Abstract
This article expands on a paper originally presented at the annual conference of USASBE in 2013.1 It is a narrative qualitative study of four university-based arts venture incubators, one of which is headed by the author. Its purpose is to describe in narrative form the goals of such programs and the means by which university-based arts venture incubators measure their success. There is scant research on small business incubator evaluation and even less on arts venture incubator evaluation. The article looks at four university-based arts venture incubators to identify key issues of evaluation and similarities and differences across program types.
Appendix A
Interview questions
Interview questions for administrators:
How did the incubator start and is it part of broader entrepreneurship education efforts at your institution?
How is the incubator funded?
What other support (e.g. faculty, staff, space) is available for the incubator
Interview questions for administrators, students, and alumni:
From your perspective, what are the goals of the incubator/venture program?
How is the program meeting those goals?
What affect has the program had on your work as an artist? As an educator/student? As a business owner or organizational leader?
Have you participated in a program assessment?
What form did that assessment take?
Were the results of that assessment shared with you?
Appendix B
Comparative summary of programs
| Institution | Program Name | Primary Activity | Program Objective | Additional activity | Primary means of evaluation |
| Eastman School of Music | New Venture Challenge | Business Plan Competition | Encourage new thinking and innovative ideas in music | Informal venture incubation | Informal via review of finalist applications by outside experts |
| University of the Arts | Corzo Center Creative Incubator | Venture development | Help students and alumni, develop new ideas, launch creative businesses, and establish social enterprises | Public workshops | Informal via ongoing feedback from incubator alumni |
| Arizona State University Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts | Pave Arts Venture Incubator | Venture development | Encourage creativity and innovation in the arts | Workshops; parent program includes curricula, public programming, and research | Formal via post-workshop survey, application to venture development ratio, and alumni tracking |
| Millikin University Tabor School of Business | BC Studios | Pop-up commerce | Educate students about business ownership and elements of risk, control, and reward | n/a | Formal via course evaluation; additional tracking of ventures forthcoming |
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- 1
“Failure is a Necessary Condition: How Universities Measure the Success of Their Arts Venture Incubators” was presented at the annual conference of US Assn of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, January 2013. Subsequent to that presentation, additional material and analysis thereof has been added to the article especially in the sections regarding Milliken University, which was not included in the original study.
- 2
Because the author was well known to the Pave Program interview subjects, questions were distributed via email rather than in person or via phone as was the interview method for the other programs.
©2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin / Boston
