Reflections on the Semester

For my last post, I wanted to take the time to reflect on the semester and the journey we have taken together.  This class and its format was a completely new experience for me, loosely structured and open-ended.  We were given some guidelines, but had the ability to explore our own venture ideas and options in the ways we thought were best.  I remember struggling the first few classes, not sure how to even come up with a social venture concept.  In many ways I was intimidated by the freedom we were given especially coming from an undergrad program that typically provided us strict guidelines and projects.  However urged on by Professor and inspired by my peers, I slowly began to think as an entrepreneur and alongside Nate developed the business plans for BrainWave.

Week after week, the class allowed me to obtain new skills in the art of developing, marketing, and running a social venture.  From elevator pitches to feasibility presentations, we were taught how to present our concepts in the best light possible. We learned to convince people of their sustainability and make individuals want to invest in us and our ideas.  If ever intimidated by public speaking, the Social Innovation Incubator quickly helped everyone get over their fears and market themselves.  The class also allowed us the chance to completely develop a business plan for our venture from start to finish.  We had the chance (especially with our final report) to expand on how our venture would look down to the smallest details and aided with financial statements, implementation schedules, and social impact assessments. This procedure imparted many particular skills that I am positive I will employ in my future endeavors.

The class also gave way to many interesting and thought-provoking conversations supplemented by our readings and blog posts. We analyzed how to measure social impact as well as failure.  We talked about the possibility of failure in the present moment but then having a large influence in the future. Many people posted about inspirational people, events, and organizations.  This aspect of the course altered my view of social ventures as a whole and made me realize the huge impact they can have on their surrounding areas.

Lastly, this class made me go from someone intimidated by the freedom to create and imagine, to someone who enjoys discussing and hypothesizing about future organizations or ventures. I am still slightly surprised when I find myself thinking about the sustainability of a possible organization or daydreaming about how to form a particular venture. I am thankful for the opportunity to take this class and impressed by the skills and knowledge I have gained through it. Plus I know that one of my classmates will probably hit it big in the entrepreneur sector some day in the future. That in itself is a good feeling.