Entrepreneurship
Join the community of makers at Bennington.
Founded on ideals of innovation and invention, Bennington is nationally recognized for its progressive educational model that prepares students to be entrepreneurial in their studies and in the world. The individualized Plan process and real-world experiences of Field Work Term prepare students to take risks, work across boundaries, and create solutions to social challenges.
Students, whether you are interested in launching an artistic venture, tackling a community or global issue, or starting your own organization or business—we have funding, resources, and an assortment of courses to help you realize your goals.
Funding
Need seed money to get a project off the ground? Returning students with demonstrated financial need can apply for $1,000-$3,000 for the Iftekhar Entrepreneurial Fellowship for a Field Work Term entrepreneurial option.
Courses
Want to learn more about social entrepreneurship, enterprise law, participatory organizing in the workplace, organizational models for the 21st century, and more? Check out coursework by faculty member Robert Ransick and others.
Resources
Interested in learning more on your own about entrepreneurship? Check out the Handshake Resource library for print and online resources to help you get a project off the ground.
Events
See details on upcoming Life After Bennington events, including presentations by regional innovators, interactive workshops, and one-on-one meetings for students interested in crafting their own careers.
Coaching
Have an idea but don’t know where to start? Set up an appointment for start-up coaching and we’ll help you bring your ideas into the world.
Newsfeed
Get inspired by your fellow students who are dreaming, inventing, and making change.
Projects for Peace Projects for Peace has announced its 2022 cohort of grantees. This year, one hundred and twenty-nine projects from 85 partner institutions were selected, with two projects being chosen from the College.
Coding for the FutureAfter Zalkar Ziiaidin ’22 graduates, he plans on becoming a full-time software engineer. However, as Ziiaidin pursues his studies at Bennington College, he’s not waiting to make his mark on the ever-evolving world of computer science.
A Self-Driven LifeAs a college student, getting to an 8:00 am class on a Friday morning can be difficult. For Mareme Dieng ’20, however, balancing self-care and commitments to make it to class is all the more a victory on days when she’s arriving to Bennington from Tunisia. Or San Francisco. Or Turkey. Or Barcelona.
Painting the WorldAs the founder of the international youth activist organization Paint the World, Lika Torikashvili ’22 has balanced her studies at Bennington College with time spent building relationships abroad—including a leave of absence during which she served as Georgia’s United Nations Youth Delegate to the 73rd session of the General Assembly.
Capping Plastic PollutionPlastic bags and recycled fabric scraps—that’s what Coastal Caps are made of.
Mooser Brings Startup Model To Storytelling And FundingBryn Mooser '01 spoke with Forbes about XTR, his latest venture focused on producing documentaries, nonfiction television series, and branded content.
Art and Peacebuilding in SomalilandOver his 2019 Field Work Term, Ahmad Yassir '20 designed and taught the first courses in arts and peacebuilding at Abaarso School for Sciences and Technology in Somaliland.
Cleaver Co Catering Moves to BrooklynAfter 22 years at Chelsea Market, Mary Cleaver '76 has moved her Cleaver Co catering operation to the Columbia Street Waterfront District in Brooklyn.
To Gallery a Cloud GroundEthan Koss-Smith '21 speaks about the process of producing his debut album To Gallery a Cloud Ground.
The Art of the BookTo Steven Albahari ’82, Bennington College was “the cannon I stepped into that launched me and my potential.”