A Crash Course in Creative Problem Solving
Every year, University of St. Thomas first-year students get a crash course in creative problem solving with the two-day Freshman Innovation Immersion workshop.
While most of the students will be majoring in business and entrepreneurship, many students are from School of Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Associate Dean of the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship Laura Dunham explained why thinking like an entrepreneur is a good thing no matter the field of study.
“Entrepreneurs solve problems,” she said. “We live in a world of problems and challenges, and entrepreneurs are people who aren’t afraid of tackling them.”
Students are paired in teams of four, and each team identifies a problem and develops a business idea that serves as a solution. They create prototypes or storyboards to showcase their ideas, and pitched their concepts to volunteer mentors from the community.
Prizes are handed out to the winning teams, but students take away much more from the two-day workshop.
Day One: Innovation in problem solving
During the first day of the workshop, students hone in on specific problem statements. From there they craft solutions through ideation, prototyping and testing, all through an empathetic lens. And they don’t just come up with a business solution: They interview complete strangers across campus to find out what real-world problems they battle.
“I want students to build their creative confidence and build a sense of excitement around the idea that they can be innovators,” Dunham said. “We want them to come out with the skills in whatever area they love, whether it’s the arts or sciences or business.”
Samantha Nordmark ‘22, a Russian major from Rolla, North Dakota, said she had taken the workshop to expand her horizons and meet new people.
“I want to know how to be a better entrepreneur,” said Nordmark, whose team worked on improving health and fitness. “Thinking on my feet while someone’s talking and then taking notes – it was hard. We interviewed eight people in an hour. The first interview was so bad, but by the last interview I finally got it. I need improvement, but I got so much better in just an hour.”
Day 2: Creating a business model
Taking what they learned on the first day, the freshmen reconvene and are paired with mentors, which includes upperclassmen and alumni. Mentors help guide students as they work on a business model, crafting pitches, putting together poster boards and presenting their business concepts.
A panel of judges heard from the top five teams, which has included apps to help motivate kids to do chores and an easier way to make international phone calls.
At the end of the workshop, computer engineer and business major Tejesh Bhimavarapu from Shakopee ‘22, said he’s strongly considering an entrepreneurship minor.
“What really stood out to me is they used the word empathy,” Bhimavarapu said. “Empathy is really important. If I develop something that’s very near and dear to me, that’s where I’m going to find that passion to push forward.”
For more information about entrepreneurship degrees and programs offered at the University of St. Thomas, check out the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship.