Attendees included representatives from 38 universities and organizations hailing from 19 U.S. states and Canada. The conference, titled Expanding the Ensemble, emphasized the engagement of business school faculty and resources in collaboration with the discipline of arts entrepreneurship. Attendees discussed broadening voices that are engaged in what arts entrepreneurship is as a discipline, how research plays an ever-increasing role, and how pedagogy is influenced by community and culture.

Conference Highlights

• Plenary Presentation: “Shakespeare Corrected,” with Alex Miller, Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance, Millikin University

• Student-Run Venture Tour: Attendees toured 6 of Millikin’s student-run venture courses - pedagogical experiences for artist entrepreneurs.

• Community Arts Incubator Reception at Heroic Age Art Center, owned by Millikin Entrepreneur-in-Residence Eric Hector, which provides a place for area artists, patrons of the arts, and art-related businesses to come together for the growth and benefit of the community.

• Keynote Address: Dr. Heidi Neck, Jeffry A. Timmons Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies, Babson College and author of Teaching Entrepreneurship: A Practice-Based Approach, shared the importance of experimentation and practice in entrepreneurship education.

• Establishment of Inaugural Board of Directors

• Establishment of the Sharon T. Alpi Award for Innovative Arts Entrepreneurship Pedagogy