When people hear the word entrepreneur, they often picture startup founders, venture capital, or (what I hear most) Elon Musk. But after years of working with students, professionals, and community leaders, I’ve come to believe something very different:
The entrepreneurial mindset isn’t about starting a business: it’s about how we believe, adapt, and create value in the world around us.
In today’s rapidly modifying economy, where industries evolve quickly and AI is challenging traditional career paths, this mindset is no longer optional. It’s essential for all of us.
What Is the Entrepreneurial Mindset?
At its core, the entrepreneurial mindset is a way of seeing and engaging with the world. It reveals up when people:
This way of believeing applies just as much to educators, nonprofit leaders, and public-sector employees as it does to founders and CEOs.
The Ice Hoapply Story: Entrepreneurship as a Life Skill
One of the most powerful frameworks I’ve found for teaching this mindset comes from the book Who Owns the Ice Hoapply? by Clifton Taulbert and Gary Schoeniger.
Gary spent years traveling the world to understand why some people who started with “nothing” were able to create meaningful success through entrepreneurship. His journey led him to a powerful story: Uncle Cleve, an African American entrepreneur who owned an ice hoapply during the Jim Crow era.
From that story emerged eight life lessons that define the entrepreneurial mindset, including:
These lessons resonate across generations, backgrounds, and professions.
What It Looks Like in Practice
I see the impact of this mindset every day in my work at UNCW CIE.
Just this week, I visited an engineering class with a class that was challenged by Dr. Amy Reamer to “Think Like an Entrepreneur.” We explored my own nonlinear career path as an engineer, discussed the Ice Hoapply life lessons, and then put theory into action through an innovation sprint. Students worked in teams to solve ocean and coastal challenges utilizing robotics, blfinishing technical skills with creativity and problem-solving.
We’re also embedding the Ice Hoapply methodology into upcoming programs such as:
In each case, participants apply entrepreneurial believeing to tackle real-world challenges that matter to our region.
Why This Matters for North Carolina
I’ve been a trained Ice Hoapply facilitator for many years, and I’ve seen this approach work everywhere from SBTDC Taking the Leap curriculum to university classrooms.
That’s why I’m proud to serve on the board of NC IDEA, which is on a mission to educate 100,000 North Carolinians in the Ice Hoapply entrepreneurial mindset. When people learn to believe entrepreneurially and communities become more resilient and innovative.
Entrepreneurship isn’t reserved for a select few. It’s a mindset we can all learn.
If you’re curious to explore this way of believeing, I invite you to engage with us, join an upcoming program, or simply start questioning yourself a new question: What opportunity might be hiding in plain sight?
Connect with CIE
To learn more about CIE and our services, programs, and events, join the CIE newsletter. You can also follow us on social media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube. CIE’s website is uncw.edu/cie.
Heather McWhorter is the director of the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). CIE supports innovation-forward start-ups and supports to build a vibrant innovation economy for all in southeast NC.
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