Entrepreneurship students now have another valuable resource available to them as Iowa State University launches a local chapter of the national Sigma Nu Tau Entrepreneurship Honor Society. Iowa State is the society’s 41^st chapter.

“Sigma Nu Tau Entrepreneurship Honor Society is the only honor society devoted to entrepreneurship. Becoming a member is a tremendous asset for students and is a wonderful complement to all we are building for student entrepreneurs,” said Raisbeck Endowed Dean David Spalding. “For Iowa State students, the opportunities in entrepreneurship are endless, and many are found right here in the Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business.”

Students eligible for the honor society must be an entrepreneurship major or minor, be a junior, senior or graduate student, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 (3.5 for graduate students). On Tuesday, April 26, a ceremony was held in the Gerdin Business Building to welcome the inaugural members, including representatives from five of Iowa State’s academic colleges.

“Today is a historic day here at Iowa State University,” said Nancy Church, president and executive director of Sigma Nu Tau.

The honor society was established in 2009 at State University of New York at Plattsburg under the guidance of Church, the society’s founder. The organization’s mission is to be a collegiate honor society that recognizes students, faculty, and entrepreneurs who have excelled in the study of entrepreneurship or exemplary models of principled entrepreneurship.

David Kingland (’80 industrial administration), chairman of the board and chief innovation officer at Kingland, was the invited entrepreneur to speak at the event. He shared his entrepreneurial journey with attendees and said some of his ventures were not successful. “There’s nothing wrong with failing. When that happens, you ask yourself what went wrong, and you learn from it,” Kingland said. “Iowa State is a great place to learn entrepreneurship. Continue to be curious. Drive entrepreneurship for tomorrow.”

There are several benefits to becoming a member of an organization dedicated to entrepreneurship, including leadership opportunities, lifetime connections, and resume enhancement. Each member also receives a pin, certificate, and honor cord.

At Iowa State, students have many entrepreneurial opportunities, including a major, minor, online certificate, master’s, and PhD. These programs are all supported by an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that includes the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, the Student Innovation Center, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Iowa State University Research Park, and the Ivy College of Business.

Judi Eyles, director of the Iowa State University Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, coordinated the new chapter coming to Iowa State. “We are excited for students in our entrepreneurship major and minor to have the opportunity to join Sigma Nu Tau. It gives us the opportunity to recognize them for their entrepreneurial interests and applaud them for their academic achievements.”

Learn more about the many entrepreneurial programs at the Ivy College of Business Start Something web page.