Entrepreneurship training helps women, minorities

Assistant Professor Laurina Zhang’s research shows women and minorities are more likely to benefit from entrepreneurship training programs than Caucasian men.

Her study, Creating Entrepreneurs: The Impact of Entrepreneurship Programs on Minorities, co-written with Elizabeth Lyons, assistant professor at University of California, looks at the effects of such programs on different groups and their strategies.

“Essentially, we found that people who go through the program are much more likely to work in the startup sector, but the effect is differentially benefiting females and minorities – non-Caucasians,” she says.

Zhang adds such programs may make it easier for women and minorities to access capital and networks.