Clemson MBA students have created a website to showcase and raise funds for ventures they start while still in school.
The website is a project of the board of the Arthur M. Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and was developed as a way for students from the MBA in Entrepreneurship & Innovation program (MBAe) to generate capital for their ideas.
“Crowdfunding has become a credible source of funding for early-stage companies,” said David Mendez, a Spiro Institute board member and partner with Capital A Partners in Charleston, in a release. “Success at this stage for an entrepreneur can lead to other forms of debt or equity financing provided by early-stage investors to accelerate growth and create jobs.”
Clemsonideas.com allows users to financially back projects created by Clemson MBAe students. Faculty, staff and alumni projects eventually will be featured on the site.
By Tuesday, six ideas had raised $617 since last week. Listed ideas include a line of vintage-inspired men’s formal wear from student Mallory Jones; and the South Carolina Defense & Aerospace Network, a nonprofit advocacy group for the state’s defense and aerospace community.
The school emphasized in a release that the site is hosted by a third-party provider and all of the funds raised go directly to the person seeking support. Clemson University does not receive any funding from the site, and it is not affiliated with any university giving program.
A few other schools, including Arizona State University, have launched similar websites.
