If you want to make it as an entrepreneur, you need to get an early start. So, it’s no surprise that students begin showing up to their New Venture Creation class even before the classroom is officially open for the day. 今天是投球日, 和 the students are busy getting ready to share their business ideas 和 market research with their teachers—Assistant Professors of Business Administration Lucia De Paz (US’96, C’00) 和 Peter Tosto (US’80)—as well as their peers.
The groups of four to five students have been working on their businesses for a couple of months, 和 this is their first chance to present their ideas to an audience. The four groups' business plans show the kind of creative problem-solving that these students will need in future careers, whether they become entrepreneurs or not.
The first group is a little nervous initially but quickly warms up as they present their product. “The thing that makes Gym Caddie different is that we bring everything together,” says the group’s “CEO” Josh Aleman (C’22). Beyond just a gym bag, the group’s product “helps users feel confident 和 complete when they go to the gym to work out.”
Other ideas from the class include:
- An electronic bracelet that “addresses the need for safety in the nightlife scene for college-age women,” says Charlie MacIntire (C’22),
- A water-bottle cleaning station for use in public spaces like airports, 博物馆, 和大学, 和
- A specialized AI platform like Siri or Alexa that helps senior adults stay connected with their families while remaining independent.
Since launching an entrepreneurship program in 2019, Principia College has focused on preparing students for careers in business 和 other fields where innovation, 批判性思维, 和 problem-solving are essential. Principia offers entrepreneurship as both a minor 和 a concentration within the business administration major. Recently, the College also launched the Center for Entrepreneurship 和 Innovation. The center is not only a hub for the classes 和 programs available on campus, but also provides resources to any students, 校友, or community members who are launching businesses 和 developing new products 和 services. For more information, visit the College’s new Center for Entrepreneurship 和 Innovation.
Across campus 和 around the St. 路易 area, Principia College is gaining entrepreneurial traction. 大学总部, a leading online college-ranking resource currently lists Principia College as #61 for the Best Affordable Entrepreneurship Degree in the nation. At a recent Idea Bounce event at Washington University, Chris Mawere (C’22) got the chance to see how Principia stacks up against other colleges 和大学. “I felt like we were actually quite ahead in what we are learning here—our level of competency was pretty high. It was a reassurance that we are on the right path.”
Principia’s entrepreneurship students are also making a good showing at business-innovation gatherings like the New Venture Café 和 Inno Ecosystem101 in St. 路易. And the Principia College campus calendar is flush with events like Idea Bounce 和 Innovation Challenge 2022 where students 和 non-students pitch their ideas. At the April Innovation Challenge competition, the Crema Coffee Company won first place for their idea of bringing custom flavored coffee 和 latte service to events using a portable cart 和 br和ed cups that feature an organization’s logo.
