Latham Bishop Ventures

The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business, and Entrepreneurship at Ohio Wesleyan University offers the interdisciplinary Carol Latham Bishop Ventures Program (LBV) for students seeking to become the next generation of entrepreneurial and business trailblazers.

The Latham Bishop Ventures (LBV) program is an institutional collaboration managed by The Woltemade Center to expand the scope and impact of entrepreneurial education and opportunities at OWU. Building upon the success of the Latham Entrepreneurial Scholars Program (LESP), LBV provides a comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem that is accessible to all interested OWU students. The program fosters and grows upon the entrepreneurial culture on campus, attracts and retains entrepreneurially minded students, and creates a community of students passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation.

LBV offers a range of programming and resources to support students at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey. Through seminars, hands-on workshops, and mentorship, students have the opportunity to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and deepen their understanding of entrepreneurship. LBV provides experiential learning opportunities, allowing students to turn their ideas into business plans, participate in Pitch OWU, and receive mentorship from OWU alumni entrepreneurs. Additionally, LBV offers financial support and individual mentoring to vetted student business plans, enabling them to launch and grow their ventures.

LBV empowers OWU students to embark on a transformative journey of entrepreneurship supported by a rich array of resources and opportunities. It serves as an investment in students, equipping them with the necessary tools, funding, and mentorship to bring their entrepreneurial visions to life. Through LBV, students will explore and develop their ideas, participate in national competitions, and contribute to OWU's thriving entrepreneurial culture. By leveraging faculty expertise, entrepreneurial curriculum, and the distinctive OWU Connection experience, LBV creates an environment where students can unleash their entrepreneurial potential and turn their dreams into tangible achievements.

LBV Ecosystem

  • Mindset: Provide opportunities for students to learn about entrepreneurship through seminars and hands-on workshops.  

  • Knowledge: Provide learning options for students to go deeper in their understanding of entrepreneurship.

  • Experience: Opportunities for students to develop ideas into business plans, present those plans in OWU and national competitions, be mentored by OWU alumni entrepreneurs, be immersed in the entrepreneurial culture, and intern with entrepreneurs.

  • Launch and Mentorship: Provide financial support and individual mentoring to vetted student business plans.

LBV Program Providers

  • The Woltemade Center

  • OWU Connection 

  • Department of Economics and Business – Entrepreneurship faculty

  • Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at OWU

Latham Bishop Ventures Fall Program Schedule 

September 

  • September 6th from 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM - Career Community Fair - HWCC Atrium 
  • September 12th from 12 PM - 1 PM - Entrepreneurship Workshop #1 - Pitch OWU Workshop - R.W. Corns Building, Room 312 - No RSVP required. Lunch provided. 
    • Are you interested in participating in Pitch OWU but don’t know where to start? Join us for our Pitch OWU Workshop!
    • What is Pitch OWU? 
      Do you have a big idea? Do you have a solution to a problem that you believe could change the world? Calling all OWU Students to apply for Pitch OWU, sponsored by The Woltemade Center! Compete against peers in various disciplines to pitch your idea to a panel of judges; the top three teams or individuals will receive funding to foster the growth of your ventures. Students can apply individually or as a team. There is a maximum of four team members per team. All majors are encouraged to apply. Grand Prize is $1,000. For more details, please visit: owu.edu/PitchOWU 
  • September 28th - All Day - OWU Connection Conference 
    • 9 AM - 9:40 AM - Woltemade Center Scholars and Fellows Information Session - R.W. Corns Building, Room 203
      • Discover a realm of possibilities at The Woltemade Center! Come be a part of an exciting journey through our Scholarship and Fellowship programs designed exclusively for you. Explore the diverse roles of Accounting and Finance Fellows, immerse yourself in research as a Research Fellow, ignite your entrepreneurial spirit with Corns Business and Entrepreneurial Scholars, and be among the first to discover our new groundbreaking Latham Bishop Ventures Entrepreneurship Program. These amazing opportunities are readily available for all students and open to all majors aspiring to shape their future. We eagerly await your presence – seize this opportunity to define your academic path! As events are finalized, they will be added to the conference webpage at owu.edu/ConnectionConference.
    • 10 AM - 10:45 AM - OWU Does Entrepreneurship - Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at OWU 

      • Come see why Forbes magazine ranks OWU #1 entrepreneurial college in Ohio! Hear about fellow students' businesses and their work in DEC OWU. Professor Matt Vollrath, Associate Professor of Business Administration, will moderate and highlight the many entrepreneurial programs at OWU. The Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at Ohio Wesleyan University is located at 70 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. As events are finalized, they will be added to the conference webpage at owu.edu/ConnectionConference.

