CentreWorks Hosts Liftoff Entrepreneurship Class This Spring – The Advocate-Messenger

Fiona Morgan

fiona.morgan@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

CentreWorks is hosting its sixth LIFTOFF Entrepreneurship Class from March 1st to May 3rd. Applications are accepted online at CentreWorks.org.

This class is for start-up entrepreneurs and those interested in entrepreneurship. It teaches the basics to start or strengthen any business.

The program runs once a week on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm for 90 minutes and lasts for 10 weeks. $75 for Kentucky residents of Boyle, Garrard, Mercer, Casey, Washington, Marion and Lincoln counties.

Liftoff connects Center College students with community members to team up and work on business ideas. A student at the center will begin his course on February 1st, when the semester begins. This will give community members time to learn and prepare when they join us in March. CentreWorks directors Anthony and Andrea Margida teach the class.

Community members typically come with preliminary business ideas they want to develop, and students help them. But this time, the center’s students will also develop their own business ideas. This is a bigger commitment for these students.

There are 13 students enrolled and about 12 to 15 local entrepreneurs will apply, which will allow the team to work one-on-one, according to Anthony Margida.

Throughout the class, local experts come to teach segments on legal, marketing, management, and financial elements.

CentreWorks launched this class in 2020 as a way to teach and support local entrepreneurs and foster local business growth. The Margidas teach a human-centered approach to innovation, a form of design thinking.

“Everyone can be an innovator, and you can be an innovator by focusing first on the people you want to serve,” explained Anthony. Find out who you want to serve, not the product you offer.Find who you want to serve.And the process of product development, problem identification and resolution, and product and prototyping. If you involve these people, your chances of success are much higher.”

The class of entrepreneurs goes through the process of interviewing people they want to serve, defining the problem they want to solve, developing a prototype solution, testing it, and making final changes to the prototype.

“From an entrepreneurial perspective, what they’re taught here is a growth mindset that empowers life beyond business,” Anthony said.

Over five sessions, Liftoff was attended by 45 community members and 52 center students. The community graduate has launched his 12 startups.

Successful startups by Liftoff alumni include Plaid Elephant by Kate Snyder. GeriActive by Amanda Pruitt; Laura Richard’s Larland Beef; York Cork by Cathy York. Meghan Barketis, Greek-American foodie at the Parthenon. Shamrock Legacy Coaching by Susannah Thomas. AgeWell Senior Services by Mandy Emmons offers a comprehensive range of services to help seniors stay at home longer than in nursing homes.

Anthony says most people don’t consider themselves entrepreneurs, but anyone can be one.

“It’s all about building a culture of innovation,” says Anthony. “You don’t have to be born an entrepreneur. Having a mindset can make you an entrepreneur. We talk about mindset traits, teach them, and practice them as part of Liftoff.”

The class will end with a showcase of all business ideas on May 4th. Class members present their ideas in a pitch contest where the entire community can meet, see, and understand the work of entrepreneurs.

There will be celebrity judges, free meals, and it will be open to the public.

Applications for Liftoff are being accepted at CentreWorks.org, and class members will be announced at least 10 days before the March 1st start date.