Lacuna Kinship: Business Education for the Masses

Fall into the gap.

It's been brought to my attention that I am not using this platform to its full potential to explain my current goals and what I'd like to do with a Lipscomb master's degree. Most of my musings have been vague, underdeveloped, and written with the purpose of leaving myself room to adjust those ideas. It's time now, though, to spell out exactly what I want to do, so while I research routes to fund additional education of my own (GoFundMe turned out to be a bust, but more on that later), here it is:

I am raising money for tuition for Lipscomb University's Master's program in Civic Leadership, for which I have been accepted for attendance in Fall 2013. OK, I was accepted for this fall, but they deferred my enrollment so I can continue to avoid student loans and convince the world to help me move forward. The degree will culminate in my launching a community education program to fill the gap (or lacuna) left between job readiness programs and entrepreneurship programs.

My version of community business education will offer relevant, affordable information to people who may never be able to afford college, but who want to start businesses or simply learn more about how businesses are run so they can become stronger, more valuable employees. The courses will appeal to those who are seeking more than basic software or resume-writing skills, and make available the preliminary education that would precede more advanced information offered by incubators or college programs. Anyone can start a business, but not everyone knows how to run a business well. The goal will be to inspire people in underserved and low income areas to achieve unprecedented success within existing or new companies, creating jobs and brighter futures for their children.

The benefits of my own education at Lipscomb will be connections to community leaders, skills and resources in leadership, and a structured development format. I will continue to research and develop my idea throughout the next year, so if I do not raise the full tuition for Lipscomb, the community may still be served whether I'm able to pursue a master's degree or not. However, an investment in my education becomes an investment in the economic viability of those who want to succeed in business but lack the resources to take the next step.

It's going to be a Lacuna Kinship: bringing people together within a gap of resources and education.

Now to stick a donate button on my blog, 'cause GoFundMe's WePay system wants me to grant them a lein on whatever bank account I associate with the funding page, so they can hold a reserve--any reserve they deem appropriate--of funds. Yeah, that's not happening.