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The Thought Into Action Entrepreneur Institute is charged with fostering an entrepreneurial spirit at Colgate.
As founder and current mentor Andy Greenfield ’74, P’12 wrote in an oped for Hechinger Report:
“Liberal arts graduates have great basic training for turning an idea into an action. The school from which I graduated, Colgate University, prepared me for the rocky road of entrepreneurship by teaching me to think critically, communicate well, and to ask the question “What if?”
“What if” is the foundation of entrepreneurship at Colgate. In the spring, three groups of students asked a distinguished panel of CEO’s and tech investors including Ashton Kutcher, airbnb CEO Brian Chesky and eBay CEO John Donahoe.
“What if there was a way to help the aging population?” asked Ariel Sherry ’15.
“What if there was another way to connect investors and financial planners?” asked Daniel Swiecki ’14 and Josh Lasker ’14.
“What if there was an app to find a plus-one date for events?” asked Katie Rydell ’14 and Amara Wilson ’14.
The students behind these questions had a chance to pitch to Colgate’s version of the shark tank during the 3rd annual Entrepreneur Weekend. A star studded group attended the Friday night event that was packed with students and alumni. In previous years, Entrepreneur weekend played host to Sheryl Sandberg and Richard Branson.
The thought Into Action Institute at Colgate University helps students ask “what if?”, then offers the mentorship and opportunity to turn the project into more than just an idea.