Marcus Johnson-Smith at IDEACon's Networking Like a Boss workshop

Tufts Innovators and Entrepreneurs Connect at IDEACon 2023

Tufts Gordon Institute and the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts hosted networking and creativity workshops at this year’s IDEACon, joined by MSIM students.

Tufts Gordon Institute (TGI) and the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts (DEC) were proud to support last week's IDEACon 2023, powered by Boston University’s Innovate@BU, for the third year in a row. IDEACon is an innovation convention for students and recent grads from Boston and beyond to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and innovators, as well as participate in entrepreneurship and leadership workshops.

Anushka Singh, MSIM '23 and CEO & Co-Founder of Kathalyst.ai giving an IGNITE talk

Anushka Singh, MSIM ‘23 and CEO & Co-Founder of Kathalyst.ai, gave an inspiring IGNITE talk at the event describing her journey that led from ideation to co-founding Kathalyst.ai. Formerly CodeAID, Kathalyst.ai began as an Innovation Sprint during Anushka’s time in Tufts Gordon Institute’s MS in Innovation & Management program.

Speaking to the experience, Anushka shared, ”The opportunity to share my story on the IDEACon stage was a humbling experience. I felt extremely inspired and motivated by listening to the stories of the keynote speakers and my fellow IGNITE Speakers. The workshops were fun and interactive, which combined learning with the opportunity to make new connections with the startup community in Boston. Overall, the conference harbored an inspiring and motivating environment for innovation to thrive."

Tufts Gordon Institute and the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts host a table at IDEACon

In addition to hosting hands-on workshops, Tufts Gordon Institute and the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts shared information about our programs and opportunities in leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship (as well as sweets and swag!).

Idicula Matthew, Co-Founder and CEO of Hera Health Solutions and Entrepreneur in Residence at DEC, and Marcus Johnson-Smith, Co-Founder & CMO of Kush Groove and Entrepreneur in Residence at DEC, hosted a “Networking Like a Boss” workshop. In this hands-on workshop, attendees practiced skills and tactics that will help even the most introverted person build a world-class professional network.

Jaime Paris Meseguer, MSIM ‘23 and Founder & CEO of PRONOVA, at the “Unleash Your Creativity Through Ideation” workshop

Kevin Oye, Executive Director of Tufts Gordon Institute and Jaime Paris Meseguer, MSIM ‘23 and Founder & CEO of PRONOVA, also hosted an “Unleash Your Creativity Through Ideation” workshop. This workshop delved into product design strategies that alternate between divergent and convergent thinking to bring out the best ideas and pick the most promising ones to further explore.

Check out upcoming events in innovation and entrepreneurship at the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts.

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