Darlene L. Pfeiffer Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

About the Center

The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, housed in the College's Business & Professional Studies Department, develops collaborative programs for students, faculty, alumni, entrepreneurs, business leaders, mentors and government agencies to work together on entrepreneurial projects. With an emphasis on technology and sustainability, the Center will work closely with the Office of Continuing and Professional Education, the Mid-Hudson Region's Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Ulster County Development Corporation (SBDC) and the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Initial projects, involving both students and the business community, include an entrepreneurial speaker series on campus, a student run campus business, a business plan competition and the establishment of a collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association. Additionally, the expansion of Real World Business classes is planned, where students work with actual local companies on business needs such as marketing or advertising.

SUNY Start Up

The Center is in strategic alignment with SUNY Start Up, outlined in the State University's strategic plan to create programs inviting successful local entrepreneurs onto SUNY campuses to advise and serve as mentors for students and professors. These business experts bring real world knowledge to the entrepreneurial process, including how to identify opportunities, and how to fund, shape and grow them into successful businesses. The goal of SUNY Start Up is to help support the creation of jobs in New York and encourage local young entrepreneurs to start their businesses here.

SUNY Ulster offers a full entrepreneurship and small business development curriculum to its students. Additionally, a new certificate program in entrepreneurship has been developed and is expected to be introduced in the spring of 2012.

The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies is made possible by a gift to the Ulster Community College Foundation, Inc. from Darlene Pfeiffer, a member of the Ulster Community College Foundation Board of Directors. The gift establishes an endowment that will support the Center. Ms. Pfeiffer resides in Port Ewen and is the chief executive officer and holder of two franchises with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Her business affiliations include a 10-year membership on the KFC National Advertising Council, having held the office of president for three years; service as president of the KFC Advisory Council for four years where she was actively involved with over 700 KFC franchisees; service as a board member of the Kentucky Fried Chicken Purchasing Co-op; founder of a magazine for KFC franchisees and winner of several KFC corporation awards for operational excellence.