Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership • Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation • Lewis & Clark

Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership • Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation • Lewis & Clark
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Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership
Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation
Studying entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation is not just about starting a business, but about using the entrepreneurial mindset to analyze, adapt, innovate, and execute.
Majors
Art (Studio)
Art History
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Biology
Chemistry
Classics
Computer Science
Computer Science and Mathematics
Data Science
Economics
Environmental Studies
French Studies
German Studies
Hispanic Studies
History
International Affairs
Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Religious Studies
Rhetoric and Media Studies
Sociology and Anthropology
Student-Designed Major
Theatre
World Languages
Minors
Art and Art History
Artificial Intelligence
Asian Studies
Chemistry
Chinese
Classics
Computer Science
Cybersecurity
Dance
Data Science
Earth System Science
Economics
Education
Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation
Environmental Studies
Ethnic Studies
French Studies
Gender Studies
German Studies
Health Studies
Hispanic Studies
History
Japanese
Latin American and Latino Studies
Law and Policy
Mathematics
Middle East and North African Studies
Music
Neuroscience
Philosophy
Physics
Political Economy
Political Science
Religious Studies
Rhetoric and Media Studies
Russian
Theatre
Why Choose a Minor in Entrepreneurship?
With a minor in entrepreneurial leadership and innovation, you will integrate critical thinking, analytical abilities, and communication skills to create and test solutions in the for-profit and nonprofit worlds. Use our program’s four pillars—entrepreneurial mindset, concrete skill sets, experiential opportunities, and networking—to leverage your bachelor of arts degree. You will develop a greater understanding of yourself and others in order to collaborate more effectively and be an agent of positive change through substantial hands-on experiences. You will gain a powerful toolkit and network, enabling you to translate your entrepreneurship minor into action as you prepare for the future of work, ventures, and adventures. The Bates Center will connect you directly with Portland business and nonprofit leaders who understand the value of a liberal arts education. And when you graduate, you will find that the Lewis & Clark network extends far beyond the Pacific Northwest.
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What You’ll Study
Our interdisciplinary program combines critical thinking, one of the chief benefits of a liberal arts education, with direct and hands-on links to the worlds of entrepreneurship, business, and positive social change so that our students are prepared for the transition to work and life. You will take courses in sustainability, design thinking, nonprofit management, future technologies, and much more, plus participate in at least one of the Bates Center’s cocurricular programs. We also offer one-credit skills classes designed to help you in your ventures, activities, current work, and future of work. Many of our students earn course credit while on an
overseas program
Outside the classroom, we engage the local for-profit and nonprofit communities and provide experiential and networking opportunities via our classroom lecturers, internship class, programming, and practica. Our dynamic programming includes
Winterim, an immersive week of building venture and life skills that culminates in a pitch competition
Lunch With a Leader, a series of free lunches with successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders
The Bates Center Seed Grant Program, money for students to launch their entrepreneurial endeavors
Experts in Residence, numerous experts in a variety of fields—such as law, investing, food/agriculture, and health care—who meet individually with students during office hours
Entrepreneur in Residence, an industry professional who coaches, supports, and connects students to test and implement ideas
Curriculum
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Complement Your Education With One of These Majors
Students from nearly every major have minored in entrepreneurship. The most popular majors for our entrepreneurial leadership and innovation minors are
computer science and mathematics,
economics
, and
rhetoric and media studies
The ELI minor offers so many opportunities, workshops, and classes that are directly applicable to the real world and the workplace.
Lauryn Frederickson BA ’27
Rhetoric and Media Studies | Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation | Maple Valley, Washington
More about Lauryn
The Bates Center sustainability internship helped me by giving me a bunch of really cool internship options, giving me interview and resume advice, and then getting to talk to my professors about priorities and going over what would be best for me.
Elijah Black BA ’23
Economics | Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation | San Francisco and Pacifica, California
More about Elijah
I learned about sustainability through my Introduction to Environmental Studies course and in an entrepreneurship class about sustainable practices in business. The best part of my experience so far has been understanding the different ways individuals perceive and experience the physical world.
Kate Milne BA ’24
Sociology and Anthropology | Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation | Palo Alto, California
More about Kate
What Can You Do With a Minor in Entrepreneurship?
Our alumni use their minor in entrepreneurship in a variety of careers, including running an expedition company with an environmental focus; working for adidas, KPMG, Adobe, and Intel; and launching sustainable businesses, such as a refill technology startup to reduce plastic consumption and a circular sanitation company that raised $5M of investor funding this past year.
Dedicated Faculty
Our expert professors are your expert mentors. You will learn directly from faculty (no graduate assistants here!) that are nationally recognized in their fields of study and who love to work with and learn from their students. Your professors will inspire you to be a thoughtful and passionate participant in a diverse world. Your small classes will support you as you explore new ideas, find your voice, and speak your truth.
Our program uses industry adjuncts, in addition to our faculty, who have a special ability to engage with students as well as provide context and contacts that will help when you graduate.
Meet the Professors
47
U.S. states represented in our undergraduate student body
96%
Within six months of graduation, 96% of the Lewis & Clark Class of 2024 was already changing the world through employment (71%), continuing studies (22%), and service work (3%), like the Peace Corps.
Top
For the seventh time in 11 years, Lewis & Clark has been named a
Fulbright U.S. Student Program Top Producing Institution
for 2023–24.
29+38
Lewis & Clark offers
29 majors and 38 minors
52
nationalities represented in our undergraduate student body
Invest in Yourself
A private liberal arts education is often
more affordable than you think
. Last year, Lewis & Clark distributed over $74 million in assistance from institutional, federal, state, and private sources. Additionally, we’re so confident that our first-year students will graduate in four years with their bachelor of arts degree that if you don’t, we’ll
cover the extra semester of tuition
Find Your People
Students can join a variety of student-run organizations, such as Entrepreneurship Club and Investing Club. Don’t see what you’re looking for on the
club list
? Start something new and build your own community of peers!
Where Lewis & Clark Will Take You
The interdisciplinary nature of Lewis & Clark influenced my thinking in terms of how I could bring various fields of thought together to create positive change. This led me to develop my theory of change of using business and cross-sector partnerships as a lever to make a positive impact for people and the planet.
Raiven Greenberg BA ’17
Psychology | Environmental Studies | Huntington Beach, California
More about Raiven
The rigor of my undergraduate coursework made the transition to grad school coursework much easier.
Sebastian DePrez BA ’25, MA ’28
Computer Science and Mathematics | Data Science and Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation (double) | Upland, California
More about Sebastian
L&C taught me the value of being multifaceted. If your desired path through life doesn’t exist, then you have the tools to figure out how to create it.
Ben Kolligs BA ’18
Physics | Mathematics | Berkeley, California
More about Ben
Featured News
Liberal Arts Thinking Meets Entrepreneurial Action
In mid-January, the Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership hosted its annual entrepreneurial workshop, known as Winterim. The event brought 21 students to campus prior to the start of spring semester for a week of learning, networking, and mentoring, which culminated in a pitch competition for more than $10,000 in prizes.
Read the story
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Chrys Hutchings
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