JSS Welcomes Youngpreneurs Galore!

On 22 April 2011, JSS DVH-IMSR held its National Level Business Plan Competition: Youngpreneurs Galore 2011. The event was held in the D.C.S.E. auditorium and the Deshpande Foundation sponsored the Rs. 50,000 in prize money. The day began with an Inauguration Ceremony that featured Chief Guest Sri. Madhusudan Kocha, Managing Director of Capital Control Pvt. Ltd., Dr. N. Vajrakumar, Honourable Secretary of JSS Dharwad, and Dr. M.S. Subhas, Dean and Director of the Kousali Institute of Management Studies.

The organizers at JSS developed a unique concept that made this competition stand out: business plans were judged in stages that mimicked the “real-world” (no Powerpoint allowed!). The judges for the competition were: Dr. Basavraj Girennavar, Managing Director of RICO Winery and Biotech Pvt. Ltd., Sri. Kamalakar Deshpande, Assistant General Manager of KSFC, Belgaum, and EA’s Genny King.

Participants had no idea what to expect from the competition. They were given the details about each round only 30 minutes before they began! Just like an aspiring entrepreneur might have only the attention of an investor for a minute or two, the first stage of the competition was an elevator pitch. Two members from each team had ninety seconds to pitch their business to the judges.

Having gotten the attention of the “investors”, teams then had five minutes in the second round to make a longer pitch and answer questions. For this round, teams were given a sheet of paper, sketch pens, and thirty minutes to draw anything they wanted to use in their presentation. Finally, teams had exactly two minutes in the third round to perform a skit that would advertise their business venture. Remember that they had no idea that this challenge awaited them!

After a long day, the judges decided on the three winning teams. In third place and winning Rs. 10,000 was the team from SDM CET Dharwad with their plan for a series of food street stalls that distinguishes itself with its impeccable hygiene. JSS DVH-IMSR came in second place and won Rs. 15,000 for presenting their plan for a device that could be used at public places to detect mobile activity and alert people to turn off their phones. The JSS team included E-Cell members Shashank D.J., Akshata Brahmavar , and Sunita Nikkam! The first place winner received Rs. 25,000 and came from KLE Engineering Belgaum. They presented a plan for a children’s swing-set that would pump water up from a well when in use!



At the end of the day, attendees and participants were loosened up by being treated to an amazing and energetic dance performance by students from JSS. The Valedictory Ceremony followed and featured judges Dr. Girennavar, Sri. Kamalakar Deshpande, and Naveen Jha, Director of DCSE.

EA thanks the hardworking faculty and students of JSS for putting on such an innovative event! We especially appreciate the efforts of E-Cell members, Event Coordinator Dr. Purushottam Bung, and JSS DVH-IMSR President Dr. C.S. Rajagopal.

JSS Youngpreneurs 2011

EA's March Newsletter Now Available

A PDF version of our March Newsletter is now available for download. Check it out to learn more about all the classes, activities, and events EA was involved with during a busy and productive month of March!

Click Here for the Newsletter!

JSS E-Cell Takes On 2k Challenge!

From March 1st through March 10th, JSS E-Cell members took part in the 2k challenge! This was a chance for students to have a quick, focused experience in starting a micro-venture and be exposed to the challenges of idea generation, marketing, sales, strategy, and teamwork. Each team of students was given a Rs. 2000 loan to use to generate profit over the course of the ten days. Despite busy schedules and the usual stresses of student life, E-Cell members did a remarkable job. Take a look:

"Antaraprerana 2011" IMER holds Seminar & B-Plan Competition

On March 26, KLS’s Institute of Management Education & Research (IMER), Belgaum, held its National Level Seminar on Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The seminar was a great success and gave students and guests an opportunity to hear from a range of successful professionals and entrepreneurs.

Inaugurating the event was keynote speaker Dr. Anil Rao, Regional VP of AIMS (Association of Indian Management Schools). The seminar was segmented into three sessions. The first session, on “Design Thinking”, featured Manu Kulkarni, distinguished member of the Prime Minister’s National Commission on Population. The second session had Mr. Suresh Katti, VP Aditya Birla Management, speaking on “Creativity & Innovation.” The final session was with Mr. Suresh Hundre, CEO & MD of Polyhydron Private Limited, who spoke about his company’s innovative approach to “Distribution of Wealth.”

