Tufts is hosting its second annual Innovation Month | So Good News

In late September, Tufts wrapped up its second annual Innovation Month. Launched by the Derby Center for Entrepreneurship at Tufts, the program aims to educate students about resources in the greater Boston area, help them develop real-life skills, and provide them with networking opportunities.

Elaine Chen, director of the Derby Center for Entrepreneurship at Tufts, is excited to celebrate Innovation Month in the coming years.

“Innovation Month is an annual celebration of the innovative spirit at Tufts,” Chen wrote in an email to the Daily. “Our goal is to introduce students to the rich resources at Tufts for students interested in learning to apply their innovation and entrepreneurial spirit and skills to solve real-life problems.”

He also emphasized the importance of holding the event in September.

“September is when more than 1,000 new students arrive on campus for the first time. This is a great time for us to introduce Tufts resources and other students who may not know what a great place Tufts is for innovative students to learn and thrive,” Chen wrote.

This year’s Innovation Month consisted of events organized or co-organized by AEC. Events range from Taco Social Entrepreneurship, a popular networking event paired with delicious food, to the Fletcher School D-Prize, which allows students to explore solutions to poverty through entrepreneurship, as well as $20,000 in cash. prize for implementing the winning solution.

Throughout September, AEC is partnering with a number of entrepreneurship-related student clubs and leaders, including Jumbo Ventures, Women Entrepreneurs at Tufts, Imaginet, 180 Degrees Consulting, and Product Studio.

Chen believes that AEC reflects the interdisciplinary spirit of Innovation Month and that AEC exemplifies it through its many partnerships.

“We partner with several other schools, including the Tisch College, the Fletcher School, the Institute for Food and Nutrition Innovation at the Friedman School, Identity Groups at Tufts, the NOLOP FAST Makerspace, and of course our parent organization, the Tufts Gordon Institute, as well as the School of Engineering Chen wrote.

Similarly, DEC programs have also proven to be very beneficial for students with special interests. Quina Yuan, a senior, is a student coordinator and marketing intern at DEC. He recalls seeing many students use DEC programs to develop and combine interdisciplinary interests with entrepreneurship.

“I’ve seen so many students grow so much through the many programs that Tufts has to offer,” Yuan said.

Tufts currently only offers a minor in entrepreneurship. However, Innovation Month gave students like Yuan a platform to explore entrepreneurship and personal business interests. Yuan points out that anyone with business-oriented interests can benefit from AEC through clubs and internship opportunities.

“If there’s one thing I want [students] “You have to know a lot about entrepreneurship to go to these events,” Yuan said. “Honestly, it’s all about networking and meeting new people.”

Yuan recommends that students use DEC events as a platform to network with other students and the professors in attendance.

For example, the Cross University Student Innovator Mixer, organized in partnership with MIT, attracted more than 200 participants from more than 20 universities in the greater Boston area.

“We have a lot of these events… ACE professors participate. So if students go and talk directly to any of them, it’s really very possible … to spark a lot of good conversations,” Yuan said. “It will be beneficial for them.”

Chen echoed that sentiment, explaining why he believes Innovation Month has such an impact on society.

“Tufts students are more innovative and entrepreneurial than they give themselves credit for! We want to use Innovation Month to showcase what an amazing ecosystem they are in, hear about the great achievements of recent alumni on campus, and help meet other student innovators and encourage them to innovate and grow. Entrepreneurial mindset and problem-solving skills,” Chen wrote.

As Innovation Month draws to a close, AEC is preparing to open applications for the Tufts Ideas Competition on October 15.

“The Tufts Ideas Competition is an inclusive, entry-level competition for current and undergraduate Tufts students (undergraduate and graduate) to develop an idea for how to narrow a given area of ​​interest to a worthwhile problem to solve. validate the solution with potential customers as well, and practice presenting it in front of an audience,” Chen wrote.

Chen encourages students who are eager to apply ideas to solve real-world problems. Past winners of the Tufts Ideas competition have presented a variety of ideas, including international financial support and healthcare solutions. Candidates can also access various support materials such as videos and winning proposals and attend office hours.