IMPACT OF A GUEST SPEAKERS PANEL OF MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS ON THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET OF MINORITY STUDENTS

Kimberly K. Powell
Melanie Powell Rey
Southern University and A&M College

ABSTRACT

African Americans tend to have more entrepreneurial activity than whites and other ethnic groups. However, their businesses lack longevity and millennials tend to be more risk averse, lack financial literacy skills, and lack requisite skills. To address such issues, one business school used a culturally responsive, efficacy-building pedagogical innovation that examines how a panel of guest speakers of minority entrepreneurs impacted African American business students, particularly those in management and marketing with an expressed interest in entrepreneurship. To ascertain impact from the context of self-efficacy and education, the researchers administered a pre- and post-survey to a sample of undergraduate, African American students who attended. Findings, learned lessons, congruency with The Advance Association of Collegiate Business Schools (AACSB) standards, pedagogical implications and recommendations are provided.

Keywords: Entrepreneurial activity, financial literacy, self-efficacy, education