Q. How did you get involved with IDEA? A. I started out with IDEA in spring 2010 as marketing officer. Because IDEA is a student-run, university program, we deal with student turnover as members of the team head out on co-op and study abroad. Thankfully my name came up and I interviewed for the position and joined the team. In fall 2010 Ashkan Afkami, one of IDEA's founders and its first CEO, approached me and asked if I would be interested in being his replacement. From there we went through a two month transition process that ended with Ashkan joining our Advisory Board and me taking over as CEO.
Q. What do your responsibilities include? A. As CEO, I am responsible for supporting the continual growth and expansion of IDEA. I get to work with an incredible team of students, a very supportive Advisory Board, and a faculty advisor who has always believed in IDEA. Supporting each member of the team, setting goals, and keeping everyone focused are some of the major aspects of what I do. Additionally, I spend time fundraising for our Gap Fund and meeting with potential sponsors, mentors, and other parties who are interested in IDEA. I'm responsible for the advancement of IDEA and ensuring that we function properly as a team and as a program.
Q. Is IDEA only geared towards business students? A. IDEA is an Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship Accelerator. We are interdisciplinary in both name and practice. IDEA's management team is made up of students from across Northeastern. While business students play a major role in IDEA's success, they do not make up the entire team. Our ventures also come from across the University and represent all of the major schools here at Northeastern. Entrepreneurship goes far beyond a concentration or a degree; we work with entrepreneurs across the entire University.
Q. What is IDEA working on right at this moment? A. IDEA is Northeastern's Venture Accelerator. We are here to serve student companies and help them grow through coaching, connecting them with resources, and funding them. We're currently working to develop our coaching program, which is integral to IDEA's success. We have also moved to a monthly funding cycle, so a lot of our efforts are spent evaluating applications, meeting with our ventures, and funding those who will fulfill our criteria.
Q. How do you see IDEA improving over the next couple of years? A. At the end of the day, IDEA is still a relatively new program at the school. Even as the concept matures and develops, it will always be a novel one. IDEA is continually looking for top-notch student talent, successful companies, and investors. We will continue to expand our offerings, our services, and provide new and exciting opportunities for our ventures.
Q. How can interested students get involved with IDEA?
A. If students are interested, they can email us at idea@neu.edu. Also, we hold open office hours every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm in 304 Hayden Hall. Any and all students are welcomed and encouraged to come in and talk with us.
Q. What can you tell us about your NEXPO event, coming up on February 9th? A. On Wednesday, February 9th from 7:00 - 9:00pm in the Curry Student Center (west addition), we will be hosting our second Northeastern Entrepreneurship Expo (NEXPO). Last year over 250 students, investors, companies, alumni, and faculty members came to celebrate entrepreneurship at Northeastern. This year we're in a larger venue and are expecting even greater press than we received last year. This is a tremendous opportunity to see what type of student companies are coming out of Northeastern and to network with other young and successful entrepreneurs.