The University of Tampa Lowth Entrepreneurship Center is introducing a new program for aspiring entrepreneurs. In the new program, the Start-up Studio, participants can gain skills and competencies with short, flexible micro-credentials that focus on personal growth, skill development and transformation of the founder and the company.
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The Start-up Studio will offer three programs that will be open to company founders in the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center and to applicants outside of the center. The price for an individual session is $325; or $125 for student, educator or military. All programs will be held in the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center, which is on the eighth floor of the Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building on the UT campus.
Here are the three programs offered:
Ideation: Exploration and Concept Formation
This will be led by Alex Bruton, Ph.D. and will be held on Friday, Oct. 7 — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will focus on ideation workshop, creative problem-solving, ideation techniques, and design methodology.
Mindset
This will be led by with Rebecca J. White, Ph.D. and will be held on Friday, Oct. 21 — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In this session, participants will learn skills in the entrepreneurial mindset and founder habits, including:
- Personal habits that enhance creativity and ideation
- Personal leadership and the Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile
- Self-efficacy
- Networking skills
- Coachability
- Mental preparation for the journey (success and failure)
- Team building skills/working with others
- Personal finance assessment
Validation: Developing the Opportunity
This will be led by Joy Randels and will be held on Thursday, Nov. 3 and 17 — 6 to 9 p.m. This session will explain why validation is important in determining the need for a product or service through customer and market verification. Validation can be the hardest part of starting a business and is frequently skipped entirely. If entrepreneurs spend time to get this right, it almost guarantees a viable business.
