University Innovation Fellows - User contributions [en]

Fellow:Nahom Fissaha

2016-05-17T14:56:30Z

Nahom:

Fellow:Nahom Fissaha

2016-05-17T14:35:52Z

Nahom:

[[File:NahomF Profile IMG.jpeg|thumb]]Nahom Fissaha was born in Ethiopia and moved to America when he was five. Since being born he has been curious and enjoyed tinkering by nature. Imagine the number of toys and household items he broke and frantically trying to fix them before his parents found out at age 11....now double that number. He is always trying to learn something and often has his nose buried in YouTube's HowTo section or listening to peoples stories. As a young DIYer who loves working with people, majoring in general engineering at JMU's project based program and felt natural for him. An avid traveler and explorer of culture and natural wonders he also is working on a double minor in environmental and geographic science to protect them. Currently expanding his knowledge in these fields so he can transform his HowTo mindset, to a more technical understanding of systems and design processes at play.

He loves to generate new ideas and feasible solutions with the resources he is given.

Just as expanding his technical skills are important, being able to work and engage with a variety of people is just as important to him. Thanks to working at his mothers convenience store and farmers market stand at a young age, his learning curve on how to work and communicate with people to reach goals was shortened. Having an amazing mother who happened to be an entrepreneur gave him a window to running small businesses. All the amazing characteristics he saw in his mother were ones of a true leader which peaked his interests in learning them. First by learning how it feels to work under authority through high school sports such as wrestling and football and now onto more serious leadership roles. His first being Fundraising Chair of Alpha Phi Omega-Chi Gamma which gives him the chance to collaborate with community partners. He also is working on a leadership certificate through the Madison Engineering Leadership program where he has been given the opportunity to mentor 13 freshmen engineers.

When he is taking a break from school work, he can be found wondering the trails of the Shenandoah National Park with friends, painting away in his room, improving his coffee roasting skills, rock climbing or working at a non-profit called Our Community Place in downtown Harrisonburg.

= Related Links =

[[Chris Ashley|Chris Ashley]]

[[Jack O'Neill|Jack O'Neill]]

[[Andrew Carlone|Andrew Carlone]]

[[Timothy Moore|Timothy Moore]]

[[Emily Platt|Emily Platt]]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Nahom_Fissaha Nahom Fissaha]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Jared_Michael_Zurn Michael Zurn]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Mark_Castro Mark Castro]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Daniel_Phonelath Daniel Phonelath]

Greg Mayo

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Ryan_Ohneiser Ryan Ohneiser]

[[Category:Student Contributors|n]]

Fellow:Nahom Fissaha

2016-05-17T14:34:10Z

Nahom:

Priorities:James Madison University Student Priorities

2016-01-16T17:47:32Z

Nahom:

= Project Pitch Video =

{{#Widget:Youtube|id=iuq6tniMvc0}}

= Strategy #1 =

Create Collisions amongst entrepreneurially minded students and the general population amongst all disciplines, in order to organically spread innovation, collaboration, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

== Tactic #1: Theme Based Think-A-Thons ==

*Description: Cultivate talent in theme based hack-a-thon style events that correlate to the various colleges of academics, but appeal to the general population. We would want to create a brand that does not alienate or intimidate students that don’t necessarily think of this as “their” thing.
**1-2 times per month
**24hr Think-A-Thons
**Various themes/prompts that represent the interests of all the colleges of academics
***College of Education:
****Reinvent the classroom
***College of Health and Behavioral Studies:
****Create low-cost products that meet basic needs of the world's poorest people
***Integrated Science and Technology / School of Art, Design, and Art History:
****Designing for a sustainable campus
****Fashion Think-A-Thon
**The theme of these thinker-mixers/hack-a-thons would vary each time and would touch on topics that are up-to-date with current events to help attract students from all colleges within JMU. This in turn, would help continuity of participation and the dismantlement of silos.
**Gathering participant information gives us a more defined target audience to project some marketing efforts towards.
**Approaching these events with hopes of there being multi-disciplinary teams does not expedite the view that these are hack-a-thons or "techie" events.  This merely generates exploratory and problem-solving experiences to any given area of study.
**Agenda for planning:
***February 2015 - Planning/ Scheduling/ Marketing
***March 2015 - First Event
***April 2015 - Second Event
***May 2015 - Third Event

== Tactic #2: Make the I&E Network Accessible to Students ==

*Description: Launch a heavily marketed website that establishes a network for students looking to collaborate and pursue a business or product idea. This JMU affiliated website would help spread awareness of funding opportunities, resources available on campus, upcoming I&E events, and clubs/groups.
*Replicate a Landspace Canvas for I&E or create a landscape map to guide students through the process of finding relevent resources on campus for their prospective entrepreneurs. 
**Daniel Phonelath will spearhead this project.

