Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Innovative Minds, Different Majors

Our Mission

Through innovative curriculum, co-curricular engagements, and community connections, we facilitate learning adventures to conquer challenges with innovative thinking and ingenuity.

You’ve found the place to nurture your entrepreneurial spirit and elevate your ideas to achieve success. We accomplish our mission by focusing on three areas: Curriculum, Co-Curricular Engagement, and Community Connections. Reach out to us to learn more!

Curricular Initiatives: Whether through the Interdisciplinary Innovation (SEI INV) degree completion program, a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation (SEI) or a transcript distinction from the Entrepreneurial Scholar Program, the Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation seeks to ensure an academically rich environment for all Bradley students to build the necessary entrepreneurial skills and innovative thinking for a successful career. 

Co-Curricular Engagement: Vital learning also happens outside the classroom. We provide this through: Brave Pitch, Social Impact Challenge, Big Idea student-venture competition, entrepreneurial internships, mentoring connections, the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (C.E.O) student club, and much more!

Community Connections: Build your network from across campus, the community or around the world, all with our support. The Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation provides ongoing opportunities to immerse yourself in the entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem by connecting you with entrepreneurs and experts while you pursue your innovative ideas and passions. 

The Turner School mission, mantra, and values, presented below, directly align with the Bradley University Strategic Imperatives and Plan developed in 2021 that guide campus activities.

Our Mantra: Dream, Design, Develop your ideas

• Dream: Leverage your creativity for a better tomorrow.
  Be-creative, Be-innovative, Be-You. The Turner School community fosters creativity and innovation. Join us to nurture your entrepreneurial spirit and bring your ideas to fruition. 
• Design: Map your ideas through hands-on action.
  Be-brave, Be-collaborative, Be-involved. At the Turner School you’ll find coaching and an engaging curriculum to advance you from ideas to workable solutions. 
• Develop: Build a scaling framework for success.
  Be-courageous, Be-confident, Be-limitless. Turning your ideas into action  is what the Turner School is all about. Overcoming challenges with ingenuity and flair prepares you to evolve yourself and your idea from problem solving to impactful solution.

Our Values

Innovative

• We invite students to don their thinking caps, mix in a bit of imagination, and join others to make cool stuff happen! 
• We define “innovative” as the ability to tackle challenges, problems, and opportunities with a creative and forward-looking mindset, it is our DNA. 
• We commit to offering curricular and co-curricular pathways that encourage students to converge and merge while applying creative thinking to solve problems and drive toward executable outcomes. 

Inclusive

• Be-You. 
• We believe that when everyone is welcome, excellence thrives. 
• We commit to creating an environment through our language and actions - in our courses and activities - where all feel valued and empowered to succeed.

Interdisciplinary

• Innovative Minds, Different Majors. 
• We believe that to blaze your trail, you need diverse knowledge and a flexible mindset, and that discoveries evolve from a comprehensive understanding of topics from various disciplinary perspectives. 
• We commit to connecting different areas of study in meaningful ways in our approach to teaching and programming.

Entrepreneurship And Innovation Minor

The interdisciplinary minor in entrepreneurship and innovation guides students to dream, design, and develop their innovative ideas into opportunities. The 21st century problem solving skills developed within the SEI minor are required for successful entrepreneurial endeavors and are in demand by large corporations, small businesses, family businesses, startups, nonprofit entities and social ventures. With the minor, students will engage in experiential learning and have the opportunity to develop competencies, including:

• Dreaming new ideas into realistic opportunities
• Harnessing resources to design for success
• Overcoming challenges to advance ideas
• Assessing possibilities to solve business, societal, and environmental problems
• Commercializing products and services
• Networking with diverse groups
• Showcasing innovative thoughts

The 15-hour minor includes required courses in entrepreneurial creativity, new venture creation, and entrepreneurial growth, plus an additional 6 hours in electives. The requirements for the minor are outlined below. Students must have at least 12 hours in courses that are unique from those used to fulfill their major requirements.

