The Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship values our relationships with our alumni and our business partners, as your shared expertise and capital are invaluable to our student entrepreneurs. If you engage with us you help to bridge the gap between theory and practice as you share your personal and professional journeys, industry expertise and career networks with the JMU community.

Your investment in the GCFE helps us to create programming that is timely, relevant and provides an environment where the ideas of tomorrow find their footing today.

Take a moment to look through the many ways you or your business can engage and invest with the GCFE and contact us at gcfe@jmu.edu to explore even more options.

Guest Speaker

Connect with students while contributing a valuable component to their education. You can share your career journey, business success and industry insights with them in a classroom, at a student organization meeting or at a college-wide event.

Investor

A donation to the GCFE is an investment in the truest sense, one where your funds open the door for fledgling business ideas to develop and enter the marketplace. These funds provide support for programs such as Madison Inc. which helps students create and launch their new ventures, and Dukes Venture Accelerator, which provides funding for students to work on their start-ups.

Bluestone Seed Fund Investment Committee

The BSF Investment Committee consists of JMU alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs and community leaders.
After applicants are screened and vetted by Student Venture Associates, selected Student Founders
have an opportunity to pitch to the Investment Committee for a seed equity investment. The Investment Committee deliberates to decide which ventures are viable to invest in. For the initial investment cycle, five portfolio companies were included.

Advisory Council Member

If you have already given your time and experience to the center and are looking for further involvement, you might seek consideration for advisory council membership. Developing tomorrow’s leaders requires real-world insight from the organizations that hire them, and the board plays a vital role in ensuring our graduates are prepared for the needs of today’s rapidly evolving business world.

 

Back to Top