For decades, West Virginia’s economy relied heavily on coal, energy and manufacturing — industries that have declined due to automation, environmental regulations and global market shifts. In response, state leaders and universities have worked to diversify the economy by fostering innovation, small business creation and homegrown enterprises. Increasingly, teaching entrepreneurship is seen as a key strategy to keep young talent in the state.
Today, West Virginia University, Marshall University and the University of Charleston are leading this effort, offering degree programs and abundant resources for students on the entrepreneurship path.
West Virginia University
West Virginia University’s entrepreneurship and innovation major in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics combines classroom learning with experiential learning opportunities, said Tara St. Clair, program director of the WVU Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Core courses include new venture creation, entrepreneurial strategy, venture management and entrepreneurial leadership, while electives allow students to explore innovation in areas like technology and international business.
“By graduation, they’ve not only built strong business foundations but also developed resilience, creativity and the ability to work across disciplines — qualities that employers and investors alike value,” St. Clair explained.
Entrepreneurship often leads students and their ideas outside the classroom, where they gain practical skills in business model development, leadership and adaptability. In this active approach, they test business model ideas in pitch competitions and even get access to seed funding through a statewide network of entrepreneurs and investors.
“That blend of academic rigor and real-world practice ensures they graduate with not just a degree, but a toolkit for entrepreneurial success,” St. Clair said. “We’re connecting alumni and investors so we can work more effectively together.”
Other resources at WVU include on-site coaching and faculty mentors at the Morris L. Hayhurst LaunchLab, which also offers prototyping through its MakerLab; advanced facilities for 3D printing, electronics and manufacturing at the Lane Innovation Hub; and Vantage Ventures, an accelerator-style initiative that gives participants access to investors, industry partners and startup expertise. The Office of Innovation and Commercialization guides students, faculty and staff to mentors, funding opportunities and programs across the university.
“The goal is to make sure that no matter where a student, faculty or staff member is in their journey, from just being curious to running a startup, they have the right resource at the right time,” St. Clair said. “Together, these resources create a clear, connected pathway.”
St. Clair now works under the WVU Office of Innovation and Commercialization to help create a more comprehensive and cohesive system of resources that will support innovators and entrepreneurs across campus.
“Students benefit by having a clear front door to entrepreneurship at WVU,” St. Clair said. “Whether they want mentorship, funding or connections to West Virginia’s business community, we make sure they don’t feel lost in the system.”
Marshall University
Marshall University’s four-year entrepreneurship degree program includes classes in creativity and innovation, marketing for entrepreneurs, the startup experience and entrepreneurship law, and a minor is available for business and non-business majors alike.
But entrepreneurship at Marshall extends beyond the Lewis College of Business. The Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation houses Marshall’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, or iCenter, as well as the Brad D. Smith Student Incubator, both designed to empower student entrepreneurs, explained Tricia Ball, executive director of the iCenter.
Set up as a design thinking lab, the iCenter’s main goal is to teach Intuit’s version of design thinking, called “Design for Delight,” which comprises three principles: deep customer empathy, “going broad to go narrow” and rapid experimentation with customers. It’s a human-centered approach to solving complex problems, Ball said, and it’s beneficial in both creating a business and working for someone else.
“This Design for Delight process can not only help you start your own business, but it can help you be one of the most valuable employees within a business,” she said.
The iCenter partners with Marshall’s Advanced Manufacturing Center to bring students’ concepts to life through 3D printing, laser cutting, reverse engineering and other processes.
“The iCenter is only one piece of Marshall’s greater entrepreneurship ecosystem,” Ball said. “We are very focused on early-stage ideation and prototyping, and our space is set up to reflect that. We see Marshall as a prosperity platform that accelerates individual success, innovative ideas and economic impact.”
One of Ball’s favorite aspects of her job is seeing the tangible benefits that come through the design thinking process.
“If you can come up with the next Uber or Netflix or Tesla, you could completely transform West Virginia for generations by having that kind of economic impact,” Ball said. “We’re here to serve everybody. We want to be planting those seeds through the same design thinking process that they’re using in Silicon Valley so that hopefully we can have the next one of those founders in West Virginia.”
University of Charleston
At the University of Charleston, entrepreneurship is encouraged both on campus for degree-seeking students and at its Downtown Innovation Hub. The university offers a four-year entrepreneurship degree within its School of Business, focusing on small business development. Students are encouraged to gain experience and then marry it with their own business ideas, according to University of Charleston President Marty Roth.
“Then they identify what they think is a viable opportunity, and now they have a broader set of knowledge and experiences to bring to that initiative,” Roth said.
At the Wehrle Innovation Center, the Innovation Scholars Program is designed around the art and science of innovation, creativity and design thinking. Students from all majors are provided with training opportunities and workshops, earn certifications and attend conferences.
Opened in 2023, the Downtown Innovation Hub leverages the University of Charleston’s expertise in innovation and business development to support small and medium-sized businesses in the Kanawha Valley. The hub’s signature Business Accelerator Program is designed to help existing businesses reenergize and grow.
The Innovation Hub gives students an opportunity to work with these existing businesses, develop professional relationships and bolster their portfolios and resumes. For example, those who are learning to build and design websites may be paired with a business in need of a website redesign.
“In that program, we’re helping students understand some of the unique opportunities and challenges in starting and running a small business, as opposed to joining a very large enterprise that has well-established and robust policies, procedures and structures,” Roth explained. “One of the nice things is giving students an opportunity to work side by side with small business owners and see what that professional life is like.”
Institutions like the University of Charleston are poised to offer smaller businesses their support, Roth said, as well as encourage students on their own entrepreneurial paths.
“The more we can improve that success rate, the more that’s going to drive the economy, stimulate jobs and stimulate investment,” Roth said. “We want to do everything we can to encourage students to get in the game and start a business, while also helping those people who have started businesses be as successful as they can.”