    • 11 AM - 12 PM - Speaker Tracy Gorham, ConexEd - Chappelear Drama Center 
      • Join visionary entrepreneur and edtech leader, Tracy Gorham, in an inspiring keynote speech that highlights the transformative power of human connection in education. Learn how her unique journey and dedication to innovation are shaping the future of student success. Don't miss the chance to be part of this trailblazing conversation! As the Founder and CEO of ConexED, Tracy leads the product design, development, and UI/UX teams, driving innovation with every line of code. With over 160 web applications developed for high-value customers, ConexED has grown to serve over 3 million active users and has established partnerships with 100 colleges and universities, and 1,100 tutoring centers across twelve countries. As events are finalized, they will be added to the conference webpage at owu.edu/ConnectionConference.
    • 12 PM - 2 PM - Black Wall Street - Hamilton-Williams Campus Center Atrium
      • Come learn, network, and shop from local BIPOC-owned businesses and BIPOC student entrepreneurs and organizations who will promote their businesses during the Fall 2023 OWU Connection Conference. Free Food! This event is in partnership with The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business, and Entrepreneurship; Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at OWU; and OWU Connection. Admission is free. Sign up for a table by emailing Destiny Coleman and dlcoleman@owu.edu. As events are finalized, they will be added to the conference webpage at owu.edu/ConnectionConference.
  • September 29th - Deadline to apply for Pitch OWU! 

October 

  • October 25th from 7 PM - 9 PM - Pitch OWU - Merrick Hall Room 301 
    • Compete against peers in various disciplines to pitch your idea to a panel of judges; the top three teams or individuals will receive funding to foster the growth of your ventures. All majors are encouraged to apply. Grand Prize is $1,000. For more details, please visit: owu.edu/PitchOWU 

November

  • November 1st from 12 PM - 1 PM - Entrepreneurship Workshop #2 - Social Entrepreneurship - R.W. Corns Building, Room 312 - Lunch provided. - Register Here! 
  • November 2nd at 10 AM - OWU Does Entrepreneurship - Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at OWU 

    • Come see why Forbes magazine ranks OWU #1 entrepreneurial college in Ohio! Hear about fellow students' businesses and their work in DEC OWU. The Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at Ohio Wesleyan University is located at 70 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Learn more at https://delawareentrepreneurialcenteratowu.com/. 

Entrepreneurship Course Offerings:

Fall 2023 - BUS 105, 110, & BUS 425

Spring 2023 - BUS 105, 110, & BUS 425

Interested in Mentorship? 

Please see our extensive list of Alumni Partners who are eager to help students and fellow Alumni with their career and professional goals. The individuals on this page are happy to be contacted for 1:1 conversations, presentation invitations, and other engagements. Please click on their profiles to learn more and to see their contact details. We encourage students, faculty, Alumni, and staff to engage with these Alumni and form valuable OWU Connections. 

Entrepreneurship Alumni Mentors Available: 

S.J. Barakony ’98, Founder, SBSL

Avi Biswas ’14, Content Copywriter, Avi Biswas Content Services

Andrew Coutts ’04, Owner, Coutts Enterprise LLC

Raymond Dackerman ’82, Managing Director Americas, Seawind Technology LLC

Teresa Milner ’94, Freelance Financial Services Representative, Self-Employed

Jordanne Wells ’07, Founder & CEO, Wise Money Women LLC

Each OWU student has the opportunity to experience a life-changing OWU Connection experience. These signature experiences marry curriculum and hands-on activity are what makes OWU unique. LBV provides the opportunity to students to take a passion for entrepreneurship, coupled with faculty and entrepreneurial expertise and curriculum, and make their dreams, a reality. 

The Latham Bishop Ventures program was created with a gift of time, talent, and treasure from OWU alumna Carol Latham, Class of 1961. A chemistry major at Ohio Wesleyan, Latham is the retired founder, president, and CEO of Thermagon, Inc., a custom manufacturer of high-performance heat-transfer materials for electronic components. Under her leadership, Thermagon grew to sales of $18 million annually worldwide.

For more information, please contact Destiny Coleman at dlcoleman@owu.edu.