Ignite! Sessions Overview

The program is designed to teach our students business and life-skills critical to achieving their life-long goals. We've created an ecosystem to support and enhance the student experience and exposure in their own local and corporate communities.

The Start-up Semester Program is fueled by 8 Ignite Sessions that teach our students entrepreneurship and business skills while challenging them to solve real-world problems. 

The Start-up Semester Program is fueled by 8 Ignite Sessions that teach our students entrepreneurship and business skills while challenging them to solve real-world problems.

 

I. Entrepreneurship: Harnessing Your Idea 
Learning Outcomes: 

  • Students can understand three principles of Entrepreneurship 
  • Students gain experience in ideation and learn strategies to narrow their project vision/mission 
  • Students learn the concept of bootstrap entrepreneurship 

II. Innovation: Industry Trends When Nothing New Is Under the Sun
Learning Outcomes: 

  • Students understand unique challenges and innovations 
  • Students learn current key initiatives driving industries and connect these learning points in their start-up team 
  • Students gain interaction with top engineers and subject matter experts in science and biotechnology 

III. Ideation: So You've Got An Idea - Now What?
Learning Outcomes: 

  • Students understand project organization strategies 
  • Students learn how to develop a project plan 
  • Students learn how to effectively manage their business ideas 

IV. Idea Experimentation: The Pilot Experiment

Learning Outcomes: 

  • Students learn to beta test project ideas 
  • Students learn to assess and refine project ideas and plans 
  • Students develop interpersonal leadership skills and navigation of team dynamics 

V. Planning: Components of Your Business Plan
Learning Outcomes: 

  • Students learn how to develop a business plan that incorporates their project mission, vision and goals 
  • Students define project deliverables and develop action to plans to reach deliverables 
  • Students apply deliverables to variable actions and experimentations 

VI. Product to Market: Tell The People
Learning Outcomes: 

  • Students learn how to drive awareness to their project website 
  • Students learn how to pilot test product to concentrated market and assess test product marketing strategies 
  • Students experience real world application of implementing ideas they have developed 

VII. Launch: Take it to the Street
Learning Outcomes: 

  • Students learn how to effectively launch their business ideas into practical application 
  • Students understand the components of sales and marketing strategies to launch their business ideas 
  • Students develop key learning principles in communication, delivery and presentation skills 

VIII. Pitch: Venture Capitalist Manifesto 
Learning Outcomes: 

  • Students learn principles of funding a business idea 
  • Students learn the art of pitching their ideas to venture capitalist and business leader community 
  • Students present business ideas to real-life VC's and executives in the local community