3/23/2022 - Jackson, Miss.

Students attending Mississippi Public Universities have creative and innovative ideas for new products, businesses, and services. Bringing those ideas to fruition requires learning about production, marketing, financing, staffing, and many other aspects of establishing a business and leading it to success.

The Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum provides students from colleges and universities in Mississippi with the opportunity to learn how to take their spark of an idea and turn it into a blazing success. Hosted by the University of Mississippi's McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement and Innovate Mississippi, the Forum will be held April 6-7 in Vicksburg. Registration is available on the MEF website.

"The Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum helps students from colleges and universities across the state to learn how to launch a profitable business," said Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., Commissioner of Higher Education. "These students are the future business leaders of our state and this event gives them the opportunity to gain valuable information, hone their skills, and network with fellow entrepreneurs."

Leading entrepreneurs, economic developers, innovators, and future business owners will participate in the Forum, which will include sessions on the entrepreneurial climate and the future of entrepreneurship in Mississippi. ERDCWERX will serve as one of the event sites at the Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Information and Technology. Sessions will be held at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

Students will have the opportunity to participate in the Student Business Pitch Competition on April 6. The Mississippi Development Authority, one of the sponsors of the event, will provide a financial contribution to the student winners of the competition.

Panels on April 7 will explore topics including technology and innovation, student entrepreneurship, and the state's entrepreneurial ecosystem. In addition to the panels, the Forum offers opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to network with owners of thriving businesses and gain valuable, practical tips for establishing and building a successful business.

Now in its seventh year, the Forum is part of the Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development initiative, funded by a financial gift from the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation. Previous events have been held in Clarksdale, Tupelo, Greenwood, Oxford, Jackson, and Ridgeland. The 2021 forum was held virtually due to COVID-19.

A complete list of sponsors, including colleges and universities in Mississippi, and additional information about the 2022 Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum is available on the MEF website.

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The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

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