== Tactic #3: 200 Level Collaborative Course  ==

*'''Course Description''': A 200 level course that will bring sophomores from the College of: Business, Engineering & ISAT, and Visual Arts & Design. With each of these programs having some sort of capstone or long time frame projects this 200 level course will utilize short-term projects with teams made of diverse disciplines to foster collaborative and teamworking skills growth. 
*Emphases on leadership, creativity, and design thinking through 3 week long projects.
**Leadership: Through the use of the JMU Dux Center students will benchmark their leadership/teamworking skills style at the beginning of the course. Through out the course as they finish a 3 week project cycle, the group leader will receive 4-5 leadership reviews from their team members and each team member will receive reviews from their team members. At the end of the course a student will have participated in 4 groups, lead one, received feed back and completed the leadership challenge workbook.
**Creativity: During class students will practice creativity exercises, learn it's application and further their understanding through the text; "Creative Confidence" By David and Tom Kelly. 
**Design Thinking: The course will be project-based with the application of light design thinking. In 3 weeks students will have had to discover more about a problem they have to solve, ideate solutions, prototype solutions and select the best idea for presentations.
**Public Presentations: At the end of a 3-week cycle each team will present their process, idea and prototype in a public space such as TDU. Each student will be required to bring at least 2 guests (no repeats) to this public event. 
*Project Lead's 2015 Agenda-Nahom Fissaha
**Find the best way to register the course on MyMadison by Oct. 23 
**Continue interviewing professors who show interest in coleading the course till Nov. 6
**Meeting with all stakeholders and potential course coleaders to create plan of action-Nov.9-13

= Strategy #2: =

Establish an entity on campus where any student with a creative idea can get all the resources needed to become the entrepreneur they want to be, and test, launch, and grow their business.

== Tactic #1: MadX Labs ==

*Description: Test, iterate, and scale MadX Labs, JMU’s first seed stage startup accelerator.   
**MadX Labs aims to serve JMU’s most talented student founders, giving them the best of both worlds by leveraging the resources of an entire University and its network. We give young entrepreneurs at JMU the opportunity to experience a traditional accelerator program; with the mentorship, training, office space, and funding they need in order to test, launch, and grow their business – while maintaining a status as a student.
**University-wide, students are encourage to apply to MadX Labs startup accelerator two times a year in the beginning of each semester during “The Madison Challenge”, and if selected as winners they enter into the 12-week program and receive the mentorship, office space, and funding. After the 12 weeks, the program culminates in a Demo Day, where they will have the opportunity to pitch an invite only audience of JMU investors
**Agenda for planning:
***January 2015 - Launch of Beta(Completed)
***April 2015 - Close of Program - Demo Day
***September 2015 - University Wide Launch
***December 2015 - Close of First Official Program

= Strategy #3 =

Provide opportunities for students to become introduced to entrepreneurship and recognize their potential to become entrepreneurs at an early point in their collegiate careers.

== Tactic #1: Test Courses ==

*Description: Establish several “test courses” that can provide administration with an example of how a pattern of entrepreneurial and innovative courses in the General Education Program can lead to escalating forms of venture creation.
**February 2015
***Initial interviews with students regarding their thoughts on I&E at JMU
***Identify faculty members interested in participating in a course like this
**April 2015
***Discovery and ideation; explore what other schools are doing to introduce I&E earlier in their curriculum.  Develop a series of courses in several clusters that could be implemented
***Have courses officially created as "test courses" available for enrollment next semester
***Have courses registered across several disciplines, as to attract a variety of students
**May 2015
***Begin designing actual ideas for course lessons, assuming students sign up for courses

== Tactic #2: Summer Program ==

*Description: Start a four to five week ideation and entrepreneurship summer program for incoming freshmen and rising sophomores. This apply-for and optional course would not only fuel the entrepreneur mindset for these underclassmen early in their college career but it would also help mix students and provide infrastructure for a network of collaborators. The program would be open to all majors.
*Timeline: TBD

== Tactic #3: Spread the Word ==

*Description: Create pamphlets and a brief informational speech about I&E opportunities/resources at freshmen year orientation.

== Tactic #4: Residential Learning Community ==

*Description: Establish a Residential Learning Community for Entrepreneurship.  Students who participate in a Residential Learning Community get the unique opportunity to live and take classes with a small group of students who share similar interests. This helps students to be fully immersed in the topic of the RLC.  9 of these already exist on campus, and the Entrepreneurship RLC is already in the works through some members of Society of Entrepreneurs.
*Timeline: TBD

= Strategy #4: =

Create a culture on campus that elevates JMU national visibility in I&E in order to attracts the most talented entrepreneurially minded faculty and students.  

