The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business, and Entrepreneurship at Ohio Wesleyan University offers the interdisciplinary Carol Latham Bishop Ventures (LBV) program 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.
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.
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
February
March
August
September
The U.S. Entrepreneurship Competition (USEC) at Ohio Wesleyan University is for student and professional entrepreneurs who seek to discover a path forward to make their startup dreams a reality. Those selected to compete in either the student or professional track will present their ideas to a panel of seasoned and experienced judges on September 26, 2024, on the OWU campus. The winners will earn prize packages valued at $100,000, $75,000, and $50,000, respectively. First- through fifth-place winners all will receive investments. Visit Awards to learn more. The competition is organized by the Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at Ohio Wesleyan University, a first-of-its-kind liberal arts business accelerator and the first-of-its-kind city, county, and educational institute partnership.
As events are finalized, they will be added to the conference webpage at owu.edu/
October
November
December
Join us as we bring the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit of Catania, Sicily, to Ohio Wesleyan! The Corns Business and Entrepreneurial Scholars are about to embark on an unforgettable journey through OWU's Theory-to-Practice Grant program, where we'll dive deep into the world of family-owned businesses, meet with innovative local entrepreneurs, and explore how island economics and agricultural ingenuity shape thriving industries. Through exclusive workshops and one-on-one discussions with Sicilian business leaders, we'll gain actionable insights and strategies that go far beyond the pages of any textbook.
This unique experience will allow us to apply classroom learning to real-world settings, broaden our perspectives on global business, and inspire new ideas that we'll bring back to share with you. Whether you're passionate about entrepreneurship or simply curious about turning classroom theory into real-world practice, join us after our return to hear how you, too, can transform your education through OWU's incredible Theory-to-Practice Grants!
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 below 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
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.
For more information, please contact Destiny Coleman at dlcoleman@owu.edu.