The University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Management, in collaboration with Babson College and Johns Hopkins University, has launched a new method for assessing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within academic and community-based entrepreneurship training programs.
Telfer professors Barbara Orser and Catherine Elliott have released the Gender-Smart Entrepreneurship Education and Training Plus (GEET+) 2.0 report and assessment tool, an evidence-based scorecard designed to ensure EDI are integrated into business-training curriculums.
Previous studies have reported on the absence of inclusive approaches among entrepreneurship support services and, consequently, the experiences of underrepresented and marginalized groups are often not reflected in training program content. This limits entrepreneurs' access to resources.
GEET+ 2.0 enables organizations to identify biases and stereotypes to enhance program content, design, delivery, and evaluation. Based on award-winning research and contributions from educators in over 91 countries, GEET+ 2.0 framework comprises seven components centered around an organization's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
"EDI are top-of-mind concerns for entrepreneurship leaders. GEET+ 2.0 is purpose-built to help leaders structure discussions and alter perceptions about EDI in the context of entrepreneurship education and training", says Dr. Barbara Orser, project leader and Telfer Professor Emeritus. "Our goal is to ensure programs are relevant and engaging to diverse learners. This report will be of particular interest to those who work within accelerators, incubators and makerspaces, investment networks, business support organizations, campus start-up centres, Chambers of Commerce, economic development agencies, and social enterprise organizations.''
Dr. Candida Brush, Franklin W. Olin Professor of Entrepreneurship at Babson College in Massachusetts adds that "GEET+ 2.0 incorporates practical insights to increase the representation of women and other diverse entrepreneurs within mainstream business support services. There is an opportunity to train educators around the world about inclusive entrepreneurship supports."
Read the full GEET+ 2.0 report here.
