Entrepreneurship

IMSA Entrepreneurship

The IMSA Entrepreneurship Program is a collection of applied learning experiences designed to inspire entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking. Using design thinking and Lean Startup methodologies, the program provides participants with experiences that inspire and challenge them to explore and create inventive solutions to real-world problems facing their communities.

TALENT

Youth-led/Lean Start-up based program for participants to incubate their ideas and meet business mentors.

Power Pitch

Annual student business idea pitch competition held in April each year.

ABOUT
IMSA Power Pitch is a Business/Idea Pitch Competition for students in grades 9 through 12. Young entrepreneurs from across the United States are encouraged to apply to what is considered one of the best business/idea pitch competitions in the region. The competition is hosted by the Steven and Jamie Chen Center for Innovation & Inquiry (IN2) at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) in Aurora, Illinois.

Project Teams

Industry partner dedicated business projects, student-independent projects and professional business mentors for students.  Apply here to be a project team (IMSA students only).

TALENT Ignite Summer Entrepreneurship Program

The TALENT (Total Applied Learning for Entrepreneurs) Ignite Summer Camp teaches students from 7th-9th grade the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship, to equip students with the necessary mindset and skills to develop their own product ideas. The concepts taught include: ideation, branding, market research, pitching, and much more. Modules are a mixture of lecture and activity-based learning; this interactive approach promotes active participation from students, encouraging deeper understanding of the material. The camp will culminate with a pitch competition judged by experienced entrepreneurs.

This camp is led by student facilitators from the IMSA TALENT (Total Applied Learning for Entrepreneurs) program who are experienced and knowledgeable guides in the creation of marketable ideas.  For more information about this program contact Steve Goldblatt at sgoldblatt@imsa.edu

Summer 2024 Program offerings:

TALENT Ignite:
The TALENT Ignite Summer Camp teaches students from 7th-9th grade the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship, to equip students with the necessary mindset and skills to develop their own product ideas. The concepts taught include: ideation, branding, market research, pitching, and much more. Modules are a mixture of lecture and activity-based learning; this interactive approach promotes active participation from students, encouraging deeper understanding of the material. The camp will culminate with a pitch competition judged by experienced entrepreneurs.
This camp is led by student facilitators from the IMSA TALENT (Total Applied Learning for Entrepreneurs) program who are experienced and knowledgeable guides in the creation of marketable ideas.
Lifecycle of a Startup:
Experience the first year of a Start-Up in one week. This business incubator boot camp is an action-packed simulation game about entrepreneurship for teams. It realistically simulates starting a new tech business from scratch: developing an idea into a product or service, finding partners, creating a business model, designing marketing plans and media, raising investment from investors and sales. The goal is to end the week by making a profit (on paper). The experience involves teamwork and problem solving to overcome unexpected challenges that occur during the lifecycle of a business. Participants may use this experience as a springboard to enter contests like IMSA’s Power Pitch competition. This camp is presented by the original developer, Carl Heine along with IMSA TALENT (Total Applied Learning for Entrepreneurs)

Contact

Steve Goldblatt

Program Manager Entrepreneurship and Innovation
sgoldblatt@imsa.edu
630.907.5800