The Potential of Entrepreneurship to Empower Communities

UC Business School and Inspiring Communities invite you to:

The Potential of Entrepreneurship to Empower Communities

How can the tools of business and entrepreneurship uplift our most vulnerable?

Join us for an interactive morning of ideas, connection, and co-creation as we explore how entrepreneurship can be a powerful force for social change. Together, we’ll look at how entrepreneurial mindsets, programmes and practices can help individuals and communities unlock their potential—particularly those who are often marginalised or underrepresented.

Featuring Erskine Fellow, Professor Thomas Cooney

Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Behaviour, Inclusion and Innovation at Technological University Dublin. Thomas has a deep background in asset-based community development. He has worked extensively with refugee communities, people with disabilities, those in prison, and youth—using entrepreneurship to help people recognise and build on their strengths.

This session is especially for people working in or with community organisations. We’ll discuss real examples, share tools and frameworks, and develop actionable ideas together.

Take this opportunity to:

• Connect with others passionate about inclusive change

• Share your insights and experience

• Co-create approaches that enable communities to thrive

Details:

🗓 Tuesday, August 5th, 2025

🕣 8:30am – 1:00pm

📍 Te Moana 226, Rehua Building, University of Canterbury

💵 Free to attend

Morning tea and light refreshments provided.

Brought to you by UC Business School, UC Centre for Entrepreneurship, and proudly supported by Inspiring Communities.