E-Cellerator speakers spark innovation in students

Although less than a year old, Elmhurst University’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, now called E-Cellerator, has hosted eleven speaker events, earning another $30,000 grant from the PNC Foundation for their work. 

The mission of E-Cellerator is to serve all interested students, specifically those who tend to be underrepresented in the area of entrepreneurship, in particular women and people of color. 

Monthly events such as the Diversity Speakers panel invites guests to discuss their struggles in a traditionally exclusive and homogeneous space. 

“We want to make sure we are providing opportunities for students from these [underrepresented] groups,” explained Martin Gahbauer, executive director of the Weigand Center for Professional Excellence. 

The initiative consists of speakers from various industries, including cybersecurity and healthcare. The program caters to students based on direct feedback, which has resulted in a high turnout rate.

E-Cellerator began in response to administrators and many students desiring a program that supported their entrepreneurial dreams. They officially opened their doors on Feb. 19, with their first speaker Mark Heintz, an entrepreneur with experience in establishing several successful businesses. 

In preparation for the events, the initiative did its research in the form of a focus group and student surveys. 

Gahbauer, with his experience in helping students fulfill their career goals, and Patrick Yanahan, as entrepreneur-in-residence at EU, work together as founders to meet students’ needs. 

Using their connections, and those at Innovation Dupage, Gahbauer and Yanahan continue to find speakers who will spark innovation in students.

“Speakers are important because of what they provide,” Gahbauer said. “They’re experts in their given area.”