Forum to Introduce Entrepreneurs to State's 'Business Ecosystem'

The ninth annual Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum is to be held April 3 at Tougaloo College in Jackson and April 4 at Embassy Suites in Ridgeland.

"This Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum is an excellent venue for universities across the state to learn about the activities that are taking place on our respective campuses," said JR Love, assistant director of economic development at the University of Mississippi's Insight Park. "The forum also provides the resources and tools that are currently being offered in Mississippi to help stimulate entrepreneurship and economic development."

The institute invites leading entrepreneurs, economic developers, future business owners and students to learn more about the entrepreneurial climate in Mississippi at the annual forum.

Organized by the Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement under the umbrella of its Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development initiative, the event receives support from a committee made up of representatives from all Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning schools and key statewide organizations.

"Entrepreneurship is extremely important for the state of Mississippi," said Joe Donovan, director of the Mississippi Development Authority's Office of Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. "It's also important that we involve college-aged students in entrepreneurship.

"The forum provides a place where young entrepreneurs can receive mentoring. It immerses them into a statewide business ecosystem that will help shepherd them through what hopefully becomes a career of entrepreneurship."

This year, a NextUp! Student Social Time will be held April 3 at Tougaloo College. The social will give students an opportunity to network and share ideas.

The forum also facilitates networking between entrepreneurs at various stages of business development. Attendees can learn from one another's real-world experiences building companies, as well as connect with representatives from academic institutions and business support organizations to leverage resources.

Previous events have been held in Clarksdale, Tupelo, Greenwood, Oxford, Jackson, Ridgeland, Vicksburg and Hattiesburg. Highlights from 2023 include more than 150 attendees, with students, faculty and staff coming from all IHL schools.

As part of the CEED initiative, the 2024 Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum receives funding through a grant from the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation.

Registration and speaker information can be found at https://meforum.olemiss.edu/, or by contacting Love at jrlove@olemiss.edu.