More than 200 people learned more about developing their own entrepreneurial spirit at the seventh Entrepreneurship@Cornell Resource Expo, Sept. 5 in Willard Straight Hall.

The expo featured student clubs, student-run businesses and Cornell organizations that offer a variety of services for aspiring and startup entrepreneurs.

"I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and I learned today that there are many different avenues within entrepreneurship," said Max Aggrey '11. "You don't have to think only of starting your own company, but there are other fields, such as real estate, where people think of themselves as entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is about networking and the connections that you make at programs and expos like this one."

The expo featured 24 organizations -- from student businesses like Matt Ackerson's Scrimple.com, a Web site featuring printable coupons for Ithaca establishments, to the Center for Life Science Enterprise, which offers services for entrepreneurs ranging from grant writing to business planning workshops and mentoring programs.

"The expo was a great opportunity for Scrimple.com to get exposure and to network with other student entrepreneurs," Ackerson said. "We received a very positive response from students who had not heard of our service, and people who had already used Scrimple were enthusiastic and offered helpful comments."

"The interest in entrepreneurship on campus is alive and well," said Roger Williams, director of technology transfer for the Center for Life Science Enterprise. "Today we talked with a lot of students -- a good sign that the courses and work being done by all of these organizations is starting to pan out and generate more interest."

Participants walked away with business cards, new contacts and some with a new career interest.

"The expo helped convince me that entrepreneurship is definitely the way to go," said Sampson Townes '11. "It changed some of my interests and opened up new avenues I never thoughts about before."

Entrepreneurship@Cornell program manager Debra Moesch-Shelley said the event helps to raise awareness of the many entrepreneurial courses, events and organizations on campus.

"The expo gives everyone in the Cornell community a taste of all things entrepreneurial at Cornell," Moesch-Shelley said. "It's a great way to find out about the depth and breadth of resources available to us here."

The next Entrepreneurship@Cornell resource expo will be April 11, 2008, during the Entrepreneurship@Cornell Celebration 2008.

Kathy Hovis is a writer/editor for Entrepreneurship@Cornell.