24 hours ago, I felt the taste of Innovation
I participated in a business innovation competition where I focused on trending problems in the education sector and came up with an idea that could transform the way high school students receive counseling for their post-secondary education and career.
The initiative is to bring down the drop-out stats in earning the primary degree and also bring awareness to explore the options in different genres. I introduced ‘EDsie’ to help students and schools.
Here is my story behind the big day yesterday.
Ever since I began my masters in HCI, I had been passionate about solving real-world human problems and contributing to the community. Early February 2020, I came to know about JagStart (an entrepreneurial business competition at Indiana University — Purdue University).
On the kickoff day of the competition, I pitched my crude thoughts around K12 education as I was wondering about the public education system in the United States and grabbed the helpful minds' attention that knew where I was heading.
After the official kickoff day of the competition,
One of the entrepreneurs asked me, “Do you like to be “Lucky or Smart?”
I am the sort of person who falls “in-between” option most of the time because I appreciate the beauty of diversity (I believe that I fall somewhere in the spectrum of Polymath).
I chose the answer “Smart” as I was recently inspired by watching Bill Gates’s docuseries “Inside Bill's brain” and I was inspired when he confessed that his fear: “I don’t want my brain to stop working,” and I believe that my brain could make miracles. I bet I get the craziest ideas to the team (half of them would go to trash, though). Lol. Disclaimer: No intention to brag.
As the workshop progressed, I learned how entrepreneurs think about business innovations. Ideas revolve around the below quadrants.
I refined my ideas and the pitch with mentors who were true entrepreneurs. I appreciate the time spent to build other entrepreneurs through contests like JagStart. I moved my idea from “Invention” to “Innovation”
What kicks off you as an innovator?
That magic moment happened when I heard,
“There is nothing like this exists as of today” — I feel much appreciated that I learned the taste of innovation!”
40+years Entrepreneur — The history of ventures is littered with marginalized/dismissed/ignored innovators. Your idea really could change the world of education.
Vote of Thanks: I wholeheartedly appreciate the entrepreneurs who mentored me throughout the process Roger Christian, Barb Cutillo, Wesley Crouch, Kim J.Brand.
