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experienced mentors guide your two-day experience
Build Your Creative Confidence
Freshman Innovation Immersion
Fire Up Your Innovation Engines
Prepare to think like an entrepreneur in the two-day Freshman Innovation Immersion at St. Thomas. Students of all majors and interests come together in this fun, intensive workshop, which takes place before the academic year officially begins.
You’ll work with a team of fellow freshman to create a business concept, learn the basic principles of entrepreneurship, and get to know Schulze School faculty and staff. Learn about design thinking, ideation, prototyping, business model canvasing and financial analysis. At the end of the second day, you and your team will present your concepts to business leaders, with the opportunity to win prizes. This two-day intensive experience is a great way to prepare to dive into your first semester of classes, and start building bonds with your classmates.
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Day 1: Identify Problems and Brainstorm Solutions
On the first day of the workshop, you and your team will conduct research to identify problems, and examine them through an empathetic lens. You’ll choose one issue to tackle, and brainstorm possible solutions. From there, create a plan to prototype and test your concepts.
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Day 2: Create a Business Model
On the second day, teams are paired with mentors—successful local entrepreneurs. Your team’s mentor will provide support and guidance as you create a business model, craft pitches and assemble poster boards. The top five teams will present to a panel of judges, which will choose the winning concept.
“It’s been a great way to get your foot in the door to entrepreneurship, to have a great time meeting new people and to come up with ideas.”
Olivia Tracy, Innovation Immersion Student
A Crash Course in Creative Problem Solving
Every year, University of St. Thomas freshman get a crash course in creative problem solving with the two-day Freshman Innovation Immersion workshop...
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