Edward M. Muldoon Center for Entrepreneurship

A program ranked in the top 25 nationally concentrating on innovation, creativity, and idea development. The minor is designed to complement every major on campus, and is grounded in the University's values-based Jesuit education, which emphasizes critical thinking, ethics, global issues, reflection, and service to others.

Combining your major with the entrepreneurship minor gives you the opportunity to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, to work in teams of business, STEM, and liberal arts students solving real-world problems, to build and launch your ideas, and to develop skills employers say are essential.

The Master of Science in Innovation and Entrepreneurship is a graduate degree created by entrepreneurs and innovators to train future entrepreneurs and innovators. Being entrepreneurial doesn’t mean you have to start your own company. Entrepreneurial spirits are valued in all industries. Whether you’re a marketer, engineer, healthcare professional, or anything in between, you have the opportunity to revolutionize your space if you can think differently. The program requires 30-39 credit hours (depending on the number of foundational business prerequisite courses that may be required) and includes an international study tour. 

More information on the MS in Innovation and Entrepreneurship program may be found here. 

The Edward M. Muldoon Entrepreneur Experience Series

The primary function of the Muldoon Entrepreneur Experience Series is to ignite creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in John Carroll University students, faculty, alumni, and throughout the Northeast Ohio region.

Each semester, entrepreneurs and innovators share their experience and advice with our faculty, students, and invited guests.  The seminars provide a venue where Boler and College of Arts and Sciences students and faculty can learn about and be inspired to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurial ventures.

If you are interested in attending an upcoming event, or would like to be notified of all future seminars, please contact:

Doan Winkel, Director, Edward M. Muldoon Center for Entrepreneurship
John J. Kahl, Sr. Chair in Entrepreneurship
216-397-4605
dwinkel@jcu.edu

Cat Stover, Assistant Director, Edward M. Muldoon Center for Entrepreneurship
216-397-4605
cstover@jcu.edu

Register now »

The entrepreneurship program at John Carroll opens doors for students who gain entrepreneurial skills and knowledge from our business, STEM, and liberal arts faculty, and through hands-on experiences with entrepreneurs who volunteer to coach our students.

ER201 Competition.  A student competition held for the introductory course in the Entrepreneurship Minor. This competition is focused on students pitching ideas they have developed in the ER201 class, which are judged by entrepreneurs.

Idea Lab. A three-stage competition across 11 college campuses, consisting of

1. An initial workshop and rehersal pitch to receive preliminary feedback
2. A formal IdeaLab round at John Carroll, with a $1,000 award to the winning team, and
3. A finals round where you compete against winning teams from 10 other colleges for a $5,000 IdeaLab prize.

Immersion Week. Five John Carroll students participate in a weeklong experience during the summer, learning about entrepreneurship and developing an entrepreneurial idea with the assistance of entrepreneurship educators, entrepreneurs, angel investors and local business leaders. At the end of the week, each team from 11 regional colleges presents their idea to a panel of judges and are given an opportunity to win up to $2,500.

John S. Soper Prize in Social Entrepreneurship. Students create and present ideas that address a community or social need. They are encouraged to work with existing organizations or create their own. This competition is open to all John Carroll University students. The winning team or individual is awarded $1,000 and an opportunity to work with a mentor from the hatchery to develop their ideas.

Speakers Series. Each semester, the Muldoon Entrepreneur Experience Series welcomes entrepreneurs and innovators who will share their experience and advice with our faculty, students, and invited guests. The seminars provide a venue where Boler and College of Arts and Sciences students and faculty can learn about and be inspired to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurial ventures.

John J. Kahl, Sr. Student Hatchery. Students pitch their ideas and, if accepted, get paired with a mentor from the Entrepreneurs' Association. The Hatchery provides designated workspace where students are guided through the process of fully developing their product or business.

The Entrepreneurs' Association is a peer group of private company business owners, housed in The Edward M. Muldoon Center for Entrepreneurship at John Carroll University. 

A learning network to educate, connect, and enrich people who are entrepreneurs or interested in entrepreneurship. This program brings together people interested in developing their entrepreneurial skills while providing them with opportunities to interact and share their success with John Carroll students.

Matt Sokol '17

Matt pursued his idea for making and distributing eco-friendly marine paints and coatings with the help of several Muldoon Center programs.

Sokol won both the campus and regional IdeaLab competitions and its $5,000 grand prize! With funds from these competitions, and support from the Student Hatchery, he developed his idea further. In 2016 Sokol won the Entrepreneurs' Organization's Global Student Entrepreneur Awards competition in Ohio and was one of 25 students selected for their national contest in Miami, Florida. He learned how to present to investors and met his current business partners. Hammerhead Marine, headquartered in Cleveland, partners with paint manufacturers in Indiana and California. The company sells direct to yacht manufacturers and large shipbuilders, and to professionals who wholesale the coatings to marinas and professional paint shops. Initially sold in the U.S., Hammerhead Marine Products is exploring plans to distribute in Germany and the Netherlands.

Randall (R.J.) Hoover '15 communications major, and Theresa Barsody '15 finance major

RJ and Theresa met in the social entrepreneurship course and developed the idea for TreeShirts. Tree Shirts sells sustainable organic cotton and bamboo t-shirts shipped in an envelope of recycled newspaper to make a positive change in the environment. For every shirt purchased, they work with a partner organization (R.E.G.U.A.) to plant a tree in a deforested region of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil.

Their idea won the Souper competition in Social Entrepreneurship at JCU in 2014. However, Tess and R.J. wanted to  make their idea a reality and continued to develop the organization. While they both have full time positions; Tess as an Assistant General Manager at Dewey's Pizza and R.J. as a financial planner for AXA, they continue to work on TreeShirts "educating people on the importance of protecting and restoring our natural rainforests."

They have been featured at the Entrepreneurs' Association Hidden Gems program, at JumpStart StartUp Entrepreneurs' event at Gordon Square, and on the Denver MBA website for social enterprise. Check them out at TreeShirts.