Today s American culture, filled with stories of dot-com fortunes, inspires many college students to become entrepreneurs. In West Virginia, a recent study encourages the state to foster entrepreneurship, arguing that entrepreneurs can accumulate wealth while diversifying the state s economy. We want entrepreneurs, yet very few people know what it means to be one. The classic example of the entrepreneur is a small-business person who offers a product or service addressing a market need or niche. Bill Hinchey recognized a need to create an easier way to test for substance abuse.
Entrepreneurs are also active inside well-established businesses.
Government entities such as NASA and the U.S. Defense Department reward creative risk-taking by entrepreneurs working within. So, too, do state universities. As a result, WVU faculty in English, engineering, business, and economics have proven their entrepreneurial spirit in a variety of successful endeavors. There is no common social or educational background among entrepreneurs. Women living in small-town Appalachia have started successful companies making quilts.