Summer Villanova Business Magazine 2012

Page 30

28

ICE CENTER

Sophomore students brainstorm new products and services for a visually impaired market while wearing masks that simulate different levels of visual impairment during an interactive ICE CaPS session. Michael Greco ’12 VSB (right) and his teammates discuss the functionality and design of a new mobile application.

Failure Is an Innovative Option

be the art critic than the artist. We need to be more focused on creating the artist.

Creativity, and Entrepreneurship (ICE

Just two months into her

cultivate these skills at the start of their

college career, Megan Earl ’15 VSB

college education and to help students

learned she would have to develop

discover that they are capable of innova-

an idea for an innovative new product.

tion and problem solving. As part of the

“I was worried,” she says. “I did not

assignment, the student teams develop

consider myself as a very creative

a new product or service, write an

person.” Soon enough, however, Earl

executive summary, and deliver an

and her team created iVote, a mobile

in-class pitch. The winning team from

application designed to drive more

each section of Business Dynamics

young people to vote by providing

continues on to compete against one

timely political information on issues

another in a larger Villanova event

and candidates in concise bullet points.

called IdeaBounce®.

“I realized that people claim they don’t

Before they decided to create

participate in voting because they

iVote, Earl and her team spent hours

don’t know the details of the elections,”

brainstorming ideas, which is an impor-

said Earl. “The challenge to think of a

tant objective of the challenge. “The

new product motivated me to address

ICE Challenge was an extraordinary

this problem.”

experience that allowed me to use my

iVote is just one of many ideas that

villanova business  |  summer 2012

Center) designed the ICE Challenge to

creativity in a new, business-oriented

VSB freshmen have developed as part of

way,” said Earl. “It showed me that I can

the ICE Challenge, a project embedded

take several simple concepts that are

within the first-year Business Dynamics

seemingly unrelated and turn them into

course. Hoping to ignite and nurture the

an idea that can bring change to a tradi-

entrepreneurial spirit among students

tional system. I now have the confidence

and motivate them to use creativity

to know that my thoughts and ideas can

to succeed, the Center for Innovation,

make a difference in today’s society.”

PHOTO: PAUL CRANE

“ It is far easier to

The Challenge Begins


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.