Entrepreneurship Club rebuilding

Logo courtesy FAMU Entrepreneurship Club

Florida A&M University can proudly claim a new and improved virtual Entrepreneurship Club.
Jason Black started FAMUs first entrepreneur club in 2016.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, the club had a rough start and went through some difficulties caused by COVID as well, but in fall 2020, FAMU’s E-club got the ball rolling again, except everything is virtual now,” Black said.

Black is proud to now serve as adviser as the new president, Simone Harris, takes over. The new and revamped E-club is overseen by Harris and her editorial board, a team taking pride in providing insight and guidance through the lens of entrepreneurship.
Simone shined a light on the organization’s purpose and overall goal.

“The purpose is to create a nationwide network of FAMU entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners with long-term business-development skills,” she said.

The organization’s first event brought out two participants. Despite the bumpy journey, FAMU’s E-club now has more than 20 members and has launched its most recent business series, “The soul of a startup.”

The club’s chief marketing officer, Simone Footman, handles all marketing for the organization. Events now expect more than 50 participants and the club is still growing. Some events people can look forward to include a bingo fundraiser on Nov. 12 and a dollar sheet fundraiser on Nov. 29.

Harris shined a light on a few trials the organization has weathered during its development.

“The biggest obstacle is trying to bring everyone together and working with everyone’s schedule, trying to consistently find creative ways to increase engagement virtually. Personally, I’m working on explaining things in-depth and assisting members as much as I can,” Harris said.

One of the members, Catherine Knowles, is a newcomer to the club but is happy she joined.

“I joined in spring ’21. It has been great; I’ve met a lot of like-minded people and have had the opportunity to learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur through multiple perspectives. Overall it has been a great experience with lots of beneficial opportunities,” she said.

The Entrepreneur Club’s goals are to help current members start or continue their own business. It also encourages people to spread the word and join as the club would like to continue to expand and gain more members. If circumstances change, the club is also hoping for face-to-face interactions for networking and finding mentors for current members.

Students can join using the link in their Instagram (@famueclub) bio.