Entrepreneurial Project Assistant - Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

The Entrepreneurial Project

The Entrepreneurial Project provides students with hands-on experience supporting the growth of small companies. Students work directly with founders and small teams to help solve real business challenges.

Projects may include customer discovery, operations, product development, marketing, sales, research, business strategy, process improvement, or other high-impact initiatives.

This Project is designed to develop an entrepreneurial mindset through ownership, adaptability, collaboration, and experiential learning.

• Take initiative to learn new tools, systems, or procedures on the job.
• Maintain a positive, growth-oriented mindset when facing challenges.
• Adjust tone and approach based on audience (e.g., peers vs. supervisors).
• Present ideas or updates in a clear and organized manner.
• Encourage collaboration and positive morale during team efforts.
• Adapt to updates or changes in the tools you use for work.

• Support founders and leadership teams with strategic and operational initiatives.
• Contribute to projects that help the company develop, launch, or scale products, services, or operations.
• Conduct customer, competitor, and market research to support business decisions.
• Assist with customer discovery, user feedback collection, and validation activities.
• Help identify opportunities to improve business processes, efficiency, or customer experience.
• Participate in planning, problem-solving, and cross-functional team meetings.
• Assist with project management, documentation, and execution of key initiatives.
• Develop presentations, reports, and other business communications.
• Adapt to evolving priorities and contribute wherever the business has the greatest need.
• Demonstrate professionalism, initiative, and ownership while working in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.

• Current BGSU undergraduate or graduate student.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to think critically and solve problems independently.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Interest in entrepreneurship, innovation, or startup companies.
• Willingness to learn, adapt, and take initiative.

• Coursework or experience in entrepreneurship, business, engineering, marketing, design, computer science, communications, or related disciplines.
• Experience working on collaborative projects.
• Familiarity with market research, customer discovery, or project management.
• Interest in startups, innovation, product development, or business growth.

• Entrepreneurial Projects are coordinated through the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
• Students are placed with small companies, typically employing 0-100 employees, where they gain hands-on experience supporting company growth.