On the previous day, March 25th, the “Antaraprerana 2011” Business Plan Competition was held. Thirteen teams from MBA, BBA, and engineering schools were given 10 minutes to present their business plan proposals. The competition’s theme made it unique: each B-plan had to address a triple bottom line of People, Profit, and Planet. The judges for the competition were EA’s Malcolm Charles and established Belgaum entrepreneurs Swapneel Patnekar and Arvind Kapadia.

In third place and winning Rs. 10,000 was a team from the Jain School of Business, MATS, Belgaum with a business plan for a maize processing unit. Second place and Rs. 15,000 went to a team from IMER (including E-Cell member Prakash Kulkarni!) which presented a plan on energy generation through bagasses. EA Partner JSS Dharwad fielded the first place team with a plan for producing temperature control boxes for those without electricity. JSS’ team included E-Cell members Sharanu H., Pavankumar Deshpande, Nikhil Kandkur, and Prateek Malgi! They took home the grand prize of Rs. 25,000!

The winners of the B-plan competition were announced on Saturday during the seminar’s valedictory function and the prize money was sponsored by the Deshpande Foundation. Chief Guest Naveen Jha, Director of the Deshpande Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, was on hand to speak to the audience about adopting an entrepreneurially mindset and having a passion for taking on new ideas and experiences.

Congratulations to Seminar Convener Dr. Poornima Charantimath and the rest of the faculty and students at IMER for putting on a great event!

IMER Students talk about EA's 2nd Sem Course

EA recently ran it's 2nd semester course, 'Developing Core Entrepreneurial Principles', at IMER, Belgaum.

Here is a video featuring Rutuja Mane and Ratika Mirji, both 2nd semester students at IMER, talking about their experience in the course.

"Rattling Minds" at BIMS a Success!

On Monday, February 21^st, BIMS E-Cell students held an inter-collegial quiz and business plan competition. The event, called ‘Rattling Minds’, was a great success! The idea for ‘Rattling Minds’ was sparked, in part, by the 2k CHALLENGE, a competition conducted by Entrepreneurship Academy. In this challenge teams of 3-4 students are given Rs. 2000 to invest and turn a profit on in a short period of time.

D.C.S.E. Director Naveen Jha was the chief guest and addressed the attendees about the importance of thinking entrepreneurially. Genny King and Malcolm Charles of Entrepreneurship Academy were the judges for the business plan competition. The competition’s theme was “Art out of Waste” and contained 3 rounds: the first was a brief presentation on each team’s product, the second was an ‘elevator pitch’ delivered to the judges, and the third was a five minute formal presentation. It was great seeing E-Cell members from IMER and GBS do so well at the event.

Ideas ranged from the hydroponic farming of strawberries to a cheap water filtration system. The winning team, from Gogti Institute of Technology, Udyambag, presented a plan to take old, discarded saris and use them to create blankets.

The day concluded with awards for the winners of the quiz and business plan competitions. Mr. Deepak Dhadoti, a Belgaum-based entrepreneur, delivered the valedictory speech.

EA would like to congratulate the Envision E-Cell for a wonderful event. In particular, credit should be given to Kiran Wali and Shabaz T. for managing the business plan competition, Shoaib Syed and Aishwarya D. for managing the quiz, and Moses Carvalho and Sayed Inamdar for acting as event coordinators. Students also had the support of BIMS Director Dr. Anilkumar Garag, Prof. Shreedevi Shintri, and Prof. Prasanna

EA Meets with Northeastern Students

On Tuesday February 8^th, EA met with students from Northeastern University. Northeastern is located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA and is known for its innovative programs that send students out into the workplace during their college careers. This is the second year that Northeastern has set a batch to Hubli. These students will be here for six weeks and are working and learning within the Sandbox.

EA’s interaction with the students included an overview of EA’s mission and how it operates. Afterwards, a micro-lab icebreaker activity was conducted that had students swimming and skipping, among other things, around the room. Finally, students from BVB College stopped by to meet their Northeastern counterparts. Both groups participated in a team building exercise in which they had to use their hands to transport water from one bucket to another.

