Entrepreneurs - Grove City College

Entrepreneurship: Powering the cycle of giving
As a young child, while other kids rode
bicycles and jumped rope, Yvonne
(Korloch ’97) English built cities out of
refrigerator boxes in her grandfather’s back
yard. That early entrepreneurial spirit led
English to study at Grove City College, start
her first business at age 24, and gain vast
experience in the corporate world.
Time spent at the College did more than
prepare English for her career – it established
the foundations of her faith and influenced
the direction of her future. She is driven
to make a difference. English returned to
western Pennsylvania in 2009, and two
years later, she decided to focus solely on
entrepreneurship endeavors. “In the corporate
world, I felt like a cog in a big machine. I
wanted to do something I was passionate
about, something that would be true to what I
feel is my calling.”
English now serves as the executive director
of the eCenter@LindenPointe, a technology
business incubator, located in Hermitage,
Pa. The center fosters entrepreneurship and
innovation in the region by providing space to
test and polish ideas and share them with the
community. Tenants are provided with space
to work, needed equipment and a focused
mentorship program.
English has also found ways to share
her experience with current Grove City
College students. As an adjunct professor of
entrepreneurship and a member of The Center
for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Advisory
Council, she has broadened the scope of the
program with her innovation and insight. “I
love working with students because they have
open minds,” English said. “They’re creative
and they inspire me. I get way more from
teaching them than I give.”
With her connections at the eCenter@
LindenPointe, English has opened the door
for Grove City College students to have
access to the same incubator space as local
entrepreneurs [see side bar].
The College’s entrepreneurship program
prepares students to be global leaders of
influence and social transformation through
entrepreneurial education in both business
and service. Offering venture lab space
to students will create an ecosystem that
provides the mechanism, road and necessary
funding to make ideas a reality.
Grove City College alumni like English
continue to make a difference long after
graduation. Simply put, English explains, “I
feel that I have been blessed so much, so it’s
my privilege and duty to give back.”
Do you have an idea that’s worth pursuing, or
are you interested in mentoring a student team?
Contact English at yjenglish@gcc.edu.
www.ecenterlindenpointe.com.
Fall 2012
Starting this fall, Grove City College
students will be eligible to apply for
a special venture lab program with
two locations: one at the eCenter@
LindenPointe and another on
South Center Street in Grove City.
Students of all majors can apply. The
department will select one to two
ideas each year to receive a seed grant
and gain access to the venture lab
work spaces. According to Dr. Craig
Columbus, chair of the Department of
Entrepreneurship, “The venture lab will
allow students to explore the commercial
viability of their ideas. Students will be
given unique access to the expertise
and feedback of a network of business
experts and our campus community.”
For more information, contact
Program Coordinator Yvonne English at
yjenglish@gcc.edu.
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