient health care systems and make essential care and health education available to all members, especially the disfranchised and impoverished.

Birnie’s dream is to start an Oberlin Arts Collective, where student writers, artists, and musicians can rent studio space for a small fee each semester. He also wants to promote Oberlin’s music scene by working with student bands and the local music industry and with groups at other colleges.

Of immense help, the students say, were their experiences last summer exploring the ins and outs of entrepreneurship as paid NEOCEP interns –– DeWitt in New York City and Birnie in Vienna.

DeWitt worked with a New York-based international disaster relief NGO. “Most of my work was centered around the logistics of what it takes to get a disaster relief organization up and running, and ready to respond to a given situation within 48 hours,” she says.

“The experience really broadened my understanding of the holistic approach––taking into account all kinds of social, cultural, religious, political, and historic factors that invariably influence any kind of relief work.”

She says she was encouraged to hone her critical thinking skills to the point of being able to have absolute confidence in her ability to take charge in an unexpected situation.

“The tasks laid before me improved my logistical and perceptual skills immensely and enabled me to seek out and construct self-directed community initiatives in developing countries in Asia and Africa, where I plan to spend my summer and perhaps winter term.”

Birnie’s internship award enabled him to learn firsthand from a person with extensive knowledge about starting and running a business: Vienna Boys Choir Artistic Director Gerald Wirth.

Birnie helped plan the expansion of Wirth’s Academy of Music in Vienna into a franchised model of music pedagogy. He also helped facilitate Global Children's Choir for Peace –– a Wirth initiative with legendary sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar. The project brought 28 children from India to Austria for a cultural exchange and concert tour.

“It's wonderful to see Oberlin College recognizing the need for experience and training in this area,” adds Birnie. “No matter what field you go into, entrepreneurial skills can be invaluable. They are perhaps what employers talk about when they see ‘intangibles’ in an employee.

“The inspiration to create and the will to accomplish tasks with an entrepreneurial spirit bring something extremely individual and unique to the table, and I think it’s going to play an increasingly important role in the world.”

Related Links:
http://www.oberlin.edu/creativity/