November is National Entrepreneurship Month, celebrating “the doers, dreamers, and job creators whose vision and grit fuel our economy and capture the essence of America.” A record 5.4 million new businesses were started in 2021, which is more than 20 percent higher than any year on record. It’s also been a great year for entrepreneurship at Syracuse University. Here are highlights from the last year.
October 2021 to October 2022:
- 1,121 new LaunchPad participants
- $61 million new equity investments raised by LaunchPad ventures
- 65 new LaunchPad businesses incorporated
- $350,000 new student winnings in competitions
We celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship each month at the LaunchPad, but this is a great time to salute our student entrepreneurs, using words from the national proclamation below:
“Starting and owning a business has always been a key path to the American Dream — a way to build wealth, serve your neighbors, and leave a mark in a community and on the world. Requiring risk-taking and daring, entrepreneurs faced additional challenges during the pandemic and the economic crisis that it created. America can be defined in one word: possibilities. Entrepreneurs’ willingness to take risks, work hard, and never quit make those possibilities come alive. They turn vision into reality and ideas into products, profits, and national prosperity. This month, we celebrate their contributions as a point of national pride and recommit to giving them the space and support to make sure America wins the 21st century.”