uiuc presentation 2015
TRANSCRIPT
Creating a Personal Vision
University of Illinois at Urbana ChampaignSept 14, 2015
Agenda
Personal VisionTekspark
My initial “goals”Learn about leadership and entrepreneurshipIncreasing involvement in businessIncreasing involvement with customers and
partners
Some StepsEnrolled in entrepreneurship coursesMoved to organizational leadership rolesIncreasing participation in business leadershipFounded a non-profitAdvisor to startupsAttend meet-ups that touch upon
entrepreneurship
Vision and LeadershipClarity of decision-making
Ability to listenAbility to influence
“I not only use all the brains I can have, but all the brains I can borrow”
In SummaryKnow yourselfSet a personal vision you can believe inListen, especially to counter-pointsLeverage resources, know constraints Identify the observable/measurable goal or result Influence to achieve your visionEmbrace change, adapt and course-correct quicklyDon’t be afraid to fail!
Tekspark
TeksparkNon-profit for STEM diversityGrassroots Engagement – middle/high schoolsSpread the joy of STEM in formative yearsStill in the early part of the journey
VisionIncrease the number of women in STEM by 5%
by 2020
MissionCatalyze progress towards a world with more diverse STEM presence, and
empowering technology with diversity. Tekspark aims to engage with schools, universities and the industry at the
grassroots level in promoting the choice of STEM for people with
diverse, racial and ethnic backgrounds
How it evolvedInitially, just the passionWhat did I want to see differentlyWhat is the unsolved problem this would solve?Did I feel convinced?More validation of ideasLeveraged network
Activities1:1 Mentorship
Panel DiscussionsHackathons
Journey So FarThree high school partnerships launched15 mentors enrolled 2 panel discussions heldOne contest conductedTarget this year
30+ mentorsHack-a-thon involving multiple high schoolsMore panel discussionsSurvey before and after school year
