Kim Scott, Interim Director, Center for Teaching & Learning Director, Office of International Programs, Elizabeth City State University (ECSU)

In an interview with Invest:, Kim Scott, interim director of the Center for Teaching & Learning and director of the Office of International Programs at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), discussed entrepreneurship support, business fundamentals, campus collaboration, and E.R.I.C.’s role in supporting students and the wider community. “This is a safe place for you to fail, a safe place for you to try,” Scott said.

Why has entrepreneurship become a growing priority at ECSU?

I started in this role six years ago as a professor managing entrepreneurship. We repeatedly heard students say they did not want to work for someone else, wanted to become entrepreneurs, already had businesses they hoped to grow, or needed help starting. They were looking for information, so we began several efforts within our department, including an entrepreneurship club and entrepreneurship spaces, while trying to understand what students needed.

ECSU serves 21 counties, including some of the poorest counties in North Carolina. Students may arrive with a strong idea but lack the resources to buy a $15,000 piece of equipment they need. We saw an influx of students who wanted to be their own bosses, either full-time or part-time, and asked how we could assist them. That question led to E.R.I.C.

We looked at the resources already here, including SBTDC and a small business center. Those organizations are designed for people who are ready to write a business plan or have solidified their idea. E.R.I.C. can help students take an earlier step by asking whether the idea is sound, whether a market exists, and whether the idea can be validated. We hope to support students as well as community members. Veterans and other residents have told us they are ready to start businesses after working in government or another field but do not know how to begin. We built the center in response to what we were hearing on campus and in the community.

How can campus collaboration support student businesses?

Starting a business can be daunting, and one thing we are examining is how people can partner with one another. The building where I work includes many people in media-related fields. 1704 Media Productions works in social media, video, photography, and related areas. We can connect these small-business owners with STEM majors who understand their products or services but need help with social media. We can also connect them with accounting majors who may want to become bookkeepers and can assist with finances.

Everything students need may already be available on campus, but departments sometimes remain in their own silos. Someone can have an idea and feel there is no one to help, even though the necessary expertise is here. We hope the center becomes the place that brings those people together.

What support do students need before developing a business plan?

Students enter entrepreneurship at very different levels. Some started a business at 16 and do not know the next step. Others have some idea of what comes next but do not know how to get there. Before we refer them to SBTDC, COA, or another organization, many are not ready for that level of assistance. They first need to validate the idea.

I taught entrepreneurship until this semester, and even in class, I learned that we needed to take a step back. We should not begin immediately with a business plan. We must first determine whether the idea is good. Students may not understand their target market or know how many potential customers it contains. If they want to start a T-shirt company when many others already exist nearby, they have to determine how they will stand out. These questions may sound simple, but understanding them can change how a student sees the business.

We introduce students to straightforward business models so they can determine how the business will make money. If it is not making money, it may be a hobby. We help them calculate costs and expenses and understand the difference between revenue and profit. Entrepreneurship can look easy on television or TikTok, but those portrayals often leave out the fundamentals. A person making cupcakes, for example, must account for the butter, milk, and other ingredients before deciding what to charge. Without that calculation or good bookkeeping, the business may not make money.

I tell students they do not have to be great at everything. They should be great at their own work and find people who can help in the areas where they are not strong. This has been a learning process for us, too. I initially focused heavily on writing business plans before realizing that we needed to begin with a strong idea and the problem it would solve.

Which skills can an entrepreneurial mindset develop?

We emphasize an entrepreneurial mindset because it can help every student, whether or not that student starts a business. It teaches people to see an opportunity instead of stopping when they encounter a problem. By helping students think more critically about what they can do with an opportunity, we prepare them to contribute whether they become entrepreneurs, work in a bank, or join a Fortune 500 company.

Entrepreneurship can also build confidence because students are putting their own ideas in front of other people. Our classes give them many opportunities to present so they can speak about an idea and become comfortable sharing it. Students may not always want to present, but that experience will help them later, and employers value those skills. Some of our students have received awards in competitions at the university and nationally. I believe the preparation and foundation they received here helped them do that.

How do you give students a safe place to test an idea?

I want to provide a safe place for students to fail. They can make a mistake with us, and even if a product fails, it has failed at the university, where we are helping them, and they have not had to spend a great deal of money. This is a safe place for you to fail, a safe place for you to try.

I encourage students to try something new, including something outside their major, and push the limits a little further. We push them to attempt new things so that when they enter the working world, they feel capable. The experience helps them leave with more confidence.

What do you hope E.R.I.C. will become?

We are just beginning, but I hope that when someone first thinks they may have an idea, they think of E.R.I.C. and consider us a partner in the journey. I want us to serve students and the community in ways that affect rural North Carolina, including the communities where our students return after graduation.

Even after students leave, I want them to know they still have a family here and can come back, whether we help virtually or they visit in person. We want them to succeed, and we are here when they need assistance. I also want community members to see the center as a place they can turn to for support. Starting a business can be frightening, and we want to be a safe place that helps people through it.

We are excited to launch the center, and our students are excited. Even as the building is being prepared, we are already thinking about programming and everything that will happen there.