One of my favorite things about Tulane is the variety of learning opportunities it offers its students. Last October I participated in the Harvard Illuminate Conference 2015, a meeting that gathers students around the country to celebrate and discuss innovation. Although, the conference registration fee was affordable, I almost decided not to attend because of the costs of traveling to Boston for a weekend. However, thanks to Taylor Center at Tulane, which funded part of my trip, I was able to make it to Boston, meet other students interested in innovation, and learn from keynotes and workshops at Harvard University.
When I first heard about the Illuminate Conference, I did not know what to expect. This was going to be my first time to Boston and first time to attend a completely student run conference. I was excited about the trip and curious about the experience that was about to come. On Friday, October 2nd 2015 I flew to Boston and also had the chance to get around the city and enjoy its parks and architecture with other Tulane students who were also participating in the conference. On Saturday morning I went to Harvard and picked up my credentials.
At the beginning I could tell everyone was as excited to be there as I was. The first event was a keynote address by Dr. Mehmood Khan, CSO of PepsiCo, who talked about the importance of innovation in addressing the world’s most pressing issues. Then, I attended a session called ‘A Crash Course to Founding Your Own Startup’ which was about the challenges one might encounter when founding a startup as a college student. After that, I went to another session about social entrepreneurship where I heard about common problems that social entrepreneur usually face. Although the sessions were interesting, I feel the topics could have been addressed more in depth.
The next activity was a keynote lecture given Tim Westergren, Founder of Pandora. Mr. Westergren described the process of turning an idea into a successful product, which in his case is Pandora. This conversation was inspiring because it gave the public the idea that with persistence and determination one can achieve big things. After getting a light lunch provided by the conference organizers, I attended my favorite workshop which was called ‘Human-Centered Design’. Shuya Gong, IDEO Venture Designer, gave an interactive presentation in which she guided us through the design thinking process. I enjoyed this activity because in teams we were able to identify a problem and enjoy the process of finding a solution. Most of the activities we do in real life require planning, which is easier and fun if one uses the design thinking method. I would definitely recommend anyone to read and learn more about design thinking, which is a useful tool for social entrepreneurs.
My trip to Boston motivated me to work and persist to have a positive impact in society, and enhanced my leadership and innovation skills. Most importantly, it changed the way I perceive design thinking and taught me how to use it. Harvard Illuminate Conference was also a chance to meet people with similar interests and share my ideas. Now that I am back to New Orleans, I want to use the energy and knowledge acquired during the conference in my activities as a Net Impact Treasurer, Clinton Global Initiative University Campus Representative, and as a socially engaged student. I encourage other students interested in social innovation and design thinking to find learning opportunities around the country and apply for the Changemaker Catalyst Award.
By Juan Fernando Gomez, Changemaker Catalyst Award Winner