Spelman College receives $10 million grant from The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to support innovation, entrepreneurship
The funds will go towards The Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab, which will form a creative inquiry in Spelman’s new Center for Innovation and the Arts slated to open in 2024.
By Allison Joyner
Today, Spelman College announced a grant from The Arthur M. Blank Foundation to support an on-campus creative hub for young entrepreneurs and innovators.
Arthur Blank, chairman of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, at the ribbon-cutting of John F. Kennedy Park (Photo by Maria Saporta)
Schmidt Campbell, president of Spelman College, said, “through the support of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation the college can expand its existing Innovation Lab, where the entrepreneurial mindset flourishes at Spelman amidst a community of artists, entrepreneurs, creators and innovators.”
As a result, the college can expand its existing innovation lab where the entrepreneurial mindset flourishes at Spelman amidst a community of artists, entrepreneurs, creators and innovators.”
Formerly called the Spelman Innovation Lab, the funding to establish the Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab will provide a campus-wide resource for entrepreneurial ideation, unconventional research, experiential pedagogy and exploratory play.
Popular programs like Spelpreneur will live in the lab where entrepreneurs and innovators from multiple disciplines will work together to create new ideas to solve old problems.
“Today’s young entrepreneurs will play an important role in solving many of our society’s most critical issues.” Arthur Blank, chairman of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, said. “We’re pleased to support Spelman in creating a place where students can come together to share and test ideas that will also create more opportunities for positive engagement and growth with the local Westside community.”
Image from Spelman College’s 2019 graduation commencement.
Credit: Spelman College
3D printers, laser cutters, a 4-axis CNC router and 3D scanner, and many other conventional hand and power tools that make prototyping of just about anything possible will also be available in the lab.
“This momentous gift will allow the College to build on an existing culture of strong innovation and entrepreneurship activity that will help grow a pool of Black entrepreneurs,” Campbell added.
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