The Portland State University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has a single staff member: Executive Director Shelley Gunton. But with extensive experience in growing businesses from ideas, Gunton knows how to get things off the ground, and her sights are set on launching the new center, which will act as a hub for students, faculty, staff and anyone seeking to start a business.
The Portland State University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has a single staff member: Executive Director Shelley Gunton. But with extensive experience in growing businesses from ideas, Gunton knows how to get things off the ground, and her sights are set on launching the new center, which will act as a hub for students, faculty, staff and anyone seeking to start a business.
Gunton, who has been involved in the field of entrepreneurship extensively since 2005, stepped into her role as executive director of the new center on Feb. 1. While the center is still in its planning stages and has no physical location as of now, Gunton has big plans for the latest addition to PSU’s expanding entrepreneurial efforts. Her goal for the center is to make it a place where students can grow their ideas into real businesses and jobs.
“There’s a real electricity that’s created when people get together and start working on new and exciting things,” Gunton said. “The CIE will act as a catalyst to help make this happen.”
As an experienced entrepreneur herself, Gunton knows that the job environment of the present day is such that being an entrepreneur is less of a risk and more of a viable option. She believes that it is a valuable career path for students, given that it will provide them with business knowledge and the ability to generate ideas. And Gunton isn’t alone in her sentiments.
“I think it’s good that the university is instructing students not just how to get a job, but if they want, how to make their own job,” said computer engineering junior Erik Wright.
Gunton believes the new center will provide infrastructure and resource coordination, which will help support students in their missions to become entrepreneurs. Above all, she believes in giving students the opportunity to do what they want in terms of their businesses and making their ideas into realities.
“I am working on a variety of different programs that can help students, faculty and staff now,” Gunton said. “For example, we’re planning a ‘Start-Up Weekend’ for Oct. 5–7 that will be open to all students, faculty and staff —it’s a crazy, high-energy few days of working on business ideas brought to the event by the participants and building out a plan to make them happen.”
Gunton suggested that PSU students interested in starting their own businesses sign up for the Entrepreneurship Club in order to get up-to-date information on what the center will be doing. Gunton is in the process of planning the workspace for the center, and how to use it in such a way that would provide maximum resources and aid to students.
“Ideally this would include work space and ‘idea labs’ along with an ‘entrepreneur in residence’ program, mentor database, incubator space and innovation showcases for students and faculty,” Gunton said. She explained that the Portland State Business Accelerator, a lecture series given by the Department of Architecture, and the incentive program from the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science are examples of innovations that she would like to build on for her planned activities.
“PSU has so much and yet so much additional potential to become the true hub of entrepreneurial activity and innovation in Portland, and even the region,” Gunton said.
Gunton began her own business in 2005, winning an investment award at the Angel Oregon Entrepreneurship Conference and using it to start Castor & Pollux Natural Petworks. The company quickly became a leading distributor of organic and natural products for pets.
Castor & Pollux Natural Petworks became successful enough that three years after starting, Gunton sold the majority of it to a private equity firm in Boston. Gunton is still involved with the company, working on the board of directors, but has since branched out to other entrepreneurial pursuits. She will be chairing the Angel Oregon Investment Conference this year, and currently works on the Board of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. She also is vice chair of Girls Inc. and a board member of Good Deeds.
“Based on my previous experience with Shelley, she is a very adept manager and very focused,” said Sarena Regazzoni, director of marketing and communications at the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network and an associate of Gunton’s. “From a personal basis, she’s been very successful at everything she’s done to this point. She is a strong leader, she is talented, she is a tremendous mentor to many entrepreneurs and PSU is lucky to have her join their team,” Regazzoni added.
While Gunton may be a staff of one, her focus on building a foundation of support for entrepreneurs also includes factoring in feedback from the PSU community. She fully welcomes input and ideas from students, staff and faculty on how to create the best entrepreneurial support environment available: “Email me at [email protected] with your thoughts on what’s needed to support entrepreneurship and innovation on campus,” Gunton said.
