A Mind for Innovation: Teaching an Entrepreneurial Mindset
The range of offerings at Tufts Gordon Institute creates multiple opportunities for student experiences starting at an introductory level, and then providing deeper and deeper experiences with each additional program a student may pursue. For Saumya Mehta, MSIM ‘24, this kind of cross-sectional journey has been transformational. After earning an undergraduate degree in Engineering Psychology at Tufts, Saumya looked to the MS in Innovation & Management (MSIM) program to tie together what he had learned during his undergraduate studies with practical skills in innovation and leadership to take the next step in his career.
Saumya had always been passionate about education and used the skills he gained during the MSIM program to launch Mosaic Minds, a creative education platform empowering high school students to embrace entrepreneurial thinking and action-based learning through live, online programs. When the opportunity arose to work as Lead Teaching Assistant for the Derby Entrepreneurship Center’s Entrepreneurship Pre-College Program, he eagerly applied. His work helping pre-college students discover their own entrepreneurial mindset ended up being just as impactful for him, leading to the next evolution in Mosaic Minds.
We sat down with Saumya to discuss his time in the MSIM program and how teaching during the Entrepreneurship Pre-College Program inspired him.
Why did you decide to earn your MSIM degree at Tufts?
For me, MSIM felt like the culmination of a variety of experiences and epiphanies over the years. It felt like the perfect next step — a way to experiment, apply my interdisciplinary background, and develop the entrepreneurial skills I needed. Over my four years at Tufts as an undergrad, I’d been exposed to a wide range of subjects, from religion and philosophy to computer science and mechanical engineering, and I often found myself making connections between them, jotting down hundreds of notes on my phone. When I started seriously looking at MSIM at the start of senior year, it felt like the perfect way to tie together everything I had learned, observed, and become passionate about. Tufts instilled in me a sense of social responsibility that I felt deeply connected to my entrepreneurial inclinations, and MSIM seemed to embody that spirit. Conversations with alumni, current students, and eventually Kevin Oye, the program director, reinforced that belief. So when I got admitted to MSIM, it was an easy "yes."
What stood out to me most about the MSIM program was its focus on practicality. Every conversation felt grounded in real-world applications, and every course emphasized skills that we could take beyond the classroom. We weren't just learning concepts; we were applying them. From building financial statements to conducting customer discovery research, prototyping solutions, and user testing, MSIM equipped us with the tools we would use in our professional lives. We even participated in pitch competitions, attended accelerators, and went to conferences to promote or investigate our solutions—activities that directly mirrored what we’d do after graduation. It was this real-world relevance that made the program feel transformative. A particularly memorable moment was in Frank Apeseche’s finance class, where our problem sets were designed to apply corporate finance concepts to real-life situations like deciding whether to buy or lease a car, purchasing a home, or choosing between saving and investing.
"The biggest surprise was how practical, relevant, and transformative the program was. It was a bridge between theory and the real world, which is exactly what education, in my view, should be — preparing us for the world beyond the classroom."
What was your inspiration for becoming a Teaching Assistant for the Entrepreneurship Pre-College Program?
When I was given the chance to be the Lead TA for the Pre-College Entrepreneurship Program, I immediately saw it as an opportunity to be the resource for high school students that I wish I had had when I was their age. Being able to help guide them, encourage them to explore their interests early, and equip them with the tools and confidence to experiment was nothing short of an honor for me. This experience is also directly tied into my work with Mosaic Minds, where the mission is to create those opportunities for high schoolers—opportunities to build, explore, and shape their futures based on curiosity and real-world learning rather than simply following prescribed paths. That’s why working with the pre-college students was so meaningful. We divided up the sessions among the TAs based on our strengths, which allowed us to take ownership of the material we felt most connected to. For me, that meant teaching lean and design thinking, two areas I’m incredibly passionate about. I also played an active role in designing the project-based workshops that followed each day’s lunch, where students got the chance to put their learnings into action.
