Sweet Briar College is launching a new Center for Business, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. The college announced it on Sept. 26, 2026, in a release distributed by EIN Presswire. Laura Townsend will join the college community at the end of the month to lead the center. Her role includes establishing a Business Council.
The center will prepare Sweet Briar College students for successful careers after graduation. It will augment Sweet Briar’s existing business major and other academic areas through new programming, additional internships, apprenticeships and guest speakers.
What the Sweet Briar College Center Will Do
The Business Council will support these Sweet Briar College activities as an advisory board. It will be composed of ambassadors and advocates for Sweet Briar and all of its students. The center will sit within the Academic Affairs unit.
Townsend will also work with several existing groups, according to the college. They include the Career Services team, which helps students secure internships. They also include Alumnae Relations and Development staff, who will connect the center with alumnae entrepreneurs. She will also work with the Margaret Jones Wyllie ’45 Engineering Program and its advisory council of regional executives, and with current business faculty. Other colleges are also investing in entrepreneurship, such as the Penn GSE entrepreneurship scholarship.
Who Is Laura Townsend
Townsend joins the faculty with experience in teaching, entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership and strategic planning. She earned a Master of Science in human relations from the University of Oklahoma. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in business management from Oral Roberts University.
She most recently served as director of engagement at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. There she led strategic initiatives at the intersection of scholarship, government and industry. She designed the center’s programs and developed relationships with regional industry and institutional leaders.
Townsend also directed the Innovate Living-Learning Community at Virginia Tech. The college says the community earned a spot as the top-ranked entrepreneurship living-learning community. It also earned a Model Entrepreneurship Education Program award from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
“I have always been a strong advocate for women’s entrepreneurship and leadership,” Townsend said. “I love empowering visionary women with the tools, confidence, and connections they need to succeed.”
Leaders Weigh In on the Sweet Briar College Launch
President Mary Pope M. Hutson ’83 said Sweet Briar College is always seeking opportunities to grow its academic programs and community partnerships. She said the college wants to invest in its campus, Amherst County and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Hutson said the partnership offers pathways for students to become career-ready alumnae. Similar efforts to train women founders are under way elsewhere, as with a program in Johannesburg.
Dr. Lisa Powell is vice president of academic affairs, dean of the college and chief sustainability officer. Powell noted that business is consistently among the college’s largest majors. She said many students in other programs also want to grow their capacities in entrepreneurship.
“We are so excited to be expanding opportunities for our students, while also strengthening relationships with businesses and organizations in our region and beyond,” Powell said.
What It Means for Students
For prospective students, the center adds another dimension to Sweet Briar College’s hands-on approach to learning. Students will have opportunities to connect classroom learning with internships, apprenticeships, industry leaders, alumnae entrepreneurs and real-world business experiences. They may major in business, engineering, the arts or another field. Funding support for young founders is also growing, as with structured funding and regional support networks.
Sweet Briar College says the center will help students develop the confidence, connections and entrepreneurial skills to turn ideas into action. Sweet Briar says that its women don’t just study leadership. They practice it.
Frequently asked questions
Who will lead the new center?
Laura Townsend will join Sweet Briar College at the end of the month to lead the Center for Business, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation.
What will the center offer students?
It will offer new programming, additional internships, apprenticeships, guest speakers and connections with industry leaders and alumnae entrepreneurs.
What is the Business Council?
It is an advisory board of ambassadors and advocates for Sweet Briar and all of its students, which Townsend will establish.
Where does the center sit within the college?
It will be housed within the Academic Affairs unit.
