Preparing the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

By Hannah Gordon November 17, 2015

As an incoming freshman, you’ll no doubt have a million questions about college life. Questions like: why are my books so expensive? Will I ever decide on a major? Why is the library always crowded? How long can I survive on ramen noodles?

All of these uncertainties are perfectly normal. One question you shouldn’t have to ask, though, is how will I turn my ideas into action? There, Michigan’s campus-wide minor in entrepreneurship, administered through Innovate Blue, has you covered.

We all know that today’s world demands innovative thinkers: graduates from all backgrounds prepared to be highly collaborative problem solvers ready to tackle big challenges. At the University of Michigan we believe all students have the capacity to be innovators. The minor in entrepreneurship infuses diverse academic strengths into a unique experience of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Through a highly immersive academic experience, this minor provides students with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to build the skills attributed to entrepreneurial behavior and innovative thinking necessary to succeed.

At just fifteen credits, and available to all majors, no matter what school you’re in, the minor in entrepreneurship is a perfect fit for anyone who longs to take action and change the world.

Psychology student Chloe Sosenko says of the minor:

“My entrepreneurship academic journey is much more than just a class. It is teaching me a new way of thinking, innovating, and bringing value to the world. It instills the bigger picture and the ability to bring this mindset to all facets of my life. It’s much more than just coming up with a product or an idea, but a way of thinking and ultimately a way of learning that involves actually doing. We are being driven to understand the impact and potential that we could have on the world around us.”

More broadly, the minor equips students with an entrepreneurial mindset, an approach that drives us to see solutions, to build the relationships, to find the resources, to take the risks, and to learn from our mistakes as we strive to bring our ideas and ambition to fruition.

“If you really want to find out who you are, you need to DO what you are uncomfortable with… Entrepreneurship does not require any prior knowledge, but requires more of a passion to learn, try, and maybe fail,” says business administration student Praveen Loganathan.

According to Innovate Blue’s Director Oscar Ybarra:

“At Innovate Blue one important goal of our campus-wide programs on entrepreneurship is to help our students understand what adaptive thinking is for themselves, their teams, or the organizations they create. Students should be encouraged to develop expertise and to sharpen their disciplinary thinking, but just as important they have to be encouraged to engage with messy problems, with people who may be different than they are (from different backgrounds and disciplines), so that a healthy skepticism can be developed.”

If you aren’t afraid to learn, try, and maybe fail, check out Innovate Blue’s minor in entrepreneurship. More information can be found at http://innovateblue.umich.edu/academics/minor-in-entrepreneurship/.

Hannah
Hannah Gordon

is an Innovate Blue Student Associate