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Supporting Student Startups: Hermitage Incubator to Foster Young Entrepreneurs
President Richardson and the Westminster Entrepreneurship Lab’s first cohort of students, from left Bobby Noble, C.J. Armstrong, and A.J. Bove, cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the WEL on April 27. Not pictured is fellow entreprenuer Kaitlyn Nicholson.
By ELIZABETH FONTAINE HILDEBRAND ’92
With the opening of the Westminster Entrepreneurship Lab (WEL), student entrepreneurs will now have a space to help them grow their ideas and their businesses—and give them a running start following graduation.
Located 10 miles north of campus at the eCenter at LindenPointe in Hermitage, a non-profit development corporation, the WEL serves as an entrepreneurial incubator and creativity lab for students serious about starting their own businesses.
The WEL’s select students, chosen by the School of Business faculty, will have access to the eCenter’s resources—office space, expert mentorships, investment opportunities, legal and financial counsel and professional networks.
“WEL enhances what students are learning in the classroom by providing off campus space where students can put their classroom knowledge to practical use as they focus on developing their businesses,” said Jesse R. Ligo Jr., professor of accounting and chair of the School of Business. “Speaking with the professional, legal, and financial advisers available at the eCenter, students can expand their understanding of specific topics necessary for a successful business.”
The first cohort of students—C.J. Armstrong, A.J. Bove, Kaitlyn Nicholson and Bobby Noble—were the first to take advantage of the WEL’s offerings. And while all four were majoring in business-related fields, Ligo is quick to point out the WEL is open to all majors at Westminster College.
“Entrepreneurship is certainly not just for business majors. Westminster’s School of Business desires to promote entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial spirit campus wide,” said Ligo. “Any student in any major may have an idea for
starting a business. Anything from creating a smart phone app to developing a string studio for violin lessons to opening a non-profit community organization would all qualify for WEL.“
“Entrepreneurs think outside the box, have passion for their work, develop useful networks, and contribute to their communities. These are characteristics worth acquiring regardless of your major, business, or employment status,” said Ligo.
Innovative ideas are precisely how the inaugural group of students earned a spot at the WEL.
Armstrong, founder of National ESports Federation, hopes to create an organization that will govern collegiate gaming and organize seasonal leagues for colleges to compete against each other. (See more on C.J. Amstrong on page 15.)
Bove’s role as a goalkeeper with the Westminster soccer team inspired him to develop a product for fellow athletes—X Glove Enhancers. The glove liners worn under lacrosse, hockey or goalkeeper gloves are designed to wick away moisture and enhance sports performance by increasing the friction between the human hand and the sports glove itself.
Nicholson, a solo alternative-pop artist who goes by “Katie Joy,” used WEL resources to adapt her music into a method of steady income through performing, writing and producing. (See more on Katie Joy on page 13.)
Noble is working to launch Noble Regeneration Labs, a one-stop-shop health optimization center. Noble wants to provide customers with fun, easy, and efficient ways of taking care of their bodies.
Jesse R. Ligo Jr. Chair, School of Business
WEL entrepreneurs discuss their products and their process at the lab’s grand opening. Clockwise from top left are C.J. Armstrong, A.J. Bove, Kaitlyn Nicholson via laptop, and Bobby Noble.
