UCLA Ideathon
In the lead up to the UCLA Cross Campus Innovation Challenge and the Knapp Venture Competition, UCLA Anderson & UCLA Samueli are collaborating to support startup team formation, blue-sky thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit with a focus on ideas with an impact.
This UCLA Campus-Wide Ideathon is free and open to students from all disciplines, offering not only workshops and idea sprints from the experts below, but also a unique opportunity for idea generation and fostering tech-based entrepreneurship.
Participants will engage in two unique workshops to brainstorm, develop, and refine innovative ideas tackling real-world challenges. The workshops will emphasize collaborative problem-solving, creative thinking techniques, and strategies for turning concepts into actionable plans. Afterwards, we will all come together for a networking lunch! This is a fantastic opportunity to meet and connect with like-minded entrepreneurial individuals from across campus, fostering a vibrant community of innovators eager to collaborate and bring fresh ideas to life.
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Creative Ideation to Solve Societal Challenges, with Ketav Mehta
In a world facing critical challenges in society, the need for bold, transformative solutions has never been greater. Every groundbreaking solution starts with an innovative idea, and this Ideathon is designed to ignite that spark. We’ll kick off with an interactive workshop to cultivate expansive, out-of-the-box thinking, equipping participants with creative problem-solving frameworks and guiding them through pressing societal issues. Drawing inspiration from pioneering companies making a difference, participants will work together to come up with problem statements to transform into solutions.
From Idea to Impact: Mastering Customer Discovery & Business Model Design, with Mel Bulu Taciroglu
In this session, we’ll explore the essentials of customer discovery, hypothesis building, and crafting a sustainable business model. Learn the dos and don'ts of validating customer needs, testing assumptions, and iterating your value proposition. Whether you're a startup founder or an innovator, this talk will provide actionable insights and proven techniques to turn ideas into successful businesses while avoiding common pitfalls.
Networking Lunch
There will be a hosted lunch for all of our attendees, a great opportunity to meet likeminded innovators, discuss the day's content, and form teams for the competitions!
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Meet our speakers:
Ketav Mehta, is a partner at climate tech focused VC fund (Motus Ventures) and venture studio (Spark Studios).
Mel Bulu Taciroglu, is the Executive Director of UCLA I-Corps and a senior lecturer of finance and economics.
Join us in cultivating innovative solutions that transcend disciplinary boundaries and propel forward the spirit of entrepreneurship, ultimately benefiting our society!
Looking for teammates for the Innovation Challenge?
Check out our Team Formation Platform (coming soon)!
Or join our Innovation Challenge Slack!