Entrepreneurship and Innovation

More than 20% of Lake Forest College students participate in the ENTP programming, courses, and internships that allow students to tailor their experience based on their:

1) AREA OF INTEREST (clean technology, inequality, water rights, food)…

2) INTENDED CAREER PATH including intellectual property development (scientists, artists, writers), self-employment (designers, doctors, lawyers, real estate), nonprofit (social innovation, NGOs, education, arts, government) or for-profit venture (start-ups, corporate intrapreneurship, small business).

3) Need for NECESSARY SKILLS for success beyond the ENTP curriculum (writing, web design, accounting, organizational psychology, etc.).

"I can't find a major that fully meets all of my interests."

Some of our strongest students find that no one traditional major fully meets what they want to study.
The Self-Designed Major emphasizes selfdetermination for its students, while offering guidance and assistance in developing their individualized plans.

Lake Forest College has a series of Innovation Spaces, creative spaces where students can experiment with the latest technology in virtual reality, 3-D printing, audio and video recording, digital photography, theater design, and software creation. Students working on new ventures work with their teams, and mentors, at the Oppenheimer Center.

Entrepreneurship and social innovation students regularly participate in national and international competitions and ideathons such as the Davis Prize for Peace, Princeton University’s Environmental Ideathon, and TCU’s Values and Ventures Competition in addition to the Venture Design Challenge with $10,000 in total prizes.

Interested in learning more?

Check out the Venture Design Challenge

Created by Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs, the ENTP program is looked after by the Entrepreneurship Advisory Council, a group of highly successful Chicagoland social innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders with a diverse range of expertise.  Our Interim Director, Kate Jackson, has worked across multiple cultural contexts and industry verticals from the west coast to the east coast to APAC and Europe, making change happen by taking a human-centric approach.  Passionate about building inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems, she focuses on addressing barriers for women, BIPOC entrepreneurs, rural entrpreneurs, LGBTQIA entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs with disabilities.  Our Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Patricia "Trish Thomas is a 3x founder and previously led the program.   Thomas was recently picked Illinois Entrepreneurship Professor of the Year by Future Founders at the 2nd Annual EntrepreneurshipU Awards.  In 2017, Lake Forest College placed in the top 3 of USASBE’s Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Programs.

• In 2021, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ENTP) placed in GCEC's (Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers) top 4 for "Outstanding Student Engagement and Leadership," a recognition of our center's commitment to putting students and alumni at the center of all that we do.
• ENTP placed in the top 3 of USASBE’s (United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship) “Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Programs” in 2017. 
• Entrepreneur in Residence, Patricia “Trish” Thomas, named Illinois Entrepreneurship Professor of the Year by Future Founders at the 2nd Annual EntrepreneurshipU Awards.

The ENTP program is focused on teaching our students how to build effective entrepreneurial teams as well as entrepreneurial leaders; to design contingency plans as well as business plans; and to increase personal and organizational resilience as a means of improving success outcomes. Students learn to understand their personal strengths and motivations, and how to use them as a vehicle for growth in themselves, their teams, and their ventures.