New Mexico
Program | # of Grants | EDA Funds |
---|---|---|
Disaster Relief | 2 | $1,800,000 |
Partnership Planning | 7 | $1,140,000 |
Public Works | 1 | $1,000,000 |
Regional Innovation Strategies | 1 | $368,760 |
Technical Assistance | 1 | $102,590 |
Total | 12 | $4,411,350 |
Las Cruces, New Mexico, home to New Mexico State University (NMSU), has a long history of innovation but seeks to diversify its economy to other sectors. To further this ambition, in February 2016, EDA invested $368,760 in Regional Innovation Strategies funds to NMSU to fund the Next Generation Entrepreneurship (Next Gen) program, which is focused on student entrepreneurship as a strategy to enhance commercialization of research, regional connectivity, and innovation. This project will take student entrepreneurship programming developed on NMSU's main campus to the university's community college system campuses, the majority of which are located in rural communities and serve underrepresented populations.
Next Gen's efforts will help to train a new generation of regional entrepreneurs, connect them with technologies ripe for commercialization, and provide technical assistance and mentoring to facilitate commercialization of these technologies. Next Gen will measure its impact through jobs created and retained, new businesses registered, private investment in businesses, progress of ventures through the commercialization pathway, events held, and new products launched by participants. Next Gen will expand the NMSU’s entrepreneurship programs to community colleges in Alamogordo, Carlsbad and Grants, as well as Dona Ana Community College in Las Cruces.