By Ain Center Staff

Being an entrepreneur means being a leader. It requires steering a group of people toward a certain vision while navigating inevitable pitfalls. It entails an understanding of and ability to implement frameworks to transform an idea into reality. It necessitates a rise to challenges, as well as the determination to learn from failure. Being an entrepreneur is more than monitoring profit and loss; the experience is about becoming a better version of the self.

This is why the Ain Center is excited to debut its new partnership with the Office of the Dean of Students’ Medallion Program. The Medallion Program is an initiative that “aims to educate student leaders by providing opportunities for intentional learning, self-reflection, and skill development.” Bolstered by a variety of training sessions, this is a professional development program that focuses on a student’s leadership skills. The Ain Center has collaborated with ODOS to create a new Entrepreneurship Track within the program to offer students a structured, entrepreneurial leadership experience.

The Entrepreneurship Track is designed for innovative-minded students who aim to deepen their leadership skills while assembling their entrepreneurial “toolkit.” The blend of leadership and entrepreneurship workshops – plus the culminating experiential project – will immerse students in what it means to be an entrepreneurial leader.

Fully integrated into the basic requirements of the Medallion Program, the Entrepreneurship Track provides opportunities at each of the program’s three levels. This starts with six entrepreneurship-focused workshops that fold into the required leadership workshops of Levels 1 and 2. These workshops cover some essential topics:

• Team Building
• Voice of the Customer
• Learning from Failure
• Business Planning
• Startup Finances
• Pitching and Storytelling

Ultimately, the Track culminates in a Level 3 entrepreneurship-focused experiential learning opportunity. This is shaped by the student and guided by the Ain Center. A sort of capstone, this is a chance for students to test out the skills they gain through Levels 1 and 2, and to actually create something of their own. This could be a range of things, such as making measurable progress on an entrepreneurial project or venture, or developing and delivering a workshop to support the entrepreneurial activities of the Ain Center. The flexibility of the Level 3 project will let students dive deep into what they’re passionate about. And, once the program is complete, participants will have a solid foundation to build upon as they continue to grow as an innovative leader.

Ready to learn more about the Track and get started on the program? Contact Matthew Spielmann, Senior Program Manager at the Ain Center, to sign up!