Future Founders honored Jason Stephens, associate professor of instruction in the Business and Entrepreneurship Department, with the 2018 EntrepreneurshipU Award for Best Graduate Entrepreneurship Course of the Year.

The EntrepreneurshipU Awards, now in their second year, were created to “celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation at Illinois universities.” Stephens’ Entrepreneurship & New Business Creation course helps graduate students explore and formalize their entrepreneurial ideas and passions in a way that prepares them for success as full-fledged start-ups.

“Jason’s Entrepreneurship and New Business Creation course has been one of my favorite classes at Columbia,” said graduate student Lydia Bayley. “He brings extremely relevant and valuable experiences to the classroom and is passionate about helping students develop their interests into viable businesses.”

Future Founders is a Chicago-based organization that offers “age-appropriate and stage-appropriate programs to connect youth with mentors and help them build a toolkit of entrepreneurial skills.” Founded in 2011, Future Founders has served over 33,000 students in their entrepreneurial-focused work.

Congratulations to Jason Stephens on this extraordinary honor!

More information on Future Founders and on the EntrepreneurshipU Awards can be found on the organization’s website.