The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Alta Resources Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) has been named recipient of the 2014 “Emerging Center Award” from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC).

This prestigious award is designated only for entrepreneurship centers that are less than five years old and achieve significant milestones and accomplishments. The last entrepreneurship center to win this award was Kansas State University, back in 2012.

The GCEC is made up of more than 200 entrepreneurship centers across the world. Some notable members include Harvard University, Oxford University, Purdue University, University of Tokyo, Cornell University, Yale and the Massachusetts Institution of Technology (MIT).

The Alta Resources CEI earned the award during the GCEC Conference 2014 from Oct. 2 through Oct. 4 in London, United Kingdom. Award judges were impressed with what the Alta Resources CEI was able to accomplish in its region, and in such a short amount of time since the UW Oshkosh-based center’s launch.

Merrill in London.

Colleen Merrill, the executive director of the Alta Resources CEI and the director of the Small Business Development Center at UW Oshkosh, was in London to receive the award on behalf of the center and present a workshop on global collaboration.

“We’re beginning to create global partnerships and initiatives with some of the highest ranked universities in the world,” Merrill said. “They are impressed by what our students are doing and want to link arms.”

“We envision creating global channels and providing opportunities for collaboration between students, no matter where they are located,” she said. “It will start with virtual meetings, but we want to expand to ‘exchanging’ entrepreneurial students with other centers and bring other cultures and experiences into the mix. Doing this will add so much value for all students and centers involved.”

With less than one year under its belt, the Alta Resources CEI has helped dozens of UW Oshkosh students start their own businesses. It also provides students with business consulting services, hosts several business idea contests throughout the year, and even offers a 12-week accelerator program that helps students turn their ideas into companies.

 

In the last year alone, the Alta Resources CEI has given almost $70,000 to student-run companies, with an impressive rate of success. Two of the companies have received follow-on funding from competitive statewide programs and other companies that participated are profitably growing, fast.

“Less than three years ago, the University had only one entrepreneurship class and nothing else for student entrepreneurs,” said Jordan Rhodes, the director of the Alta Resources CEI and original founder of the UW Oshkosh Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO). “Today, we have an award-winning entrepreneurship center, an award-winning student entrepreneurship club, business idea contests, startup accelerator and incubator programs, mentor networks, collaborative space and so much more. This award means so much because it shows that this progress is all being noticed at a global level.”

The future is bright for the new Alta Resources CEI, but the staff is making sure they pause to celebrate this team accomplishment.

“We know we wouldn’t be here without the support of everyone involved” Rhodes said. “That includes our high level supporters like Alta Resources and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation as well as our internal team, such as UW Oshkosh students Nicole Brey and Molly Kaprelian, who were instrumental in the application process and are just as needed in day-to-day operations. We’re very grateful for everyone involved.”

• To learn more about the Alta Resources Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, visit the website or you check out the Facebook page. .