School:Converse College

Converse College

Converse College is an all-women’s college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Converse continues to adhere to its founders ideals, seeking to provide a comprehensive liberal arts education to young women from across the globe. It has received press in past years for lowering its tuition by 43 percent. In 2014, it ranked 23rdamong Regional University South’s college rankings.

Social Entrepreneurship 

As an Algernon Sydney Sullivan school, Converse has a longstanding tradition of service to others. In recent years, this focus has continued on to social entrepreneurship.  A select number of collegiate courses are dedicated to Social Entrepreneurship’s applications in the surrounding community, and worldwide. Particularly interested individuals can choose to attend the Sullivan Social Enterprise retreat in the fall or spring sessions. Converse has also sent a team to the foundation’s social venture competition. Converse continues to increase its Social entrepreneurship offerings, from courses and seminars to exploratory learning trips.

University Innovation Fellows

In 2014, Converse funded its first university Innovation Fellow, Nadia Gathers. Funding this program has put Converse’s dedication to constant growth and institution-wide innovation at the forefront. It joins other upstate universities in the program, including Wofford, Clemson, and Furman.

Although it’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is in its infancy, Converse’s dedication to fostering female leadership and excellence primes it for a revolution in the space.