Programs
Small Business
Development Program
This Program focuses on linking businesses owned by women, minorities
and disabled persons with potential business or contract opportunities
here at the University. The SBD program works aggressively to
promote these companies throughout the organization and to position
them strategically within the supply chain management process.
To facilitate internal access to these vendors and contractors
for solicitation purposes, an electronic supplier database consisting
of over 1,200 minority women and disabled owned businesses is
available online.
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Management Assistance
Program (MAP) for Small Businesses
The
Office for Business & Community Economic Development and University of Minnesota graduate schools, such as the Carlson School and the Humphrey Center, have partnered
to offer a unique program that provides management and technical
assistance to women minority and disabled owned businesses. This
program focuses on helping these businesses build capacity and
improve profitability; it also assists them in accomplishing critical
management and operational objectives. In theory, graduate and professional students are used as consultants, to provide
varied technical services and assistance to these firms. Business
(field) projects are selected via application, students are
identified and assigned to a consulting team; individual consulting
teams and then matched with the appropriate business (field) project.
Services that are provided by our team consultants range from
Market research and analysis, feasibility studies, HR management,
marketing and business plan development, to finance and accounting,
operations management, IT development and strategic planning.
Management & Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) for Nonprofits
MTAP for Nonprofits is designed to help nonprofit organizations
that serve urban communities build capacity and enhance their
performance and effectiveness. The program will consist of three
primary service components: the Convening component, the Technical
Assistance component and the Executive Leadership Development
component. The Convening component will conduct symposiums, seminars
and/or conferences that focus on topics such as "best practices,"
"nonprofit politics and funding" and "team building." The Technical Assistance component will use students and faculty
to provide management and technical assistance to participating
organizations, in areas such as finance, marketing, strategic
planning, human resource administration, program development,
research and technology. The Executive Leadership Development
component will provide leadership training and development for
board members, nonprofit executives and key employees within their
organizations.
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Community Health Initiative
The Community Health Initiative is an expansion of the Office for Business & Community Economic Development's Management & Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) and is unique in that it focuses directly on communities that face public health disparities and other socio-economic issues. Through funding support provided by Medica, the University of Minnesota's Office for Business & Community Economic Development sponsors the Community Health Initiative, which provides resources to help community-based nonprofit organizations and businesses that impact public health, social services, medicine or medical technology. The CHI program addresses these issues relating to public health disparities and socio-economic issues by supporting University of Minnesota graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds, with special consideration for students of color.
CHI will reach and serve these communities through three vehicles:
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Executive
Leadership Development Program
The Executive Leadership Development Program is designed to teach
executives key leadership skills that will enable them to build
company capacity and performance, develop and communicate competitive
vision, formulate strategies, manage teams, analyze the competitive
environment and assess key business trends in the marketplace.
The learning objectives of EDLP are designed to address the highly
sensitive and difficult issues facing business owners who desire
to take their companies to the next level. Participants will acquire
new perspectives and research-based concepts, as well as learn
how to develop tangible action plans for leading innovation, change
and organizational renewal. Through an in-depth analysis of real-life
examples participants will explore successful leadership styles
and analyze their effectiveness in all facets of managing and
leading a business.
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Small
Business Seminar Series
The SBS Series offers a quarterly educational and networking forums
that are geared toward providing small business owners with practical
insights, information and tools, that will position them to stay
competitive in today's rapidly changing business environment.
This forum specifically addresses the special needs of small businesses,
and connects them with viable financial and business development
resources. The forum consists of training workshops, guest speakers,
networking opportunities and an exhibit hall of business development
resources. The SBS series is offered through a collaborative effort
involving the university, the banking industry and the government.
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Community
Resident Construction Employment & Training Initiative
The central goal of this program is to provide entry-level positions
for community residents who are interested in working in the construction
trades industry. This program will work to inform, recruit, train
and place residents on university construction projects. The University
will partner with community-based organizations, general contractors
and the local unions in an effort to provide the services for
the various components of this program. These components will
involve:
- Local
School Districts / GED / Basic Education Skills
- Construction
Union Training Funds / Construction Training
- Employment
Service Provider / Job Readiness
- Labor
Management Groups / Employment Referral
- Community
Based Organizations / Project Management
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Comcast Cable Scholarship & Internship Programs
I. Comcast Cable Scholarship Information
The Office for Business & Community
Economic Development is pleased to participate in the Comcast
Cable Scholarship program for socially and economically disadvantaged students pursuing studies in telecommunications. Through this program, $15,000 in scholarship
funds is awarded each year (five scholarships at $3,000 per year)
through the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Scholarships will be available during the life of the contract
between Comcast Cable and the University of Minnesota (ten
years) beginning in 2001.
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Minnesota distributes
the marketing materials and administers the scholarship. Scholarships are available to undergraduate students only.
Criteria for consideration includes:
- Contribution to diversity
- Academic achievement
- Demonstrated leadership and community involvement
- Junior or Senior
- Communications majors
- Members of underrepresented communities encouraged
to apply
The application deadline for the scholarship
is in early February and the students are notified of the awards
in March.
For specific
information about application deadlines and selection criteria, please contact Jean Kucera at jkucera@umn.edu.
For general information about the scholarship program, please contact Nedy Windham at windh003@umn.edu.
II.
Comcast Cable Internship Information
Through the Office for Business & Community Economic Development,
Comcast Cable provides internship opportunities to three University
of Minnesota students each summer.
The internships are available
to both graduate and undergraduate students from the University
of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus.
In the spring of each year, Comcast Cable identifies the areas
for the internships and specifies the requirements for the positions.
The opportunities are advertised through a variety of methods
including campus job posting sites and minority student organization websites.
Students apply for the internships on-line. Comcast Cable
receives all résumés and interviews and hires the
students. Members of underrepresented communities are encouraged
to apply.
For more information, please contact Nedy Windham at windh003@umn.edu.
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On-Line
Services
BID
Information Services (BIS)
For
further information regarding the programs and services provided
by the Office for Business & Community Economic Development
please contact:
Office
for Business & Community Economic Development
University of Minnesota
2221 University Avenue SE, Suite 136
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414
Tel.:
(612) 624-0530
Fax: (612) 625-9056
E-mail: bced@umn.edu
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