Harford’s Leading Edge Training Center
Harford Community College is proud to partner with the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, the Rural Maryland Council, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Harford and Cecil Counties, and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to make education and training accessible to residents and businesses in the Route 40 corridor of Harford County.
Ratcliffe Eco-Entrepreneurship Fellows (REEF@UD)
The Ratcliffe Eco-Entrepreneurship Fellows program at the University of Delaware (REEF@UD) provides entrepreneurship training, mentorship and funding support to innovators who seek to create businesses, commercialize discoveries and develop new products that will solve environmental problems or improve sustainability.
Miami Center for Orthopaedic Research & Education (CORE)
The mission of Miami CORE is to improve the quality of life for those with musculoskeletal conditions and diseases.
Shellfish Aquaculture Innovation Laboratory (SAIL)
As Maryland’s aquaculture industry continues to expand, so does the demand for innovation. The SAIL research hatchery was established in 2019 to support the growing industry by developing new technology and practices for shellfish growers to increase their production at low costs. Research includes refining algal production, utilizing Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, and exploring ways to diversify the shellfish market in the Chesapeake Bay region.
The University of Baltimore Ratcliffe Entrepreneurship Fellows Program
The Entrepreneurship Fellows Program at The University of Baltimore offers a new way to educate the next generation of entrepreneurs. The program balances classroom theory with periods of practical, hands-on experience, prior to graduation. Through the Fellows Program, students are able to engage in an alternative academic study—gaining practical experience by working side-by-side with expert entrepreneurs and faculty.
Thanks to the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, these student entrepreneurs are able to fully fund four semesters of their education (and some other living expenses) while developing their business.
The scholarship is a key element for the program’s success. The Ratcliffe Fellows, or “E-Fellows,” as we sometimes call them, are expected to launch a new venture on or before graduation. Allowing our students to focus on building their ventures and not worrying about funding their education provides another layer of support for their success.
MICA Ratcliffe Center for Creative Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship and creative practice are intertwined for many MICA students seeking purposeful and sustainable pathways post-graduation. The focused yet flexible creative entrepreneurship programming at MICA empowers both artists and designers with a wide range of creative professional tools that support purposeful and successful lives.
Building on MICA’s dedicated commitment to helping creatives develop innovative, socially-conscious businesses, the Ratcliffe Center addresses the evolving needs of students and alumni in the new creative economy. Its activities reflect a comprehensive range of strategies, including curricular, co-curricular and experiential programming; and competition and entrepreneurship showcases. Business skills and 21st-century entrepreneurship training are embedded into MICA’s curriculum.
Ratcliffe Foundation Shore Hatchery Program at Salisbury University
The Perdue School of Business Philip E. & Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation Shore Hatchery is a bi-annual Mid-Atlantic business competition open to any Mid-Atlantic business startup. The Shore Hatchery competition is a ten year $2 million initiative which began in 2013. Startups have the opportunity to apply for a share of $200,000 annually. The goal of the Shore Hatchery is to reward individuals for their entrepreneurial efforts in the creation and growth of businesses with the potential of positively impacting regional employment within three years.
ESCC Ratcliffe Scholars
Eastern Shore Community College is excited to launch the new Associate in Applied Sciences in Technology program with an inaugural class of 15 Ratcliffe Scholars. Through a generous grant from the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, ESCC will receive $613,480 over four years to offer stackable credentials with the goal to produce highly skilled, competent industrial technicians for employment in STEM related fields. Students who graduate with this degree will qualify for well-paying high tech positions and can also use this program to transfer to some four-year schools. Students enroll in the skilled trades: HVAC, Welding, Electricity, Electronics, Google IT, Computer Technology, Industrial Technology, and other similar programs. In addition to tuition and fees, Ratcliffe Scholars receive funding to cover living expenses, technology, connectivity and the support of community mentors and paid internships.
FIU Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator
Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator is an initiative aimed to promote and foster social entrepreneurship and innovation amongst upcoming FIU artists and designers.
Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP)
The Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) is dedicated to educating anyone and everyone about the importance of the Chesapeake Bay’s keystone species, the American or Eastern Oyster.
