The TAGDev 2.0 program at Egerton University on September 7th 2024 hosted an inspiring #IdeationWeekend at the TAGDev business incubation hub, aimed at empowering aspiring student entrepreneurs.This event which was facilitated by Fahad Juma, the TAGDev Entrepreneurship and Business Development Administrator, brought together 23 entrepreneurial students, focusing on equipping them with the skills to generate, develop, evaluate, and pitch innovative business ideas.
The first session of the training introduced the trainees to entrepreneurship through exposing the trainees to the success-characteristics of entrepreneurs, the importance of training in entrepreneurship and the relevance of entrepreneurship in our communities. After the interactive introductory session, the trainees were taken through the ideation phase of the entrepreneurial process. To ensure that the training capacity built the 21st century skills of the trainees, this session used a mix of lectures with discussions, group projects, plenary sessions with practicing entrepreneurs, simulations, case studies and presentations. The case studies facilitated the trainees to build their critical thinking skills in identification of market gaps and challenges that can be developed into innovative business ideas. The group projects provided the trainees a space to develop their collaboration, leadership and social skills while the presentation enabled the trainees to hone their initiative and communication skills.
Central to the training was the concept of ideation, defined as the dynamic and collaborative process of generating, developing, and refining innovative ideas. Students engaged in free thinking and explored diverse perspectives, emphasizing key components such as problem identification, feedback iteration, collaboration, and idea evaluation. A significant focus was placed on human-centered design, a technique that puts real people at the center of the development process, ensuring products resonate with users' needs and preferences.
The students were also trained on the steps of human-centered design which include: Clarity, ideate, develop, and then implement. Through this training, the students engaged in free thinking and explored diverse perspectives, emphasizing key components such as problem identification, feedback iteration, collaboration, and idea evaluation. The training provided students with strategies to balance growth with team well-being and financial health.
The trainees of the Series 1 Ideation Weekend training will attend additional experiential sessions. TAGDev envisions that at the end of their training, the trainees will not only generate, develop, evaluate and pitch innovative business ideas but also apply entrepreneurial tools and methodologies, such as business planning, feasibility analysis, market research, business modelling and financial planning, to refine and structure business ideas for practical execution. University and TVET students, graduates and out of school youth are highly encouraged to apply for enrollment in subsequent Ideation Weekend Series once they are advertised
Written By:
Ian Kamau.
Communication Intern, TAGDev 2.0 Program, Egerton University.
