RISING ABOVE EXPECTATIONS: D
The Dexter F. Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation
on’t be surprised if you start to see more small businesses popping up in the
Lehigh Valley. Lehigh University’s Dexter F. Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation offers students, faculty, and alumni guidance in recognizing their ideas and seeing them through to fruition as successful enterprises, whether for-profi t, non-profi t, or social ventures. Generously supported by the Dexter F. and Dorothy H. Baker Foundation, the Baker Institute formally kicked off in March of 2010 but it’s been an unoffi cial faction – and philosophy – at Lehigh for quite some time.
For those who are not familiar with Dexter F. Baker, he joined Air Products and Chemicals in 1952 as a sales engineer and was their president from 1978-1986. He also served as a Seamen First Class in the US Navy from 1945-46 as well as a Corps Engineer, Private First Class, in the US Army from 1950-52.
“The Baker Institute 66 Early Fall 2011 is very consistent with
[Dexter F. Baker’s] vision that creativity and innovation and entrepreneurial processes really drive the American economy and American competitiveness,” says Professor
Todd A.
Watkins, the director of the University’s Baker Institute and director of Lehigh’s Microfi nance Program.
Even though the institute formally incepted in 2010, Lehigh has long been a breeding ground of student-formed companies and innovations.
One notable student business that evolved
at Lehigh is the wildly successful EcoTech Marine, founded by Tim Marks (‘04 undergrad; ‘06 masters) and Pat Clasen (‘04 undergrad; ‘07 masters). As its fl agship product, EcoTech Marine manufactures and sells aquarium pumps that mimic the native aquatic ecosystems for a more life-like environment. The company was named one of the fastest growing companies in the country by Inc 500 and also as #8 in Newsweek’s list, College Kid to Millionaire.
“They have really set the pace for the way we think student entrepreneurs can really blossom here at Lehigh,” says Lisa Getzler-Linn, the administrative director of the Dexter F. Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation.
Another student company, LifeServe Innovations, received recognition for founders Zach Bloom and Rick Arlow as America’s Best Young Entrepreneurs in 2010, according to Business Week. A few other recent student advancements include numerous startups in fashion and retail, and a nonprofi t that currently focuses on building composting toilets for use in third world countries.
In terms of the program itself, Lehigh ranked #16 in the country for undergraduate entrepreneurship education according to The Princeton Review, as published by ENTREPRENEUR Magazine. The University Economic Development Association also recognized Lehigh with the national Technology Commercialization Award, which spotlights the entrepreneurship support pipeline that assists undergraduates in launching
Lehigh Valley Marketplace
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