Why a liberal arts university is a good place to start something
W&L students analyze, write, argue and synthesize across fields. Those are the skills founders need. The Connolly Center adds the other half: talking to customers, testing ideas cheaply, building prototypes and learning from people who’ve done it.
Where the name comes from
The Center is named for Larry Connolly ‘79, former CEO of Connolly Inc., a recovery-audit firm he and his sister, Libby Connolly Alexander, grew from 30 employees to more than 1,250. In 2013 his gift helped establish the Center, in the hope that it would foster successful entrepreneurs who would one day give back.
What we run
- ENT 1000 and the Entrepreneurship and Design minor
- The Connolly Entrepreneurship Society
- The Maker Program and makerspace
- The Entrepreneurship Summit
- Entrepreneurs in Residence
Contact
Email ent@wlu.edu. If you’re a student with a venture question, start here first. It answers most of what we get asked.
Jay Margalus, Director