Voiland CollegeThe Frank Institute

Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs Today

The Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Institute is a multidisciplinary institute bringing together engineering and business expertise, and aims to train the future technological entrepreneurs through the Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Program (HFEEP). HFEEP is a multi-year academic program open to junior, senior and graduate-level engineering students. Through HFEEP, students can gain:

  • The opportunity to experience how innovation moves from idea to sustainable realization;
  • Business skills that will set them apart in the eyes their future employers;
  • The tools to pursue their entrepreneurial ideas;
  • Expert mentorship in the creation of their own startup company;
  • Experiences, connections, and growth in entrepreneurship.
  • Mastery in advanced AI tools for project management.

Working in interdisciplinary teams, students learn to manage uncertainty, design, perfect their presentation skills, work with real fiscal and technical constraints, and develop technologies to solve real problems.

Ready to Get Started?

Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Program will restart in Fall 2026. Applications are now open! Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply. To get started, fill out the following form:
Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Program, Fall 2026 Cohort Application

Expectations

Frank Entrepreneurs are expected to perform professionally in the classroom as well as serve the WSU community. Specific commitments that will be asked of you:

  • Completion of the New Venture Planning (ENTRP 485), Launching New Ventures (ENTRP 486), Multidisciplinary Engineering Design I (ENGR 420) and Multidisciplinary Engineering Design II- Program Capstone (ENGR 421) towards receiving an Engineering Entrepreneurship Badge.  See Courses page for further details.
  • Optionally, completion of one of Project Management Foundations (EM 464), Leading People and Organizations (EM 522) or Project Management (EM 564) in addition to courses above towards receiving an Engineering Entrepreneurship Certificate.
  • Participation in the activities organized by the WSU Center for Entrepreneurship, which includes seminars and the Business Plan Competition.
  • Participation in a set of “on-campus” activities to include lectures, interviews, and experiences in local businesses and research laboratories organized by The Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Institute.

Value

The Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Program provides engineering students the opportunity to grow their entrepreneurial skills by walking them through building, testing and launching engineering start-ups. In addition to education and personal mentorship from nationally recognized entrepreneurs, students will be provided with funding to develop business plans, perform customer discovery and user-centered product development as a part of the program.