Summer Catalyst: Week 3
During Week 3 of Summer Catalyst, participants engaged in an innovative round of Team Updates, along with expert office hours, Lunch & Learns, and Hot Seat sessions. This week in particular highlighted a significant part of the entrepreneurial journey: personal discovery, development, and growth.
Monday
For this week’s Team Updates session, participants were split up into smaller groups. They presented their goals for the upcoming week along with their “asks.” This new, interactive strategy enabled everyone to ask clarifying questions, offer instant feedback, and brainstorm ideas. Furthermore, this session fostered greater collaboration. Participants eagerly supported their fellow entrepreneurs in a variety of ways by reviewing website content, providing helpful resources, introducing new contacts, and more. Working alongside a group of likeminded, passionate entrepreneurs enables Summer Catalyst members to ask for help and learn from one another.
Tuesday
During Hot Seat, Mild Suwanpimolkul MBA ‘21 pitched her venture ReServe, a brand of innovative, stylish, and sustainable products. Afterwards, she entered a rebuild session to work on revamping the pitch.
In general, being in the Hot Seat involves receiving a lot of constructive criticism, which isn’t always easy. Nevertheless, it’s an incredible opportunity to learn, develop presentation skills, and work toward building a compelling pitch. Summer Catalyst provides an opportunity for all participants to practice embracing and delivering constructive feedback, both of which are important skills to learn. Snaps to that!
Wednesday
Today, teams participated in an interactive and informative Lunch & Learn session about branding with Beth Goldstein. Beth focused primarily on branding and presenting yourself as an entrepreneurial leader. She described how brands are about emotions, trust, and customer experience. So, ask yourself – what is the one word that describes the emotion you want people to feel and affiliate with your brand?
Participants learned how to utilize a four step brand methodology:
- A brief but compelling statement that describes your brand benefit and value
- A concise description of your expertise or experience
- Proof that demonstrates your credibility or unique brand value
- An invite for the next step
They engaged in an exercise to practice developing and pitching their own personal brands. Participants were split up into groups, to apply the new skills they learned, present their pitches, and receive instant feedback.
Thursday
On day four, Anna Bilha ’21 was in the Hot Seat pitching for her startup Activly, a workout customizer app and fitness hub. Then she participated in a rebuild session with her Babson peers and mentors to work on improving the pitch.
What’s in store for next week?
The schedule for next week is packed with various exciting activities, including a Pro Forma Workshop with Angelo Santinelli, an Intellectual Property “Ask Me Anything” with Aaron Enatsky, a talk with Debi Kleiman about her new book First Pitch, and a Lunch and Learn on brand building with Doug Fox. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage in Team Updates, Coffee Meetups, Hot Seat sessions, and expert office hours.
