Metro state launches Franchise Program.

• Author: Davenport, Michelle
• Position: EDUCATION

METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE OF Denver is helping students start Camp Bow Wows and Smiling Moose Delis of their own. The Franchise Ownership Program is designed to give students the opportunity to start their own franchises and gain ongoing support.

Some of the franchisers, so far, working with the program are: Camp Bow Wow and Home Buddies, Grease Monkey and Monkey Shine Franchising, and Smiling Moose Deli. Camp Bow Wow's CEO Heidi Ganahl serves on the program's board of directors.

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"The advisory board's role has been to work on various committees and projects around setting up the program: doing research on the investors for the program, how to do the curriculum, so we offer a good curriculum for the students," Ganahl said.

Mick Jackowski, Center for Innovation director at Metro State, believes the time has come for universities to provide opportunities for students beyond training.

"We want to lake education beyond just the traditional model of training and then you can go into the 'real world,'" Jackowski said. "The 'real world' is here, and this whole program is real."

Tim Carroll, assistant director of media relations at Metro State, agrees with Tackowski and thinks that the types of franchisees the program will attract are unique.

"So many people have come back to school in recent years, with the economy being what it is, because the job market is so bad," Carroll said. "Transferring something like that into this is very natural for them."

The Franchise Ownership Program is in the stages of creating funding for the program. The first seed gift of $100,000 was given by BNY Mellon, a global financial services company.

Jackowski described two different types of investors he is hoping to attract: impact investors and mission-related...