School-Year Program Week 4: From Ideas to Impact

Our final session of the pilot program centered on entrepreneurship and innovation, introducing members to the basics of building a business and thinking like an entrepreneur. The session showed that entrepreneurship is not limited to starting a company, but it's a mindset focused on problem-solving, creativity, and impact.

We began by covering the basics of business and discussing what qualifies someone as an entrepreneur. Members learned about how entrepreneurs identify opportunities and how they turn ideas into solutions. The key criteria for building a strong business were introduced, which included the following: identifying a problem, defining a target audience, developing a solution, planning marketing strategies, and maintaining a strong brand reputation.

To start things off, members participated in an icebreaker activity where they were given three random words and asked to create a business idea on the spot. Each group then delivered a brief mini pitch.

After receiving guidance and knowledge from undergraduate mentors, members moved on to the final activity. Using what they had learned, they looked back on their original business ideas and strengthened their pitches by refining their problem statements, solutions, and overall structure.

Several highlights stood out during this session. The two groups delivered strong, well-thought-out pitches, which was especially impressive given the limited 15-minute preparation time. Participants were passionate about their ideas and wanted to win the competition. The session concluded with pizza – a celebratory way to wrap up the pilot program.

Overall, this last and final session of the school-year pilot program successfully empowered members to think critically, collaborate, and confidently present their ideas. It was a strong conclusion, and it left participants with practical skills and a new sense of possibility.