The Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC), formerly the National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (NCEC), was founded in 1996 by a handful of leading entrepreneurship educators who found value in sharing ideas. The mission of the organization is to provide a coordinated vehicle through which participating members can collaborate and communicate on the specific issues and challenges confronting university based entrepreneurship centers. The current GCEC membership totals approximately 200 university-based entrepreneurship centers, including both well established and nationally ranked programs and new and emerging centers. GCEC membership from schools outside the United States grows each year as entrepreneurship education becomes more prominent around the world.