In the fall of 2009, the McColl School of Business established the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. The Center is designed to be the hub for entrepreneurial scholarship and dialogue in the Charlotte business community, offering a tremendous network of resources to students and the emerging class of small business owners. It is also a part of the McColl School's overall focus on entrepreneurial leadership, which we believe is a key component in modern business education.

Shortly after the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership was founded, two longtime friends and supporters of the McColl School volunteered to serve as our founding Entrepreneurs in Residence - Joan Zimmerman of Southern Shows, Inc., and Louis Foreman, CEO of Enventys and creator of the Emmy Award-winning PBS show, "Everyday Edisons." Both mentor the School's undergraduate and graduate students focusing on entrepreneurship, and are available as community resources.

In addition to the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and our Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, the McColl School builds on its commitment to entrepreneurship by:

• Hosting programs throughout the year that are open to the public.
• Adding a minor in entrepreneurial leadership; students throughout Queens' academic programs are able to bridge disciplines and incorporate entrepreneurial thinking into their chosen areas.

Continuing the work of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Circle (ELC), whose members represent the established entrepreneurial leaders in the Charlotte community. The ELC provides more than $30,000 in student scholarships annually in addition to hosting: 1) half-day seminars on entrepreneurial decision making; 2) quarterly lunches to discuss the latest issues in business; 3) an annual Quail Hollow event that has hosted some of the area's most prominent businesspeople; and 4) is the host group for the Carolinas E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year judging.