Jeff Street, right, who directs the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development at Idaho State University’s College of Business, leads students in a class exercise. The College of Business recently received a three-year, $100,000 commitment from the U.S. Bank Foundation to sustain and grow the CEED program. Submitted photo.
By Kelsey West
Idaho State University
The U.S. Bank Foundation has made a three-year, $100,000 investment in Idaho State University’s College of Business to sustain and grow the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development.
“CEED is humbled by this generous gift and show of support from U.S. Bank,” said Jeff Street, director of CEED. “Recognition by such a successful organization as U.S. Bank really lifts up the efforts of the center.”
CEED serves as a one-stop shop for businesses in need of consulting, technical or financial services, according to Street. It houses service providers such as the Small Business Development Center, TechHelp, BengalSolutions and the Eastern Idaho Development Corporation.
With the help of U.S. Bank, CEED will promote, support and develop new businesses in Southeast Idaho. It will also create a culture of entrepreneurship among students, equipping them with the tools necessary to develop and build their innovative ideas, according to Street.
“We plan to use this donation to create opportunities for students from high school to graduate school who are interested in entrepreneurship to develop their skills and launch their ideas into new businesses,” Street said. “CEED is quite thankful to U.S. Bank for their interest in helping the College of Business in this initiative.”
U.S. Bank knows that a strong small-business environment and an educated workforce ensure the prosperity of communities, according to Justin Smith, U.S. Bank’s regional president.
“We support programs and organizations like CEED that help small businesses thrive, allow people to succeed in the workforce, provide pathways to higher education and gain greater financial literacy,” Smith said.
Thanks to U.S. Bank’s support, CEED can continue to build on its vision of transforming the region’s economy and business culture, according to Street.
The support will help make the ISU College of Business a hub for economic development and a catalyst for intellectual property development, while inspiring business success and student innovation.
“We are deeply appreciative of U.S. Bank and their generous contribution to the CEED program,” said Tom Ottaway, dean of the College of Business. “CEED’s mission has already sparked the interest of students throughout the university with participation in last year’s Idaho Entrepreneurship Challenge. We are looking forward to using these funds to continue to grow ISU students’ and the community’s interests in entrepreneurship and innovation. U.S. Bank’s support will take a major role in supporting that mission.”
