Entrepreneurship Challenge: Preparing Tomorrow's Innovators Today

This past Saturday, Meredith College students gathered for an intense day of innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurial thinking at the Entrepreneurship Challenge. The event pushed participants to develop creative solutions to a complex social problem—loneliness—within tight time constraints, mirroring the high-pressure environment that entrepreneurs often face in the real world.

A Surprise Approach to Problem-Solving

Many students entered the challenge with traditional expectations, anticipating detailed case studies or highly structured problems. Instead, they were presented with a single, open-ended challenge: addressing loneliness.

"I was expecting a full case study," said Bridget Rowe, one of the first-place winners. "I was expecting something longer than one word. When we got the problem, it just made me more excited to go off the idea that we had."

Aniston Sennett, another first-place team member, shared similar thoughts: "When we had more freedom for the problem, it was really nerve-wracking at first, but then it was exciting because we could really go in whatever direction we wanted."

For some, the simplicity of the challenge was initially disorienting. "Having loneliness as the only topic caught me off guard," commented Jill Jackson. "It was very broad, and I expected a lot of competition involving other topics of COVID and the impact of social anxiety."

Preparation Meets Opportunity

The winning team, consisting of Bridget Rowe, Aniston Sennett, and Lizzie Smith, demonstrated exceptional preparation and teamwork. After receiving the challenge on Friday, they immediately gathered in a classroom to brainstorm until 9 PM.

"We all took separate time to go through and write down what we wanted to focus on," explained Lizzie. "When we came together, we all shared separately what our ideas were, and all three of us said something about elderly people, and one said something about animals. So we were like, if we can combine the two of them..."

This strategic approach paid dividends. Aniston elaborated on their process: "We worked for four hours on Friday night. I told them, 'Look guys, we are not going into tomorrow not knowing what we're doing because we only have a certain amount of time.' We coordinated our outfits, knew our roles, and really planned ahead."

Real-World Learning in a Pressure Cooker

The time constraints of the challenge created an environment that participants found surprisingly conducive to creativity and innovation.

Victoria Kopitsch, who placed in the competition, reflected: "A time crunch is make or break, but it also adds so much pressure in the best way. I have a time limit and so many ideas that I have to go with my gut and make the best decision with the time I have. That pressure can sometimes make your idea even better because it's so chaotic that you come up with better ideas than you would if you had two days."

The challenge also revealed unexpected talents and affinities among participants. "I never thought I would consider myself an entrepreneur," Victoria continued, "but this really proved that wrong. My mindset is definitely one that fits with someone who's an entrepreneur, and I think that creative side of entrepreneurship is so important."

The Power of Diverse Teams

Working with teammates with varied perspectives and skills emerged as a crucial success factor. Aniston noted: "It is just so important to work well with the team that you're on and to really listen to everybody. We all had different skills, and it was great."

For Victoria, navigating team dynamics with unfamiliar teammates became a valuable growth opportunity directly relevant to her career aspirations in hospitality: "Working with new people taught me so much about communication and collaboration. It's about finding that balance where everyone feels heard while still moving forward with a cohesive vision—exactly the skills I'll need when coordinating vendors and clients in the hospitality industry."

Bringing Academic Frameworks to Life

The challenge allowed students to apply concepts they had been learning in their entrepreneurship courses. Bridget noted how recent classroom work on archetypes directly informed their winning concept: "A lot of it had to do with the class before; we were working on the archetypes, and we came up with the business serving animals. So it was kind of like we already had that in the back of our minds, and it was so fresh."

A Transformative Experience

For many participants, the challenge was more than an academic exercise—it was a profound personal revelation.

Lizzie reflected on the serendipitous timing that contributed to their success: "I'm so grateful for the timing of everything that happened up to the actual event. If I hadn't had the experience of a random kitten coming into my home and learning about the system of shelters, I wouldn't have been so involved in the ideation."

The challenge also demystified entrepreneurship for students who might not have previously seen themselves as entrepreneurs. Jill Jackson advised future participants: "Anyone can do the challenge. Even if you don't have a direct business background, learning on the fly and trying new things, and understanding how to eloquently present a topic or pitch something as a new idea that you've worked on the same day in five minutes is a remarkable challenge and experience."

Victoria offered similar encouragement: "The biggest thing is not to be scared to do it. Come willing to just throw caution to the wind and just do it. This was so out of my comfort zone, but now I feel comfortable in it. Now I could do it again a million times over."

Looking to the Future

For some participants, the challenge planted seeds for potential real-world ventures. When asked if they might actually pursue their winning concept, Lizzie responded thoughtfully: "I think it could be a viable business. I'm such a planner and I'm so scared of the future, like what I'm going to do post-graduation. I feel like I would need time to build up the courage, but I can definitely see it actually happening."

The Entrepreneurship Challenge exemplifies Meredith College's commitment to preparing students not just with theoretical knowledge but with practical experience in innovation, collaboration, and resilience—skills that will serve them well regardless of their chosen career paths.

The authenticity of the speakers and the mentors gave the students the confidence to explore. They embodied the idea that learning happens through action, by showing up, by trying, by pushing boundaries, and sometimes by failing. We're redefining failure as part of the critical learning cycle—not something to avoid, but as something to use to grow and refine.

Dean Kimberly Burke highlighted the lasting impact of events like this: "The Entrepreneurship Challenge equips our students with critical skills that extend far beyond business creation. The ability to identify problems, collaborate across differences, and develop creative solutions under pressure are exactly the competencies employers seek. By cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, we're preparing our students not just for their first jobs, but for the careers of the future that may not even exist yet."

With initiatives like the Entrepreneurship Challenge, Meredith College is positioning itself as a place where future leaders develop the courage, competence, and confidence to solve the complex problems of tomorrow.