PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (August 25, 2026) – With a new grant, Prairie View A&M University’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) plans to show Panthers that entrepreneurial spirit is more than a new business idea— it’s a novel way of thinking.
The Center has been awarded a $25,000 Entrepreneurship Education Innovation Grant through the Howard University & PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship.
The competitive award will strengthen Prairie View’s entrepreneurship ecosystem by expanding experiential learning opportunities that equip students across all academic disciplines with the mindset, skills, and resources to identify opportunities, solve problems, and transform ideas into realities.
By focusing beyond venture creation, the initiative is designed to show students that entrepreneurship is a way of thinking that can be applied, regardless of individual career path.
“At the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, we define entrepreneurship as a disciplined process and a shared language for identifying opportunities, solving problems, and creating value in any field,” said CIE Director Philip Bouchard. “Whether our students become entrepreneurs, researchers, engineers, educators, healthcare professionals, or corporate leaders, entrepreneurial thinking equips them to create meaningful impact wherever their careers take them.”
For Brandy Walker, assistant director at CIE, the award represents another opportunity to invest in the success of the University that influenced her own entrepreneurial journey.
“As a two-time Prairie View A&M University graduate, returning to my alma mater after spending more than a decade building businesses has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” Walker said. “Entrepreneurship changed the way I approached opportunities and problem-solving, and now I have the privilege of helping students discover those same possibilities regardless of their major or career aspirations.”
The initiative will support programming that bridges classroom learning with real-world application by exposing students to entrepreneurship through workshops, mentorship, networking experiences, business coaching, competitions, and collaborations with founders and industry professionals.
The Center also plans to strengthen connections between students and Prairie View alumni entrepreneurs, creating additional pathways for mentorship, career exploration, and professional development.
“Our goal is to expose students to opportunities they may not have imagined for themselves,” Walker said. “We want every student who engages with the Center to leave with more than knowledge. We want them to graduate with confidence, professional networks, practical experiences, and the entrepreneurial mindset to identify opportunities and solve problems wherever life takes them.”
By Christine Won