Teaching this program not only allowed me to hone my own teaching style but also pushed me to grow in ways I hadn’t expected. I discovered plenty of areas I could improve as an educator, and this experience gave me the platform to understand how I can be better! I learned to be more flexible, to embrace the unexpected, and to trust in the process, even when things didn’t go exactly according to plan. Most importantly, I learned that education—when done right—can be transformative regardless of whether it is at a master’s level like in MSIM or high school. It was an honor to be a part of these students’ journey of career discovery and college exploration, to help them build confidence in their abilities, and to ignite their curiosity in ways that will hopefully stay with them for a long time.
How did your experience with the pre-college program inspire your new venture?
My experience in the Pre-College Entrepreneurship Program was nothing short of incredible, and it directly inspired the direction in which I am now taking Mosaic Minds. I initially wanted it to be more of a 1:1, micro-learning program for students, but seeing the students flourish in a collaborative environment inspired me to make it a live, cohort-based learning program, albeit virtual in its early stages. During the pre-college program, I saw firsthand the immense potential that high school students have when they're given the right tools, support, and freedom to explore their interests. I realized that many of these students had never experienced project-based, real-world learning before, and yet when they were given the chance, they flourished.
The more I worked with these students, the more I became convinced that the current education system doesn’t provide enough opportunities for young people to discover their passions early on. The traditional model often leaves exploration until much later—college or even beyond—which is far too late for many. This realization became the catalyst for Mosaic Minds, my venture designed to bring project-based, entrepreneurial education to high school students in a more meaningful and personalized way. Mosaic Minds is all about creating opportunities for students to explore their curiosities, experiment with new skills, and ultimately build their own unique life experiences early on—when it matters most.
Do you feel the MSIM prepared you to take on this new inspiration and build it into a venture?
Without question, the MSIM program prepared me to not only take on this inspiration but to transform it into a tangible, impactful venture. From the very beginning of the program, MSIM pushed me out of my comfort zone and into a space of constant experimentation and real-world application. It wasn’t just about learning entrepreneurial theory; it was about doing… MSIM was always about action. This approach has been instrumental in helping me launch Mosaic Minds because it mirrors the very ethos of what I want my venture to embody—learning by doing.
"The MSIM also made me realize that an entrepreneurial mindset is valuable far beyond the realm of entrepreneurship itself. It’s a way of thinking that can serve you well throughout life—whether you’re launching a startup, pursuing a career in a completely different field, or simply navigating the complexities of the world."
MSIM ingrained in me the idea that an entrepreneurial mindset is about more than just creating businesses — it’s about curiosity, adaptability, problem-solving, and resilience. These are lifelong skills, and when introduced to students at a younger age, when their curiosities are ripe and their brains more adaptable, the impact can be profound. This insight has become a cornerstone of Mosaic Minds: to foster that mindset early on so that students are not only equipped for entrepreneurial endeavors but for anything they choose to pursue. Additionally, I learned that plans rarely unfold exactly how you envision them, but with the right mindset, you can pivot and find new solutions.
Through my time in the program and working with high school students in the pre-college course, I saw the disconnect between what students are often taught and what they actually need to succeed in today’s world. MSIM helped me bridge that gap, and now I’m channeling everything I’ve learned into Mosaic Minds to ensure that the next generation of students doesn’t face those same limitations. I want them to be empowered, curious, and equipped with the real-world skills that will help them thrive, no matter what path they choose.
Tell me something you're looking forward to in the future!
In the short term, I’m looking forward to launching Mosaic Minds’ first slate of live, virtual programs in Q1 2025. It’s been a long time in the making, and I’m excited to finally see these programs come to life and create impactful learning experiences for high school students. I’m currently recruiting instructors for the programs. This is just the beginning, and I’m eager to witness the curiosity and creativity these students bring to the table. Long term, I’m deeply committed to giving back to the TGI and Derby Entrepreneurship Center community. Tufts has shaped my journey over the past five years, and I want to contribute to TGI’s vision to make education as transformative for future students as it was for me.