Programs to Inspire Entrepreneurial Learning
Make It To Market Program
Make It To Market became my doctoral research project. Fresh off the heels of Artist 2 Entrepreneur, Make It to Market emerged as a coaching program to work with more advanced creative entrepreneurs as they commercialized their ideas/products.
Through Make It To Market, I collected data to learn more about how entrepreneurial learning is experienced by creative entrepreneurs.
I've always thought there was a better way to go about creative entrepreneurship than the standard business plan writing exercise. My research agenda was a to help creatives make better entrepreneurial decisions as they embraced the predictably unpredictable landscape of thriving in the most uncertain conditions.
Artist 2 Entrepreneur Program
Artist 2 Entrepreneur is an entrepreneurial training program delivered by practicing entrepreneurs to support local artists in the commercialization of their unique genius. Beginning with self-described ‘artists’ the program is based on the principles of effectuation developed by Dr. Saras Sarasvathy (2001) complimented with storytelling basics from the workbook, Storytelling4Entrepreneurs (McDonald, 2013). The program was initially conceived to grow our regional ‘creative economy’ on Vancouver Island, building on an opportunity to boost the local economy through testing new approaches to commercialization strategies.
We learned early on from our participants that the Artist 2 Entrepreneur program was catalyzing self-realization, validation and and belief in making one’s future. As we reflected on this experience, we considered how such entrepreneurial training could be used in other circumstances where creative talent is commercially unrealized. Expanding beyond artists, our thoughts have grown to encompass other local creatives and local brands as we envision a self-sustaining, island-based economy deeply rooted in principles of sustainability, culture and place. This paper summary reflects our early experience delivering the Artist 2 Entrepreneur program, including reflections and next steps.
Read the full story on the Artist 2 Entrepreneur experience.