Discussing the entrepreneurial mindset among students of historically black colleges and universities

Students cannot develop an entrepreneurial mindset while internalizing suggestive, self-sabotaging limitations about themselves. Self-sabotaging limitations prevent students from paying attention to and remembering concepts, making it difficult and challenging for them to formulate how to think differently and produce efficient and effective problem-solving decisions. Two methods were used to observe students’ entrepreneurial mindset in the classroom: a naturalistic observation method and a “getting to know you” questionnaire. A multipronged approach was developed with the goal of helping students overcome their self-sabotaging behaviors, address their challenges, and empower them to engage with the entrepreneurial mindset. This goal is accomplished by (a) providing wellness breaks, (b) building an ecosystem, (c) motivating through intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, and (d) providing a personalized, inclusive, and experiential learning environment. When students embrace an entrepreneurial mindset through this multipronged approach, they are empowered, remove their self-sabotaging limitations, engage, overcome challenges, and build confidence.