The Babson/Historically Black Colleges and Universities Entrepreneurship Consortium is a partnership funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Ford Motor Company. Its mission is to improve the quality, quantity, and longevity of black entrepreneurship by changing the dynamics of entrepreneurship education.

While blacks are twice as likely as whites to start a business, black-owned businesses have been among the least likely to grow or survive because of a lack of educational and support programs that focus on black entrepreneurship. The difficulty this community faces in creating wealth through entrepreneurship, a driver of economic growth, has further promoted socioeconomic disparities. Recognizing these disparities, the Babson/HBCU Entrepreneurship Consortium is developing case studies and other curricular materials focused on black entrepreneurs. The efforts of this Consortium ultimately will help close the wealth gap and promote social reconstruction for the black community.

Through its efforts, the consortium also works to encourage faculty and student collaboration on its research agenda and to promote open dialogue for further development and growth. The following schools are currently involved with the consortium:

Babson College
Clark Atlanta University
Fayetteville State University
Grambling State University
Houston-Tillston College
Jackson State University
Morehouse College
North Carolina A&T
Prairie View A&M
South Carolina State
Southern University
Spelman College
Tennessee State University
Texas Southern University

For additional information on the consortium, contact Dionne Thomas-Ahad at dthomas-ahad1@babson.edu or 781-239-5714.