Over the last few years university student-run microenterprise organizations have emerged to offer direct services (both training and financing) to small business owners in their local communities. This study explores the strengths and challenges of these nascent, yet growing, organizations, as well as their potential impact on the field in general. A case study of an eight-year program out of Yale University, the Elmseed Enterprise Fund, is presented here.

On October 24-25, 2009, FIELD co-sponsored a conference of these student groups, "Scale and Sustainability: Increasing the Impact of Student-led Microenterprise Organizations", at Rutgers University. Read about the student groups' progress by clicking here.