Student Experience

The College of Charleston Center for Entrepreneurship places a heavy emphasis on the student experience.

Get Involved Beyond the Classroom


Some of the most impactful learning happens in extraordinary ways. Discover the various opportunities available to engage with the center.
  • Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community (E-LLC)

    The Honors Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community (E-LLC) is a mentoring community intended for first-year Honors College students. It has a heavy focus on entrepreneurship as well as helping students to achieve their Big Hairy Audacious Goals, or BHAGS.

    E-LLC students develop the entrepreneurship mindset – allowing them to solve any problem that arises in their community. There is no specific major students in the Honors Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community need to have, just a desire to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. 

    The main mantra behind the Honors Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community is that consumers don't buy a product, they buy a story.

    As a part of the Honors ELLC, students will learn how to do just that; tell their stories.

    What You Get From the E-LLC

    • Ability to identify and solve problems revolving around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
    • Incredible pitching skills
    • Professional networking opportunities
    • Exclusive research and internship opportunities

    Coursework

    As a student in the E-LLC, you'll take HONS 205 Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice during the fall of your first semester. Additionally, you'll have priority registration for HONS 390 Honors ImpactX.

    The connections I made during my time in the ELLC I will keep for the rest of my life.

    Interested in getting involved with the Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community? Reach out to Professor Affonso.

  • Entrepreneurship Competitions

    The Center for Entrepreneurship offers several competitions throughout the year where students can showcase their entrepreneurship skills and win REAL money.

    Impact X Demo Day
    Each semester, the top students from every Impact X cohort have the opportunity to pitch their projects at Demo Day. Judged by an expert panel, teams at Demo Day can walk away with over $10,000 to start their businesses.

    D.E.M.O.S. Pitch Competitions
    The Disability and Entrepreneurship: Models of Success (D.E.M.O.S.) initiative supports the development of innovations that fully incorporate principles of Universal Design in business models. A core element of these competitions is the emphasis on educating entrepreneurs about the genuine value that individuals with disabilities bring to the workplace and their value as customers.

    S.C. Innovates Pitch Competition
    This statewide pitch competition leverages the power of Global Entrepreneurship Week to encourage any and all South Carolina college students to develop and pitch their promising business ideas and compete for thousands in cash.

    Gender Equity Pitch Competition
    The School of Business invites female students of all disciplines to enter our Gender Equality Pitch Competition. Up to seven students are selected to present a one-minute elevator pitch describing a gender equality problem and their actionable solution.

  • Founders Club

    Find a community of student entrepreneurs beyond the classroom. The Founders Club is a student organization for those interested in exploring the world of entrepreneurship.

    The Founders Club offers resources to help you begin the next great startup such as:

    • a network of experienced founders
    • peer-to-peer coaching
    • access to local professionals
    • exclusive business development resources

    Follow the club on Instagram to keep up with meetings and guest speakers.

    Follow the Founders Club

Recent Graduates


Check out a few recent College of Charleston graduates who have made a difference in the field of entrepreneurship:

Kenneth Ridgell '14
Founder/CEO - Ridge Media LLC
Co-Founder - TrashForce

Brandon Brooks '15
Partnership Specialist - Higher Ed at Tallo
Founder - Jyve Technologies Inc.

Chad Ross '18
Founder & CEO - Dorsal Bracelets
Founder & CEO - Chuck Waters

Lauren Furey '19
Private Chef - Lauren Furey, LLC