Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate
Look through to learn about my journey as an Innovation and Entrepreneurship student at Duke University.
Coursework
While spanning departments from music to engineering my coursework actually carried a lot of similarities. The first was about having a process or strategy when you are trying to attach the problem and often that starts with understand the problem and talking to users. It also will inspire me to test and experiment because iteration has value in any job and principles like MVP, user testing and informational interviewing can be helpful in many instances of problem solving either as an engineer and entrepreneur or even a everyday person. Additionally my coursework emphasized the importance of having a diverse and interdisciplinary team where different people are able to bring different strengths to the table. These courses also reinforced my excitement for entrepreneurship (and even made me highly consider getting my MBA in the future) and distilled confidence in me that anyone can make a difference with a lot of work, a great team and some failure.
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Engineering Design and Communication
Course Taken: Fall 2020
Professor: Dr. Ann Saterbak
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Course Overview: Engineering Design and Communication is an introduction to the engineering design process. Student teams are tasked with working through a real-life, client-based design project over the semester, but are also encouraged to build technical skills such as CAD, Woodworking, Arduino Programming, and Laser Cutting through mini-projects. The primary focus of the course consists of communication skills through regular technical memos to clients technical mentors and professors while also emphasizing engineering design skills such as iteration, working through failure, teamwork, prototyping and testing.
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My Project: My team of three other students was tasked with helping Epirus, INC. to design and construct an aerodynamic drone transport pod for counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The design needed to be RF permeable in order to support the electronics inside, but still weatherproof, lightweight and aerodynamically mounted underneath the Harris Aerial H6HL drone.
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My Takeaways: The biggest takeaway from this class is the importance of good communication within the team and with the client overall. This extended in two waits, both internal communication making sure that the team was on the same page working towards the same goal but also when communicating with our clients needs and desires. I learned to write good technical memos that communicated the point clearly and effectively as well as developed task tracking strategies such as a simple To-Do list and agile softwares such as Trello. I was able to take what I learned during this class into all of my future group project work that helped my teams stay on top of each others progress.
Course Taken: Spring 2022
Professors: Dr. John Supko and Doug Green
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Course Overview: Arts Entrepreneurship is an opportunity to combine the creativity of the arts with the creative and discipline of entrepreneurship to create something that has a real and positive impact on society. Student teams developed a plan and strategy to serve as the basis for the launch of their venture focusing on creative foundation, the target audience, the offering, the competitive position, sustainability, key milestones and the financials.
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My Project: My team of four other students started Influence a platform to connect local influencers and content producers with small and targeted businesses for small advertising and marketing deals. Throughout the class we refined the idea to meet the market need, developed a business strategy and ran initial MVP tests with local eateries on campus.
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My Takeaways: Overall this class taught be a lot about working on a diverse team and the importance of the initial MVP for defining strategy. Although we initially had a good idea for a product that could be very beneficial in the real world we quickly discovered that we were trying to solve too many problems and thus would require too much existing resources before being able to run initial tests. Similar to Amazon starting with just books, we were then able to pivot from our initial idea to focusing on a much more niche and pinpointed pain statement that we were then able to test with overwhelming success on a small scale.
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Arts
Entrepreneurship
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Strategies for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Course Taken: Spring 2023
Professor: Katherine Amato
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Course Overview: This Keystone course covered the background and fundamental skills needed to launch a venture such as need identification, course covers lean methodology; innovation and entrepreneurship strategy; creating needed financing and resource structures; effectively marketing/communicating innovation and its associated benefits; leading, managing, and working effectively within teams; creating a positive and ethical work culture; and evaluating success. The course is taught through a series of case studies.
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My Takeaways: Overall this class tried to answer the question of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and case study after case study everyone seemed to have something different that made them successful. Maybe it was extending the runway by doing something cheeper to hiring on the right business partner, or advertising to the right target market that helped them be successful. However there was one similarity that remained the same between everyone and that was companies and specifically start ups do not exist to solve problems, instead they exist to get a job done. More specifically a job that can be done in a profitable way. When people failed to do market research, initial tests, or even talking to potential users then they often have unsuccessful ventures. A prime example of this was EnviroFit was a company that invented a new cookstove design that had drastic effects on the health of users by limiting indoor air pollution and environment however the product failed to catch on because they did not understand the cultural aspects of cooking practices and the dynamic between men and women in these cultures specifically in regards to cooking and economic decisions. With that being said one moment I specifically remember is on the last day we were tasked with a simulation where we were going to sell a specific food at a specific location (both of our choosing) and the goal was to make the most money the quickest. There were several options for how to spend our time including market research, selling small amounts at different places throughout the week or committing to one thing at one place for the whole week. The reason this stuck out to me is because the teams that sold the most committed to one place and one location for the week but more interestingly the teams that did market research without actually trying to go sell anything for the first week had a lot less revenue after 5 weeks. The takeaway from this was to not just develop an idea in isolation but actually get a product in the hands of users as soon as possible.
Course Taken Spring 2024
Professor: Frank Pollock
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Course Overview: In the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Capstone, I delved into real-world consulting for the first time. Working closely with a specific small business, I gained firsthand exposure to the dynamic realm of entrepreneurship. Our weekly meetings with the client, coupled with extensive research and testing, allowed us to provide tailored support during their initial launch and subsequent growth phases.
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My Project: Collaborating with fellow students, I engaged with a local small business, Three Strands, on two distinct projects as consultants. Firstly, we produced a comprehensive report identifying potential partnerships with hospitals and boutiques, alongside a thorough competitor analysis focusing on top bra brands, their pricing strategies, and value propositions. Secondly, we formulated recommendations for transitioning to direct-to-consumer retail, accompanied by strategic marketing plans. Our suggestions encompassed enhancing search engine optimization, refining the website interface, and developing frameworks for both an ambassador program and an influencer marketing campaign.
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My Takeaways: My inaugural experience in consulting provided a pivotal realization—tasks invariably consume more time than anticipated, particularly in the research phase. Entrepreneurs often grapple with a plethora of innovative ideas for business growth, yet resource constraints necessitate prioritization. This was evident in Three Strands' focus on cultivating a brand community related to breast cancer, which precluded extensive marketing efforts directed towards the cosmetic sector. Such trade-offs underscore the challenges of scaling operations while maintaining strategic focus.
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