Entrepreneurship. For many people, this word is associated with sinister meanings. Nervous people say,shark tank” are lined with deep blue sea creatures. The entrepreneurs are then placed in front of five fierce and quick-to-bite veterans of the business world, who evaluate their companies to the bone.
Tufts' Derby Entrepreneurship Center, housed in the Joyce Cummings Center, could not inspire a more contrasting environment. They greet everyone who enters with a friendly smile. Next to them, students can be seen enthusiastically cooperating with new projects. The innovative atmosphere is immediately apparent.
DEC opened in 2022 with a $9 million donation from. Former Center for Entrepreneurship Director Jack Darby and his wife Jean Darby. DEC is gordon institutepart of Tufts School of Engineering and Japan's first school specializing in education engineering leadership. DEC's programs include management, innovation, and of course —. entrepreneurship. Assistant Director Carol Denning DEC's goals were explained in detail.
“Our goal…is to help students have an entrepreneurial mindset and skill set that will help them in their future endeavors,” Denning said. “We recognize that the journey is different for each student, which is why we strive to meet students where they are and provide them with the right experience.”
DEC is currently led by: Elaine Chenself-proclaimed “Recovering Roboticist”” graduates Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After graduating, Cheng worked for 30 years in the Boston area, then returned to MIT to work as an entrepreneurial coach and instructor at the Martin He Trust Center. She was approached about the transition to Tufts by Gordon Institute Director Kevin Oye in 2019, where she has led DEC ever since. According to Chen,Location is critical to DEC's success. Chen has worked with startups in the Boston area for decades and understands the city's value as a hotbed of innovation.
“No city can do what Boston can do. There are so many schools in our ecosystem,” Chen said. “We aim to both bring Boston to Tufts and bring Tufts to Boston.”
To accomplish this, Tufts and other schools in the Boston area Cross University Student Innovator Mixer. Each event brings together hundreds of student innovators and is hosted by rotating hosts. Tufts University, MIT, Harvard University and boston university.
Mr. Chen's unique position as professor, advisor, and administrator embodies the Center's valuable focus on outreach and personal connections. On her academic side, she is responsible for her two minors available at the center. entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship for social impactin conjunction with Jonathan M. Tisch Civic Life University. Courses for these minors are: science of sales to speak in public, A spot was recently opened that is accessible to first-year students. minor. Entrepreneurship is Tufts' most popular minor, Chen said.
“We grew 14% [from last year]” said Chen. “She has 1,144 enrollments, including 735 unique students who have taken at least one course.”
Professor Jane Nuseteperson teaching prepare something new and ambitious leader, shares Mr. Chen's views on the entrepreneurship minor and the value of DEC.
“Gordon Institute and [DEC] That means there is a human element to thinking about and working on leadership development, so-called entrepreneurship skills development,” Nsete said. “Some of the questions that come up in our classes are big questions, and I think it's really important that schools consider those questions directly.”
Another aspect of DEC is that Chen believes:joint curriculum,” or the various initiatives and programs that DEC offers throughout the year. For example, DEC hosts speaker events and workshops, many of which are open to the public.Past speakers include: Tom Jessop, pLoyal digital asset residents, and Jocole “JC” Burton, CEO of Maven Construction, They talked about cryptocurrencies and sustainability, respectively. The workshops are available on demand on the center's website and include presentations such as: build a team by Tina Weber, adjunct senior lecturer at the Gordon Institute;
Additionally, in September 2023, the Center hosted the following events: innovation month For that Personal branding workshop and Entrepreneur Taco Social. Other programs are also available on an application basis. Entrepreneurial Initiative Fund And that Entrepreneurial Internship Program. The internship program connects students with local businesses (preferably those owned by Tufts alumni) and provides a 10-week stipend of $4,500.
The biggest attraction is $100,000 a year. New Venture Competition. Teams of students and recent graduates will pitch their startup ideas across three tracks: General, Social Impact, and Healthcare and Life Sciences.. in publicic venue will select five teams from each track following a year-long application process. Pitch your ideas to the judges, who will choose various winners. The 2024 final is scheduled to be held on Friday, April 5th.
Ms Chen expressed excitement about the proposals, which range from a unique dating app to the use of silk to treat burns. According to Chen, the competition highlights the intellectual diversity of the community.
“This is Tufts. We have an incredibly diverse student body here,” Chen said. “Tufts University students have a wide range of interests. 15 balls as you can see. ”
Some teams win and some lose, but Chen doesn't measure success by prize money.
“We don't measure success by how much money we raise,” Chen said. “We measure success by [asking]“Does this entrepreneur feel like he or she is reaching his or her full potential?”
In keeping with our deep-rooted culture of shaping a better future, DEC recently integrated a variety of new initiatives to make opportunities more accessible to the Tufts community. for example, On February 28th, we held our first ever Consumer Product Fair. This event, attended by his seven private vendors from across the Tufts community, showcased the hard work and creativity of the Tufts community at DEC.
The idea came about through Chen's discussions with second-year student entrepreneurs. Sadie Dodson.Dodson is founder of Dydson, One of the companies participating in the event.
“The fair was great,” Dodson said. “[It] It was really fun [to get] Showcasing a product…telling a business story…that was really cool to me because I had never done anything like that before. ”
The event was not only a great success, but also provided students with valuable entrepreneurial experience.
“I think I had an experience.” [for] Next time you do it…you'll know exactly what kind of products to bring and how to deal with it commercially. ” Mr. Dodson said.
Searching for the next great idea and your ticket to $100,000 may seem like a daunting task, but DEC is an educational place and we're committed to making your participation as smooth as possible.
“We really want this to be a learning experience. Whether this venture continues beyond Tufts or not, we hope you'll gain the skills you need to move on to your next idea.” I hope so,” Denning said.
Tufts is lucky to have DEC and DEC is lucky to have Tufts. DEC is a resource full of wisdom and expertise that enables the Tufts community to make a name for itself in the world and lead to a brighter future. One thing is for sure: neither side will say “I'm quitting.”