Northern Kentucky University’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), part of the Haile/US Bank College of Business, hosts its JumpStart program on April 4 and 5. Nearly 50 students from Boone County High School will travel to NKU to learn the fundamentals of business.
JumpStart, sponsored by Connetic Ventures, teaches students how to formulate ideas and build teams to validate and implement opportunities that have been identified. Through workshops, guest speakers and site visits, student learn basics of entrepreneurship and ideation. The program wraps up with a pitch session in front of a panel of experts.
“JumpStart’s goal is to create fun activities that engage these high school students and maybe light a spark of entrepreneurship in them,” said Rodney D’Souza, director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “We start with ideation and teach them to view a problem as an opportunity. They realize there are multiple solutions to the problem and work to identify what the customer needs. It’s really the road map for entrepreneurism.”
Connetic Ventures, a Covington-based angel investing firm specializing in startups, has been partnering with CIE for three years. Co-founder Brad Zapp says it was an easy decision to sponsor JumpStart.
“Connetic Ventures has a strong existing relationship with the CIE. We believe in building an entrepreneurial ecosystem, and support of programs like JumpStart helps with educating and encouraging future entrepreneurs in the community,” said Zapp.
Each group is judged on their pitch by the real value they are providing costumers, by demonstrating they stand out from competitors and finally by how they work as a team. JumpStart begins at 9 a.m. on April 4 and concludes at 1:30 p.m. on April 5. For more information, visit its website.
