These updates will be broken up into the two main sections that led up to the event: Ideation and Planning. These were two unique phases that led to the development of a successful event. This first update will focus on the ideation portion of this event.

The ideation phase coincided with items that I was beginning to notice as my academic interests were shifting. I entered school during my first year as a Molecular Genetics major pursuing a minor in Music. I aspired to attend graduate school to conduct research on crop genetics and how crops could be modified to fix some of today’s most pressing agricultural issues. I had the opportunity to study in a research lab for a year, where I was able to lead my own project as a second-semester freshman. As I progressed in my coursework, I began to realize that although I was very interested in the work that I was doing and the items I learning, it was not something that I wanted to pursue as a career.

I wanted to go enter a career in biotechnology initially, but I noticed that there was something missing in our coursework. Even though the majority of MolGen majors would eventually enter industry, there were no courses offered on the business side of science. In a career in the biotechnology industry, it is important to be familiar with both the technical side and the business side of the operation to ensure success. I also changed my minors to Business and Leadership. These courses would build business skills and leadership capabilities that I would not have had access to before.Throughout my business coursework, I noticed that even though the courses between STEM and business vary greatly, the students and faculty involved in each side have a lot to offer to those on the other side of the table.

I got in touch with the Fisher Leadership Initiative, a Fisher Department focusing on building leadership starting from undergraduate years to beyond, and they happily agreed to discuss this event. Kayla Ingram, the director of the program, helped more than I could have imagined. She shared her expertise on business topics and connected me to the right people to make this event happen. She put me in touch with Jake Cohen, the ICE Scholars program manager, and we had a discussion about how to make this event for both of our programs. The event gained even more clarity as an interdisciplinary student team was formed to plan the details of this event. The ideation phase took nearly four months to develop a solid plan, but it helped to set us up for success later on!