New business entrepreneurship class track would help students with a mission

The social entrepreneurship track offers a nine-credit certificate and involves creating businesses with a mission to improve social impacts along with profits. Students will launch social ventures and make meaningful contributions locally and globally, the university said.

The program includes summer partnerships with international nonprofits and ongoing collaborations with local entrepreneurs.

About 200 students either major or minor in entrepreneurship at UD, the university said.

The idea is in line with prior initiatives from UD, including the Greater West Dayton Incubator, which helps West Dayton entrepreneurs launch their businesses, and the Flyer Pitch competition, which awards cash prizes to the winners and is open to anyone in the Greater Dayton region.

The new social entrepreneurship program is named the Herr Venture for Change Program, named after alumni Mike and Katie Herr. The Herrs donated the funds for the social business program. UD declined to say how much they donated.

Mike Herr is an accounting alumnus and UD board member and Katie Herr is an elementary education alumna and parent leadership council member. The Herrs created a scholarship fund in 2018 and assisted with UD’s $400 million fundraising effort, We Soar.

“Social entrepreneurship should be a part of every company,” Mike Herr said. “The experiential learning and principles taught in this program will prepare all students to apply these tenets in their careers, whether that is in business, engineering, teaching, medicine or beyond.”