The Oyster Recovery Partnership is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that designs, promotes and implements consensus-based and scientifically-sustainable shellfish ecological restoration, aquaculture and commercial fishery activities to improve the environment and expand economic opportunities in the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays and beyond. ORP believes that shellfish are critical to reversing the Chesapeake Bay’s poor water quality and declining habitats. ORP recognizes that ultimately its job is about people – everyone can benefit from a restored oyster population.
CCBC Center for Business Innovation
CCBC’s Center for Business Innovation works to expand the economy one business at a time.
The Center for Business Innovation (CBI) is dedicated to serving CCBC students and alumni who are interested in learning how to turn their ideas for new products, services, business and organizations into sustainable entities. Entrepreneurial-minded students and alumni are mentored by School of Business, Technology & Law faculty and local business owners.
Our goals:
– promote entrepreneurship among students & alumni
– foster economic development in the community
– help students apply classroom concepts to real-world challenge
Mountain Gateway Community College
Mountain Gateway (MGCC) is a two-year public institution of higher education and one of 23 community colleges in Virginia. The college is supported by the Commonwealth of Virginia; the counties of Alleghany, Bath, Northern Botetourt, and Rockbridge; the cities of Buena Vista, Covington, and Lexington.
MGCC provides opportunities for the extension of knowledge, skills and personal enrichment in an environment that maintains high academic standards and respect for each individual. The college strives to keep programs and services financially and geographically accessible for all students.
Credit, workforce, and non-credit courses are offered to meet life-long learning needs. On-site and distance learning options incorporate up-to-date technologies. Academic advising, mentoring, tutoring, extracurricular activities and cultural experiences are offered to assist all students in achieving their potential and in making the best educational and occupational choices that they can toward the fulfillment of their personal goals.
The College serves the diverse needs of the community. Each year, DSLCC sponsors a wide array of cultural events, offers educational and training programs that address changing workforce demands, and provides facilities for research, recreation and social interaction. Working closely with representatives of business and industry, government, various professions and other educational institutions, MGCC prepares individuals to experience academic, career and personal success.
IMET Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneur Fellows (REEF) Program
IMET’s REEF Program enables environmental science graduate students to develop potential applications of their research, while cultivating leadership and business skills to transition technologies from the bench or field into commercial markets.
REEF supports the career success of its science graduates, enabling them to enter a wide-range of careers, including starting a business, advancing careers within established companies, developing environmental policy as well as in teaching and research careers.
Project Opportunity
Funding provided by the Phillip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation has allowed Project Opportunity to add four (4) additional components:
– An eight week (24 hours) Military Spouse Entrepreneurship Training Program
– An Annual Business Pitch Competition for Project Opportunity Graduates
– Free Business Counseling and Mentoring for Project Opportunity Graduates
– Free Seminars and Workshops tailored to small businesses for both Project Opportunity Graduates and Veteran Small Business Owners
NACCE The Philip E. & Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation Center of Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Following the 2019 successes of the inaugural Pitch for the Trades competition and the gains made by the initial cohort of Pitch winners, in July 2020, the Philip E. & Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation awarded NACCE a new partnership and $900,000 in grant funding to leverage a three-year commitment to collaborate with community colleges to build entrepreneurial mindset training and business opportunities in the trades and apprenticeships. The annual NACCE Pitch for the Trades is just one way NACCE is accomplishing this mission by providing real value to members. The work of community colleges matters to our communities and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We enthusiastically commend our leaders and innovators in education and in preparing students for apprenticeships and careers in the skilled trades, and are grateful for the Ratcliffe Foundation’s continued support. If you are interested in learning more about NACCE or the Pitch for the Trades competition, please reach out to our team at info@nacce.com.
Center for Innovation & Growth at Baldwin Wallace University
The Center for Innovation & Growth (CIG) is the home for entrepreneurship at Baldwin Wallace University. With a mission to infuse innovation and entrepreneurship campus-wide and contribute to regional economic development, this co-curricular program welcomes students of all majors. The goal of CIG is to develop the next generation of leaders who can start, grow and reinvent things, whether they launch their own businesses or work for established companies.
AACC ESI Ratcliffe Scholars Program
AACC provides financial support to students who are aspiring entrepreneurs or who currently own a business. The desired outcome for these students is academic completion leading to business ownership and or transfer to a college or university to continue their education. The Ratcliffe Entrepreneurial Studies Scholarship program includes an Entrepreneurial Studies scholarship, and Internship scholarship, and a Small Business Owner scholarship and a Seed Fund award.