The Impact of Entrepreneurship Programs on Minorities

We document the impact of an entrepreneurship training program on startup activity of minorities (females and non-Caucasians). We compare entrepreneurial activity between applicants who are accepted into the program with applicants who are program finalists but not accepted. We find that the effect of the program is small for minorities in the short run. However, the effect of the program is more pronounced for minorities’ likelihood of longer run startup activity, whereas the effect on non-minorities is small and statistically insignificant. We suggest that such programs are most effective for individuals that may otherwise have limited access to entrepreneurial opportunities.

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