Melinda Walls, Waynesburg University’s director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, has been selected as a USASBE Justin G. Longenecker Fellowin January.

According to their website, USASBE is an organization that recognizes entrepreneur educators from all over the world. Each year, a few individuals who have made an impact in their community through the entrepreneurship of small businesses are recognized as a Longenecker Fellow. Justin G. Longenecker was a leading scholar in entrepreneurship known around the world. USASBE named this recognition after him as the biggest recognition an entrepreneur can receive. 

Walls was hired six years ago as the Robert Stover Chair of Entrepreneurial Leadership, which was a new title here at Waynesburg University. According to Walls, her goal was to build an entrepreneur leadership program, as well as build a center for learning: the eHIVE. The eHIVE is focused on assisting business majors, but is adamant on welcoming other students who have an interest in entrepreneurship or are interested in minoring in the topic.

“Entrepreneurs are always something else first,” Walls said when asked about what is expected of entrepreneurs. “Maybe they’re dentists or real estate agents, but going out into their community and solving problems is what makes them an entrepreneur.”

“The eHIVE hosts competitions and workshops throughout the year, allows students to pitch their entrepreneur ideas, coaches students on certain ways to pitch their ideas, and works with student development in order for students to operate businesses on campus.” Walls said. 

Walls also transformed The Nest, Waynesburg’s clothing store, into a student-run operation. The students in charge, along with supervisors, help decide design choices and what will sell best. 

“What we have done is merge practical academic class work with running a small business, which in turn is what makes the eHIVE a learning lab,” Walls said.

The recent construction that took place on the first floor of Stover was the eHIVE Makerspace. The Makerspace is used for class projects, experimentation with pitches, and for business majors to have a space where they feel any questions can be answered in order to steer their minds in the right direction.” Walls said when asked on the specifics of the construction in the new space for the eHive in Stover 

According to Walls, as well as the Entrepreneurial Leadership Annual Report, the Makerspace has a heat press that allows students to do something such as design a t-shirt for an organization and go through the process of designing a logo, sketching it, finding materials, making the shirts, and selling them to consumers. 

“It’s another one of those hands-on industry situations that students and faculty can work on and learn about together,” Walls said. “Students come in with an idea and they’re not positive it will work. The idea never looks the same when it leaves as it did when it was introduced, but being able to work with students to realize their dreams is the greatest gift any educator can have.”