History

The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center was founded by Dr. Harold Welsch in 2003 to be an extension of DePaul’s highly acclaimed academic entrepreneurship program. The goals of the center were to help students launch and grow their own ventures as well as offer services and programs to the entrepreneurial community of Chicago.

Through the generous support of The Coleman Foundation, a Chicago-based charitable foundation that supports entrepreneurship education, DePaul received a grant in 2003 of $1 million over five years for operating funds, and a pledge of $1.5 million toward an endowment fund.

These funds would provide the Coleman Center with adequate time to build alternate revenue streams so it could eventually become self-sustaining. Furthermore, these alternate income sources would help subsidize the Coleman Center’s costs, making its services free for DePaul students and highly affordable for area entrepreneurs.

The Coleman Center began providing consulting services and educational programs in 2004 and, since that time, has been growing steadily. What started with one full-time and one part-time employee has grown into a staff> of four full-time and five part-time employees. In 2008, this team served over 120 clients through its consulting services, held nearly 30 educational programs, and hosted over 800 people at its events.

Also in 2008, the Coleman Center became largely self-sustaining through its program fees, individual donations, and corporate sponsorships. This progress, along with a new membership program and plans for regional expansion, educational partnerships, interdisciplinary programs, and a broader range of services, will enable the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center to increasingly fulfill the original goals that were set at its founding.

Culture, Philosophy & Approach

The Coleman Center is one more manifestation of DePaul’s mission to serve its community. Focused on helping students and entrepreneurs, the Coleman Center is built on the following values and principles:

• Deliver content that is meaningful and genuine
• Build lasting relationships through authenticity and mutual benefit
• Encourage people to be lifelong learners and teachers
• Serve the community through leadership and collaboration
• Contribute to the societal, economic and ethical quality of life in Chicago