Student Finds Entrepreneurship Course Direction Driven
Ashley Maggioli
When Ashley Maggioli registered for ENTR 48000, Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation capstone course, she didn’t realize how entrepreneurship could be incorporated into her future goal of working at an international company.
Maggioli, a finance major in Krannert School of Management’s BS + Master’s degree program, wanted to expose herself to entrepreneurship opportunities at Purdue. “I have an entrepreneurial mindset and have even been in the early stages of a business. I was able to take ENTR 48000 in the spring of 2016. The course opened my eyes to what the definition of entrepreneurship is. Entrepreneurs are not always business owners; some are entrepreneurial within a company.”
ENTR 48000 is often referred as “Your Entrepreneurial Career,” course. Students create a personal business plan to outline their entrepreneurial path in or outside of an organization, prepare implementable business plan segments, hear from successful entrepreneurs and executives, and expand entrepreneurial and personal career paths through readings and teamwork.
“Guest speakers are an important part of the course. They bring real life to the classroom. Hearing of successes and failures brings perspective to what the instructor teaches. I remember one speaker in particular discussing negotiations. I learned that most companies have less flexibility on salary than they do on other benefits such as vacation. Information like this is applicable to my future.”
Kris Taylor, ENTR 48000 Instructor, said the class is divided into groups, each working on a startup business they conceptualized. “The group must pitch the idea to a panel of potential investors at the end of the semester. Each group is made up of students from a diverse background which lays a solid foundation for students to bring something unique to the table. Group work structured like this allows students to take their experiences and excel in diverse settings in the workplace.”
Magoioli said her group developed a wellness App that would connect health trainers to their trainees. “The idea behind the App was to establish better communication between the trainer and the trainee, resulting in an increase of health goals met. Each member was responsible for a part of the project, I developed the financials.”
Nathalie Duval-Couetil, Technology, Leadership and Innovation Associate Professor and Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Director, said students who take our courses are often able to deliver results among diverse populations much more efficient and seamless than most college students who are just starting in the job market. Our program is open to any undergraduate major at Purdue. This multidisciplinary approach benefits the students in many ways during and after their time at Purdue.
Maggioli came back to ENTR 48000, this time as a teaching assistant. “I enjoyed the class and wanted to keep learning about entrepreneurship, as much as I could, before I graduate in May.”