The Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive group of students, staff, faculty, parents, alumni, and communities – both locally and internationally. In fostering our mission to empower our communities to seek solutions with impact; diversity, in its multiple dimensions and intersections—including race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, age, veteran status, physical ability, religion and other forms of identity—are essential to how we approach and teach entrepreneurship.

We respect and value all members and affiliates of the Nelson Center community, and we aim to create programs that encourage all voices to be heard. As we promote open dialogue and debate and inspire creative thinking and design, we believe entrepreneurship is a critical methodology for solving today’s local and global challenges. As the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship pursues its mission to educate future entrepreneurial leaders, through collaborative programming, producing interdisciplinary scholarship, and achieving repeatable and scalable impact through application and practice, we believe that our achievements stem from the commitment to the principles of diversity and inclusion.

A commitment to diversity and inclusion means taking action. Fostering a diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial community involves partnering with key stakeholders from the Undocumented, First-Generation College, and Low-Income Student Center (UFli), to local high schools. It also includes providing essential funds to provide access to opportunities, particularly for Brown students who have limited economic means and Brown students from historically underrepresented groups (HUG).

The Access Fund* empowers more students to further their entrepreneurial interests and to engage more meaningfully with the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship. This fund supports the following programs and initiatives:

Entrepreneurship Program (EP) Scholarly Award for Student Leaders
For EP leaders on Financial Aid, we provide scholarly awards to enable students the ability to participate fully in this student-led club. We do not want socio-economic limitations to prevent students from this opportunity to lead this active student club.

Summer Earnings Waivers for Breakthrough Lab 
We provide a Summer Earnings Waiver (SEW) to accepted B-Lab students on financial aid who need to meet the Standard Contribution (SC) from the Summer Earnings Expectation. This is in addition to the $4,000 stipend we provide each participant in the program.

Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship Travel Funds
The Entrepreneurship Travel Funds recognizes that entrepreneurs often require additional funding to support their ventures or careers that may not fit under the grant expectations of our existing Explore, Expand, and Breakthrough Lab (B-Lab) programs. These funds are designed to supplement these existing programs and help student entrepreneurs to travel to events, conferences and programs that are critical to their ventures’ progress or entrepreneurial careers. Apply at ufunds.brown.edu. 

*The Access Fund is made possible through the generosity of The Pruzan Family ‘15, ‘17, P’15 P‘17 and the broader Brown alumni community. Questions or just want to chat: email Sheila Haggerty, Assistant Director at sheila_haggerty@brown.edu.

The Diversity Resources Page is curated by the Diversity & Inclusion Team, within Brown EP, our student club. The page consists of internship, extracurricular, and professional development opportunities for diverse entrepreneurs and students interested in business, finance, and venture capital, updated each semester. From mentorship to early insights at the world’s most impactful companies to networking opportunities across underrepresented identities, these resources serve as a starting point for the wealth of resources out there. While not exhaustive, we hope you will take advantage of these opportunities to immerse yourself, break down barriers, network with accomplished peers, and make it happen.

Mentorship is an essential component of the student entrepreneurial experience. We are committed to building and creating inclusive practices for mentors, faculty, and alumni. To learn more about our work in this space, visit our Mentoring in Focus page. You will find our mentoring guidelines, tips, resources, and videos, such as Why Being Inclusive in Your Approach Isn’t So Obvious.