The following courses are required for the minor:

• ENT 280 - Entrepreneurial Creativity
• ENT 381 - Entrepreneurship for Non-Business Students OR ENT 382 Entrepreneurship
• SEI 305 - Innovation Journey

Approved Elective Courses (6 hours)

• BLW 347 – Law and the Entrepreneur
• BUS 362 - Innovation in Organizations
• COM 305 - The Persuasive Process
• COM 388 - Social Media Communication
• COM 394 - Communication and Conflict Management
• ENT 281 – The Entrepreneurial Career
• ENT 383 - Managing Entrepreneurial Growth
• ENT 384 - Entrepreneurial Finance
• ENT 385 – Technology Entrepreneurship
• ENT 386 – Social Entrepreneurship
• ENT 387 - Family Business
• ENT 389 - Advanced Topics in Entrepreneurship
• ENT 482 - The Entrepreneurial Experience
• ENT 488 – Entrepreneurship Internship
• ENT 499 - Independent Study in Entrepreneurship
• FCS 170 - Hospitality Leadership I
• FCS 270 - Special Event Planning
• I M 113 - Introduction to Interactive Media
• I M 450 - Issues in New Media Theory
• MUS 101 - Introduction to Music Business
• MUS 304 - Music Licensing and Contracts
• SEI 200 and/or SEI 300 - Topics in Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• SEI 210 and/or SEI 310 – Practicum in Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• SEI 330 - Intellectual Capital Management
• THE 223 - Theatrical Producing
• Or consent of the TSEI Academic Director

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Entrepreneurial Scholar

The interdisciplinary  Entrepreneurial Scholar program is an engaging way for students of any major to elevate their  ability to discover, evaluate, and pursue opportunities with a focus on experiential activities. Students who complete  this program will earn the Entrepreneurial Scholar designation on their transcript, signaling to potential employers that they possess special skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. Entrepreneurial Scholars will be prepared to pursue growth opportunities in any type of organization, whether their own business, a nonprofit organization, or a social enterprise.

Entrepreneurial Scholars develop competencies through coursework and experiential activities, including, but not limited to the Turner School’s co-curricular activities and community engagements throughout their time at Bradley. The program requires the completion of 3 hours of required coursework (ENT 280), 6 hours of approved electives, and 12 experiential activity points.

Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation Co-Curricular Opportunities

Dream, Design, and Develop your entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking by participating in these and other Bradley co-curricular activities. Contact the Turner School (turnerschool@bradley.edu) for more details. 

Brave Pitch

Looking for a quick easy way to share your idea or innovation with peers and experts? The Brave Pitch is for you! Whether you have a business idea, product, service, app, or non-profit idea, Brave Pitch is for you! You don’t need to have a full business plan, and no entrepreneurial or business experience is necessary! It’s simple. Create and upload a 1-3 minute video describing your idea. Click here for more information.

Social Impact Challenge

Calling all students and recent alums to develop their ideas to change lives, strengthen communities, and make a difference. Show off your innovative spirit to a panel of experts and potential investors, learn from experienced mentors, connect with like-minded peers from different majors, and earn recognition for your courage and creativity in the Social Impact Challenge. Click here for more information.

BIG IDEA Student Venture Competition

The Big Idea Competition is a chance for you - Bradley students and recent alumni - to pitch and develop an innovative idea, product, service, or new business. Demonstrate your creativity by presenting your entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of judges and potential investors. Join the Big Idea Student Venture Competition to gain knowledge on the processes of turning ideas into opportunities, incorporating feedback to iterate, and developing networks. All this increases the likelihood of success, while gaining exposure to potential investors. Click here for more information.

Distinguished Entrepreneurship Speaker Series

The Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation is where dreamers become doers. We team up with world-renowned entrepreneurs to create an event that's all about exploring innovative and entrepreneurial paths. Picture yourself as a trailblazer and uncover potential avenues to success. Come be a part of the vibrant, innovative Peoria entrepreneurial ecosystem. Participate in the free public event or dive deeper in our small group student discussions and events. Click here for more information.