More than five years ago, a couple of Baylor professors were considering the possibility of introducing a study abroad program in Africa. The program, Social Entrepreneurship in Africa (SEA), would have two primary goals. Most obviously, students would experience a culture very different than their own. Perhaps more importantly, students would be able to observe business in a developing country, and to see first-hand the needs of people who lack access to the types of resources that we take for granted in the United States.

Fast forward to 2012; the fourth group of Baylor social entrepreneurship students will travel to the Central African country, Rwanda, in May. Participating students will study and prepare for the trip during the spring semester, and then travel to Rwanda to put into practice what they have learned. There, they will interact with small business owners, provide entrepreneurship training to high school students and entrepreneurs, and experience significant aspects of the Rwandan way of life.

The summer 2011 class provided basic business training to hundreds of students and business people. One of the program directors, Colene Coldwell stated, "Our experiences this year are a testimony to the strength of Baylor's entrepreneurship program and to the relationships that we have been cultivating in Rwanda. We left Texas last May believing we would be casually speaking with about 50 students and business people. While waiting for a connecting flight in London, we learned that this number would be closer to 100 people, and by the time we arrived in Kigali, Rwanda, the estimated number had grown to around 200. In the end, the actual number was more than 600." These unexpected changes created tremendous challenges but also enormous learning opportunities for the Baylor students. "Imagine the skills learned from being forced to work within a group setting to prepare for a formal presentation in less than 24 hours," said Coldwell.

Though social entrepreneurship has recently received much attention, it is not a new concept. Christian businessmen and women have long worked to be a force for positive change in the world. Still, the idea that business can change the lives of the poor is something that most students have not considered. Many of them have not considered their chosen profession - business - as a Christian calling. They have not considered that they can earn a profit and "do good" at the same time. This course attempts to help students visualize how even a tiny business, a microenterprise, can put food on a table and provide an education for the business owner's children. "This trip allowed me to see more applicable ways to help those living in poverty and how business can truly provide a path to escape the ravages of poverty," said Zach Rogers, senior entrepreneurship major.

While the program continues to evolve, participating students consistently state that it is a life-changing experience. Not only are they able to learn a great deal about themselves but they also see the tremendous power of business as a tool for changing lives. They are also given the opportuninty to make a small contribution to the ongoing economic development of Rwanda. As Rogers states, "By showing that we genuinely cared about the success of the Rwandan people, I believe that we helped empower them to make a difference in their country merely by our presence and willingness to try and meet their needs."

To learn more, please see Baylor's Social Entrepreneurship in Africa website. Email questions to Colene Coldwell.

Gary Keller starts most of his talks with students by telling them that he planned to be a professional musician. He spent a year pursuing that dream but soon realized that being a rock star wasn't in his future. Keller left his professional music ambitions to enroll at Baylor University, where he studied real estate, and went on to become co-founder of the second largest real estate company in the world, Keller-Williams Realty. Gary Keller may not have become a rock star musician but he certainly rocked the Hankamer School of Business October 5-7 when he spent three days on campus as Baylor's 2011 Entrepreneur in Residence.

Keller delivered his exciting and potentially life-changing message to over 200 students in six different classes, challenged the Management and Entrepreneurship faculty at lunch and inspired students, faculty and staff during a morning breakfast session. He spent time with students in the Entrepreneurship Living-Learning Center and the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization, and re-connected with the fourteen students in the Entrepreneurship Living-Learning Center who are part of the Quantum Leap training program taught personally by Keller in his corporate offices in Austin. Quantum Leap is an in-depth look at the foundational concepts that can help lead students to their best life possible. In four sessions over two semesters, students set a personal mission, vision and set of values to guide them and serve as a filter for the decisions they face throughout life. Student, Carnell Emanuel, says of Gary Keller, "his emphasis on finding purpose and establishing defined morals, and allowing that purpose and those morals to be the basis of your business was truly inspiring, and continues to resonate with me daily." Often punctuated with high-fives and fist bumps, Keller's high energy talks include the basic messages that money helps us fulfill our purpose and that our purpose comes from our mission, vision, values, beliefs and perspectives.

The nationally best-selling author of The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, and most recently, SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times, Keller also is a visionary leader within the North American real estate industry.

Real estate magazine, Inman News, named Keller to the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders of 2010 and he was one of the five "Most Admired People" in a survey conducted by REAL Trends magazine. A finalist for Inc. magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year award, he was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Central Texas and the second most influential person in the real estate industry by REALTOR' magazine.

The Entrepreneur in Residence program at Baylor seeks to introduce outstanding entrepreneurial leaders to the students, faculty and staff of the Hankamer School of Business. Last year's Entrepreneur in Residence was Kasper Boon, a resident of Eindhoven, The Netherlands, an entrepreneur in the field of online learning, and innovation coordinator for one of the world's largest companies in the building industry.

For more information about Baylor's Entrepreneur in Residence program, please contact Mary Abrahams.

Baylor Entrepreneurship has long been a pioneer in the world of entrepreneurship education. Our success is largely due to the resources provided through our many alumni and educational partnerships. We are so grateful for these relationships and invite you to contact us if you are interested in joining us on our collaborative journeys.

Contact us at Entrepreneurship@baylor.edu.