Entrepreneurship Week at Stanford

Posted by travis.kiefer

January 8, 2008

From February 22nd to the 29th, Stanford is having a week full of entrepreneurial fun! I noticed the Entrepreneurship Week website while surfing sometime early in my Winter Break, but just recently have I had the time to check out everything the site has to offer. I’m super excited for this week to come around and I’ve been marking the times for all of the activities in my calendar. What’s interesting to note is that the Gumball Capital/Challenge group was born through the Innovation Tournament, which is the main activity throughout the week. Here’s a quick synopsis of Entrepreneurship Week.

Overview & History

Entrepreneurship Week was started in 2007 by the Stanford Entrepreneurship Network as a way to provide diverse information sessions, exciting events, and amazing networking opportunities for students passionate about entrepreneurship. One of the main reasons it was a HUGE success last year and will likely be one this year is that students and the Stanford community at large “recognize that the 21st Century will belong to innovators who can turn ideas into action.” The site goes on to state that “this applies more than ever to today’s students, who need to be self-starters and possess an entrepreneurial mindset, regardless of what they go on to do in life.” Clearly, this statement supports my motto that entrepreneurship isn’t a career but rather a way of life (just a little shameless self promotion… …)

Imagine It & The Innovation Challenge

Imagine It is a documentary about last years Innovation Challenge. With supporters such as Stanford President John Hennessy, it’s hard to see how the Innovation Challenge could not be a success. A trailer can be viewed on their website and shows how a variety of teams created the most value, however they defined it, with Post It notes. This year will feature a new everyday object, and to learn more and/or create a team, visit the sign up page.

Panels & Workshops Galore

From a Creativity Workshop to Speed Dating with VC’s, there’s a panel for everyone interested in some aspect of entrepreneurship. The panels are spread out throughout the week, and are hosted by a variety of organizations. Different information on how to make a startup successful, finding out which entrepreneurship organizations are on campus, and opportunities to learn more about Global Entrepreneurship appear to be some of the highlights of what’s available. Another cool thing is that one of my favorite classes called Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders will have one of their speakers present in a larger auditorium available to a general audience of Stanford University. A calendar for all of the activities exists here.

Organizations Involved & Conclusion

A large number of organizations are involved to make this week a success, and many of which have websites I haven’t fully explored. Not only is this week going to be informative and fun for me, I’m learning more about what resources are available to aspiring collegiate entrepreneurs, both on campus and elsewhere. As I review these resources, I’ll post my thoughts here on the blog. As for a quick list of those involved, check out this page.

Quick Treat

Scroll to the bottom of the Entrepreneurship Week blog and check out the video clips on the Art of Fundraising as presented by Professor Kathleen Eisenhardt, who is an Ascherman Frofessor and Co-Director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program.