91原创

As he sat in class listening to the lecture, Nicholai Williamson was taken aback. The native of Jamaica had been drawn to the 91原创 in part because of the strength of its entrepreneurship programs, and now his entrepreneurship instructor was saying that the sooner he failed, the better. 

He quickly came to see the wisdom in this lesson, though, and is now deep in a project to launch a new venture, using his University experience as a lab where failure is an opportunity to learn and hone an idea.  

Williamson鈥檚 training comes courtesy of 91原创鈥檚 and Horn Entrepreneurship, which serves as the creative engine for entrepreneurship throughout the University, and which for the fifth year in a row has propelled 91原创 to a ranking among the top entrepreneurship universities in the nation. In , 91原创 moved up to 31st from last year鈥檚 ranking of No. 33, placing higher than other regional schools. The ranking , including courses offered in entrepreneurship, enrollment, faculty resources dedicated to the effort, mentoring and other opportunities outside class, and the success of alumni ventures. 

鈥淎t the 91原创 and at the Lerner College, Horn Entrepreneurship isn鈥檛 just a program, it鈥檚 a catalyst for innovation,鈥� said , dean of 91原创鈥檚 Lerner College. 鈥淭he Horn Entrepreneurship programs stand out because of the rigorous curriculum, dedicated faculty and staff and outstanding students.鈥� 

Those programs drew Williamson鈥檚 attention. The entrepreneurship programs were part of what prompted him to choose 91原创 over other schools he had been accepted to, he said. He鈥檚 studying entrepreneurship and management, with a minor in professional selling and sales management, and plans to graduate in 2025.

Horn Entrepreneurship offers an entrepreneurship major; several minors, including integrated design and social innovation and entrepreneurship; and cross disciplinary certificates throughout all the colleges in the University. Last year, more than 1,700 students from 100 different majors participated in Horn鈥檚 programs, according to , associate professor of marketing and Horn鈥檚 founding director. 

The range of options and Horn鈥檚 commitment to providing relevant and accessible offerings to all students are part of 91原创鈥檚 success in the rankings, Freeman said. 

鈥淲e offer a wide array of courses, we engage a large number of students inside the business school, but even more importantly, from across campus and lots of different majors,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll 91原创 students are also invited to participate in Horn鈥檚 robust new venture development programming that engages more than 100 mentors, and our students realize a fair amount of new venture success.鈥� 

The goal is to develop a way of thinking, Freeman said. Entrepreneurship, as 91原创鈥檚 Horn Entrepreneurship defines it, isn鈥檛 about starting new businesses, and it鈥檚 definitely not a synonym for business ownership. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 really about helping them to develop the mindset, skill sets and means 鈥� to be able to be a creative problem solver, to bring people together around a new idea or a vision for how you can make a positive impact in the world,鈥� Freeman said. New ventures are a desirable byproduct, he added, 鈥渂ut it could just as easily be a new social venture, a new policy, or a new process.鈥� 

Innovation means coming up with something new and valuable. Adding an economically sustainable model for carrying that out is what makes it entrepreneurship, Freeman said. 

In Williamson鈥檚 case, the innovation is an idea for an app called BonaFyde that aims to help international students connect with universities. Now he鈥檚 working on the sustainable part of the vision. 

His idea got a big boost in November when Williamson reached the finals of , 91原创鈥檚 premier startup funding competition. Judges sort through an initial two rounds of ideas and select finalists, who then make a pitch in front of an audience for a share of funding and other business support. Williamson impressed them enough to earn a sizable share of the funding. 

鈥淚t was a great experience,鈥� he said. 

BonaFyde aims to help international students figure out where they want to invest the next four years of their lives, Williamson said. The app, which is still in development, is intended to provide information about navigating life beyond academics. He鈥檚 thinking big 鈥� the vision for BonaFyde is that eventually any prospective student, anywhere in the world, can use information on the app to choose a school that will be a good fit both inside class and out.   

It鈥檚 inspired in part by his own experience with culture shock and not knowing how to plug in after moving from Jamaica. Williamson also interviewed many international students as part of development, to learn from their experiences and see if they had the same pain points. 

Through Horn, he鈥檚 learned some basics of how to help these kinds of ventures succeed 鈥� like identifying a problem, researching how many people have that problem and what鈥檚 involved, and determining 鈥渁m I going to build something that is actually going to solve a problem in the way that people want it to be solved?鈥� 

His personal goal is autonomy, Williamson said, the opportunity to shape his own future.  

Other entrepreneurs have already walked this path with support from Horn, including Mac Macleod, founder of , , developer of Alchemize Fightwear, and Joel Amin and Bryce Fender, co-founders of . 

Not everyone will become a founder or CEO, but, Freeman said, 鈥渢hey will be positioned to be value creators and leaders in any organizational context 鈥� it鈥檚 really about imagining new possibilities.鈥� 

The world is changing very rapidly, Freeman said, and businesses have to innovate. 

鈥淓very organization needs to be getting better at what they do, and getting better at serving the needs of their customers,鈥� he said. 

鈥淭he program provides hands-on experiences through real-world projects, which allows students to apply theoretical knowledge, develop problem-solving skills, and understand the complexities of the business world,鈥� Yao said. 鈥淯pon graduation, students are equipped with the skills to navigate the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship.鈥� 

Entrepreneurship education is unique in training for creative problem solving, Freeman said, helping students feel a sense of agency and also responsibility. They become 鈥渟omeone who doesn鈥檛 just notice problems and complain about them, but actually takes action and knows how to go through a process to generate potentially promising solutions.鈥