Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

The Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC), headquartered at the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, brought leading programs together to celebrate creativity and innovation in university-based entrepreneurship education for its annual conference, where it also announced the top programs in higher education.

The conference, hosted by the University of Calgary, is the flagship event of the GCEC, which facilitates collaboration of global entrepreneurship center leaders with the goal of advancing, strengthening and celebrating the role universities fulfill in educating future entrepreneurs. More than 500 leaders from universities and colleges around the world participated in more than 100 breakout sessions, where educators shared their expertise and showcased their programs.

At the close of the conference, 12 universities were awarded top honors in a number of categories, and others were highly commended.

Here are the 2025 GCEC awardees:

1. Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center, schools with less than 7,500 students: Winner: Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Florida Southern College.
2. Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center, schools with more than 7,500 students: Winner: William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business.
3. Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines: Highly Commended 1: Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Studies at the University of Leeds, and Highly Commended 2: Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland. Winner: Greg Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship at Stephen F. Austin State University.
4. Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation: Winner 1: Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Connecticut. Winner 2: Entrepreneurship Institute at King’s College London.
5. Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education: Winner: Center for LIFE: Leading the Integration of Faith and Entrepreneurship at Miami University.
6. Outstanding Student Engagement and Leadership: Winner: Start-up and Innovation Collaboratory powered by Blackstone LaunchPad at the University of Buffalo.
7. Exceptional Contributions in Entrepreneurship Research: Winner: Neeley Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Texas Christian University.
8. Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation: Winner 1: Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. Winner 2: Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University.
9. Nasdaq Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence: The Nasdaq Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence award represents the highest honor that a university entrepreneurship center can receive. Winner: Price Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UCLA Anderson School of Management.
10. GCEC Center of Entrepreneurial Leadership: Each year, the GCEC recognizes the host institution with an award for its leadership in organizing the annual conference. Winner: Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary.
11. GCEC Legacy Award: The Legacy Award recognizes an individual for their pioneering work advancing entrepreneurship in universities and directing a university entrepreneurship center that created a legacy impact on the field. Winner: Judi Eyles from Iowa State University.

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