By Nakoa Nunies | Staff Writer

This past summer Kapi‘olani Community College provided 12 students from community colleges across the state with the opportunity to build and develop their business ideas. Students like Alex Parisky was assisted in the building of his company, which sustainably make artisan vodka from Hawaiian sweet potatoes. As well as the eight other companies that sent representatives to learn about practical and real life tools to help them succeed.

This Raising Entrepreneurial Ventures (REV) Program was so successful that the KCC administration decided to build an entirely new curriculum around it. Offered in Spring 2017, the new curriculum helps students earn a certificate through a 9-credit, 3-class program, which is open to any student who wishes to join and doesn’t require any prerequisites.

The curriculum is a semester long and will help students to develop the tools necessary for entrepreneurship and business management. Students will learn to test their own products or services to see if they are viable or not as well as, develop a business model rather than a business plan.

The curriculum was developed by George Yarbrough, a co-founder for Impact Hub Honolulu, a global business dedicated to assisting people in building their own businesses up through networking, inspiring, collaborating, and providing other resources.

“I went to every community college in the state and asked what’s missing,” said Yarbrough.

The summer REV Program was a six-week non-credit program offered during the Summer 2016. Students were vetted based on their business or idea to determine whether or not they would be accepted. Once accepted, the students worked closely with 21 diffrent mentors to build on their service or business ideas. Businesses and representatives from Kauaʻi, the Big Island, and O’ahu community colleges came to attend the program.

The class curriculum for Spring 2017 is based on the teachings and structure from the REV Program. The only difference being the new program is available to any student who wishes to join. Students who are interested in taking this class should search class ID ENT1197. Only one of the three classes will be offered in the spring, the other two classes will be offered in the fall of 2017. Yabrough hopes that all three classes will be available in the spring of 2018.

For more information about the upcoming entrepenure program, contact George Yarbrough at george.yarbrough@impacthub.net. Too learn more about the previous REV program check out their facebook page by clicking here.