CLASS HIGHLIGHTS

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT TUFTS

Did you know that Tufts has a buzzing innovation and entrepreneurship scene? In the last academic year alone, over 600 undergraduate students took at least one course in our award-winning entrepreneurship program, administered by the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts (DEC), which is part of the Tufts Gordon Institute.

The entrepreneurship (ENT) minor is the most popular minor on campus. Students learn to work and think like entrepreneurs through five courses taught by practicing innovators and entrepreneurs. The ENT minor helps you develop the mindset and skillset that will help you succeed everywhere—in school, in a startup, in a company, in a nonprofit, even in government.

Our academic program is supported by programs and activities outside the classroom that help students learn—including 1x1 coaching, workshops and events, competitions and prizes, and a full-time summer venture accelerator.

In the past two years, we have been hard at work redesigning our academic and co-curricular content to meet the diverse interests and needs of our rapidly growing student base in an equitable manner. In recognition of our efforts, the DEC received the 2022 Excellence in Curriculum Innovation in Entrepreneurship Award from the Deshpande Foundation for our work to increase access to entrepreneurial education.

Learn more about the Entrepreneurship Program and the entrepreneurship minor: https://go.tufts.edu/entminor

Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurial Thinking: This introductory course is designed for students curious about how to unleash their creative spirits to solve big problems with innovative solutions. You will learn a variety of skills, including ideation techniques, design thinking, and more to help stimulate brainstorming and creativity. You will apply these skills in rapid ideation workshops, where you will repeatedly challenge your brain to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to real world problems in startup, corporate, nonprofit, and government settings. You will develop creative problem-solving capabilities that can help you succeed in personal and professional settings. —Wendy Grossman, Co-founder, Creative Re/Frame; Avital Shira, Director of Strategy and Engagement, Creative Re/Frame

Paths to Entrepreneurship: There is not one path to entrepreneurship. In this course, students learn and unlearn what it means to be an entrepreneur and the various paths one can take. Whether starting in a traditional corporate job, joining a startup, creating content as an influencer on social media, working on a social problem, or monetizing your side hustle, students will learn from experts in the field how to leverage their experiences at Tufts and beyond to progress towards their goals. Students will engage in discussions and workshops to understand their narrative and envision their entrepreneurial future. — Phillip Ellison, Serial Entrepreneur & Consultant; Alex Ocampo, Founder, Stealth Startup

Entrepreneurship and Business Planning: There is no better way to understand how to create, plan, and run a business than to learn how to start one. This course introduces the core mindset and skillset behind new venture creation. Students will learn how to systematically explore their own passions and desire for impact to find problems worth solving, team up with other students with similar industry or sector interests, and learn how to build a new, standalone venture by building and pitching one during the semester. The mindset and skillset you will learn will form a strong foundation for you to further explore additional topics in innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. — Elaine Chen, Professor of the Practice, Entrepreneurship and Founder and MD, ConceptSpring; Tina Weber, Founder & CEO, A Starting Line