The Role and Vision of The Center for Entrepreneurship
We are living in the age of information. Having the right knowledge, being in the know, keeping abreast with the times - that's what makes you strong! The time of new opportunity has come for entrepreneurs. Their challenge is to rise to that opportunity. You only need to know how. Our Center for Entrepreneurship is confident that it is possible and critical to develop entrepreneurship. The Center for Entrepreneurship was set up as an initiative of the U.S. Russia Investment Fund. Our goal is to accelerate entrepreneurship. The Center acts as a catalyst organization expanding the scope of entrepreneurship by combining educational and system-building programs aimed at meeting the interests of growth company leaders. Ten years ago the entrepreneurship situation was devastating. It still takes a lot of effort to develop it. However, positive changes are being seen. By 2020, entrepreneurship is expected to rise to a more acceptable level. The leaders have formulated ambitious tasks, which already is a good thing. The nation realizes that economic diversification is on the agenda. You can't possibly take care of the raw materials industry. The route is chosen correctly and the necessary steps are being made.
Educational Programs and Networking Opportunities
Our forms and programs of support are extremely numerous now. Entrepreneurs need specific knowledge. Our Center for Entrepreneurship is different from others inasmuch as it has specially designed educational programs which include individual 4-hour modules dedicated to the most significant problems faced by companies. One program which is very popular now is the 9-module Fasttrac. Our trainers are entrepreneurs as well. It doesn't help much to teach entrepreneurs using professors who have never owned a business or come across typical business problems. Nearly all regional governments have dedicated departments for support of entrepreneurship, various guarantee funds, MSP Bank offering credit resources to commercial banks. At the initial stage of business development, a mentor’s advice is important; this is what the Youth Business program is about. The Federal Youth Agency has developed an important project, You Are an Entrepreneur, which is designed to increase entrepreneurship awareness among youngsters. Global Entrepreneurship Week is one of our most ambitious projects. It unites 129 countries and aims at developing entrepreneurship globally and fostering an entrepreneurial culture. Our individual modules provide fundamental knowledge for both newcomers and fast growth companies. Networking, i.e., communication with peers, is also crucial for a growing entrepreneur. Business breakfast meetings help entrepreneurs find the people they need. For that purpose, we organize entrepreneurial groups in regions where we have a presence. They are locations where entrepreneurs can listen to renowned speakers from Europe and the United States.