You can read more about the Northeastern student’s experiences in the Sandbox at http://neuindia2011.tumblr.com/.

2011 Development Dialogue Kickoff

After the close of the Yuva Summit in the afternoon, the 2011 Development Dialogue began with an inaugural Kickoff.

The event included speeches by Deshpande Foundation Trustees Jaishree and Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande, as well as an overview of Deshpande Foundation activities. In order to showcase their work, organizations like LEAD, Hubli Champions, and the Deshpande Fellowship Program used a range of media and performances from skits to video, music, and dance.

The Entrepreneurship Academy held a “Rocket Toss” competition between students from BVB and Oxford College in order to illustrate the kind of activities and critical thinking that are core parts of EA’s mission. Each team of 3 was asked to make an “initial investment” for the paper needed to make the rockets. This investment was manifested as negative points. Teams were then given 45 seconds to make the rockets. Afterwards, one team member held a plastic pail and another was blindfolded. The third team member guided the blindfolded teammate in throwing the rockets into the pail. In the end, BVB College triumphed.

See video of EA's segment on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhUuc43Dhco&feature=player_embedded

Check out more photos of the 2011 Development Dialogue kickoff:

DD Kickoff Event

Yuva Summit Breakout Panel

On January 27th, after the conclusion of the Yuva Summit opening ceremony, faculty and administrators were invited to D.C.S.E.'s seminar hall for a special panel session.

Moderated by D.C.S.E. Director Naveen Jha, the panel included:

Dr. Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande, Founder, Deshpande Foundation

Dr. Ashok Shettar, Principal, BVB College of Engineering

Prof. Ken Zolot, Senior Lecturer, MIT

Prof. Indumati, V.C. Davangere University

Prof. Geetha Bali, V.C. KSWU

Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and dialogue with the panelists about teaching entrepreneurship. Prof. Ken Zolot was a particularly unique and valuable resource. He is a serial entrepreneur having started several different companies and teaches entrepreneurship at M.I.T.

At the conclusion of the panel, faculty and community members who completed a rigorous training on achievement motivation were presented with awards.

Check out our Picasa album for more photos of this event

Yuva_Post_Panel

The 2011 Yuva Summit

On January 27^th 2011, The Deshpande Foundation held the first ever Yuva Summit. Championed by D.C.S.E.’s LEAD & EA programs, the Yuva Summit was a tremendous success.

Rahul Bose, Bollywood Actor, Director, & Social Activist, was the Yuva Summit’s featured speaker. Other special guest speakers were:

Dr. Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande, Founder, Deshpande Foundation

Dr. Ashok Shettar, Principal, BVB College of Engineering

Prof. Ken Zolot, Senior Lecturer, MIT

Ms. Meenu Venkateswaran, CEO, Pravah

Mr. Vishal Talreja, Executive Director, Dream A Dream

After the opening ceremony, the Yuva Summit continued with a special panel session for college administrators and faculty. A LEAD Mela was also held, allowing guests to visit stalls and learn more about the different projects LEAD has helped to bring about. The Yuva Summit concluded in the later afternoon with Rahul Bose once again joining LEAD students and other dignitaries on stage.

Yuva_Summit

Visit www.deshpandefoundation.org and http://dcselead.blogspot.com/ for more coverage of Yuva Summit 2011 and Development Dialogue 2011.

M.I.T.'s Professor Ken Zolot visit with students at D.C.S.E.

In advance of the 2011 Yuva Summit and Development Dialogue, Professor Ken Zolot met with students on the D.C.S.E. campus. Professor Zolot is a Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) School of Engineering. He teaches entrepreneurship and is also the founder of M.I.T.’s “Innovation Teams” Initiative.

Prof. Zolot conducted an activity with students to illustrate the important distinction between entrepreneurship and business management. A business manager will start with a goal and then will collect and structure resources in order to achieve that goal. In comparison, an entrepreneur might first consider all of the resources at his/her disposal and then experiment with them to create something undetermined.

We don’t want to give away the specifics of the activity as we plan on using it with more students in the future! It was effective in delivering its message about entrepreneurship and business management and the Entrepreneurship Academy thanks Professor Zolot for his time and experience.

See more photos:

Zolot Fabric Activity