Training Tech Trailblazers
The digital era has created a wave of entrepreneurial initiatives, and Stevens is at the center of it. The School of Business takes great pride in its position within the Innovation University, as Stevens is known. Innovation is at the heart of everything we do, from updating curricula, to conducting research, to collaborating with industry. We strive to be a place where new ideas can flourish, and we believe that starts in the classroom.
A central tenet of the Stevens business education at every level is entrepreneurial experience. Whether students plan to launch their own startup after graduation or join a well-established company, entrepreneurial thinking is a valuable skill to bring into the digital work landscape. Through coursework and projects, Stevens students are trained to spot opportunities and act quickly, preparing them to make the most of fast-paced technological change.
Teaching students how to push the boundaries of knowledge is one of most important responsibilities we have as educators. Tomorrow will be built by the young minds in our classrooms today, so we owe it to them to give them the tools to think big. Both undergraduate and graduate business students at Stevens take courses focused on innovation, where they learn how to craft new realities using technology.
Undergraduates cap off their Stevens experience with a yearlong Senior Design project, where many students choose to take an entrepreneurial route. They create a real product, develop and execute a business plan, and collaborate with a faculty advisor to get their business market-ready. The experience culminates with the annual Innovation Expo, as graduating seniors from across the university showcase the fruits of their yearlong efforts. Students can also get involved with Launchpad, a successful Stevens-wide activity to assist and promote startup ideas.
Graduate students have the opportunity to work on their entrepreneurial ideas through the Industry Capstone Program and a successful collaboration with the Stevens Venture Center, where 30 industry experts are ready to help them launch their company. As a result, students graduate with real startup experience, and many opt to continue building their businesses after they graduate. At Stevens, we collaborate with partners across industry and academia in order to answer the most pressing problems of our day and meet those challenges head-on.
Additionally, clubs and competitions provide more opportunities for students to build their entrepreneurial skills. This focus ensures that Stevens students are encouraged to pursue their passions and turn their hobbies into lucrative and fulfilling careers.
SPOTLIGHT:
Seth Kirschner '18
Co-Founder of Multiple Startups
Seth may hold a record for most businesses started while at Stevens, where he developed the aptitude needed to launch his own startups. “Stevens does a great job of teaching the fundamental skills of entrepreneurship that you can apply in any day-to-day job,” Seth says. Not only did he find the skills at Stevens, he also found the support. “I’ve been able to network with so many incredible people, and ultimately they’ve become either mentors to me personally or advisors to the startup,” he says.
“The connections that you make at Stevens are invaluable, and they provide you guidance for your life and more.”
SPOTLIGHT:
Professor Jeff Nickerson
Steven Shulman ’62 Endowed Chair for Business Leadership and Professor of Digital Innovation
Dr. Nickerson assumed his role as the first Shulman Chair for Business Leadership and Digital Innovation with aspirations of solidifying the school’s status as a bellwether for business research. His unique background in industry has given him firsthand experience navigating tech-driven disruption across multiple industries: from the early days of electronic publishing, to the first program trading systems on Wall Street. At Stevens, he has earned numerous awards and grants, including his role as principal investigator on an SF-funded project building a cooperative network to consider the future of artificial intelligence and machine learning at work. “These technologies are reshaping our organizational structures, and they’re changing the way we work,” he says.