First Row: Gary, Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative. Second Row: Baku, Green Cleaning Alliance; Julie, RN Consulting Services; Annie, Neverending Bookshop. Third Row: Giselle, Alexis, Mike, Kerrie.

Last week, the CIE team was excited to attend ELI’s Ice House Entrepreneurship Facilitator Training at Edmonds Community College. What is Ice House, you may ask?

“The Ice House Entrepreneurship Program is an experiential, problem-based learning program designed to inspire and engage participants in the fundamental aspects of an entrepreneurial mindset.” -ELI

What does that mean? It relates to everything we’ve been saying, everyone has the ability to become an entrepreneur and everyone should have the opportunity to start a business, if that is their dream. An entrepreneurial mindset is key, and this training helps bring that out in an interactive, fun series of classes. Before you need a business plan, or market research, or start-up cash, you will need an idea and the mindset to accomplish your goals. Some people have had this mindset fostered naturally by family, friends, and community. For many of the individuals we work with, that’s not the case though.

Director Mike Skinner has already taught Ice House numerous times, and was responsible for bringing this training to Edmonds Community College, Union Gospel Mission’s youth gang prevention program, urban Native Americans connected to the Chief Seattle Club, and inmates at the Washington Women’s Correctional Center in Gig Harbor. “Everyone has the potential to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. The Ice House curriculum awakens the inner-entrepreneur in all of us, empowered to rise above our circumstances and achieve our goals.” The rest of the team is thrilled to be able to bring this tool to our work in the communities we serve.

To find out more about this program, check out their video at https://youtu.be/8NBnoVrLFPU. If you’d like us to organize a workshop with your group, let’s talk. We can be reached at communityenterprise@cie-nw.org.