== Tactic #1: Develop a Hub ==

*Description: Develop, design, fundraise, and build a hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation that includes living space, maker spaces, open workspace, etc.
**To prove a need for this hub, we plan to use the spaces that currently exist on and around campus to establish smaller-scale environments in which student thinkers and entrepreneurs can come to work on their projects and collaborate on ideas.
**Through this beacon of entrepreneurship, offer a wide variety of programs and engagement opportunities for students to learn about and engage in all phases of the entrepreneurship and innovation process.
***“Idea mixers” or “idea factory workshops” that are heavily marketed

= Strate #5 =
<div>Provide opportunities for students to engage in entrepreunership and innovation with the greater local and regional community.</div>
== Tactic #1: Regional Meet-up ==

*Description: The regional meet-up will bring UIF students from campuses within a 5-hour driving distance to James Madison University campus. Through various workshop students will understand JMU’s campus and share their own experiences from their respective campuses. Current James Madison University UIF members will create a collaborative environment for students to share ideas with each other. 

== Tactic #2: Corporate Outreach/Integration Efforts ==

*Description: The goal is to connect corporate environments with higher education. We will approach this by connecting with well-known and widely respected corporate entities such as Google in order to organize "high-demand/interest" events and talks out of our ICE resources. All events should be informational, interactive and the hope is to connect students with coporate resources as they progress through their course-load and approach graduation.

= Related Links =

== Current Fellows ==

[[Chris Ashley|Chris Ashley]]

[[Jack O'Neill|Jack O'Neill]]

[[Andrew Carlone|Andrew Carlone]]

[[Timothy Moore|Timothy Moore]]

[[Emily Platt|Emily Platt]]

[[Mark Castro|Mark Castro]]

[[Nahom Fissaha|Nahom Fissaha]]

[[Greg Mayo|Greg Mayo]]

[[Ryan Ohneiser|Ryan Ohneiser]]

[[Daniel Phonelath|Daniel Phonelath]]

[[Jared Michael Zurn|Jared Michael Zurn]]

______________________________

[[James Madison University|James Madison University]]

[[Category:Student Priorities|Student_Priorities]]

Priorities:James Madison University Student Priorities

2015-10-09T16:42:24Z

Nahom:

= Strategy #1 =

Create Collisions amongst entrepreneurially minded students and the general population amongst all disciplines, in order to organically spread innovation, collaboration, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

== Tactic #1: Theme Based Think-A-Thons ==

*Description: Cultivate talent in theme based hack-a-thon style events that correlate to the various colleges of academics, but appeal to the general population. We would want to create a brand that does not alienate or intimidate students that don’t necessarily think of this as “their” thing.
**1-2 times per month
**24hr Think-A-Thons
**Various themes/prompts that represent the interests of all the colleges of academics
***College of Education:
****Reinvent the classroom
***College of Health and Behavioral Studies:
****Create low-cost products that meet basic needs of the world's poorest people
***Integrated Science and Technology / School of Art, Design, and Art History:
****Designing for a sustainable campus
****Fashion Think-A-Thon
**The theme of these thinker-mixers/hack-a-thons would vary each time and would touch on topics that are up-to-date with current events to help attract students from all colleges within JMU. This in turn, would help continuity of participation and the dismantlement of silos.
**Gathering participant information gives us a more defined target audience to project some marketing efforts towards.
**Approaching these events with hopes of there being multi-disciplinary teams does not expedite the view that these are hack-a-thons or "techie" events.  This merely generates exploratory and problem-solving experiences to any given area of study.
**Agenda for planning:
***February 2015 - Planning/ Scheduling/ Marketing
***March 2015 - First Event
***April 2015 - Second Event
***May 2015 - Third Event

== Tactic #2: Make the I&E Network Accessible to Students ==

*Description: Launch a heavily marketed website that establishes a network for students looking to collaborate and pursue a business or product idea. This JMU affiliated website would help spread awareness of funding opportunities, resources available on campus, upcoming I&E events, and clubs/groups.
*Replicate a Landspace Canvas for I&E or create a landscape map to guide students through the process of finding relevent resources on campus for their prospective entrepreneurs. 

== Tactic #3: 200 Level Collaborative Course  ==

*'''Course Description''': A 200 level course that will bring sophomores from the College of: Business, Engineering & ISAT, and Visual Arts & Design. With each of these programs having some sort of capstone or long time frame projects this 200 level course will utilize short-term projects with teams made of diverse disciplines to foster collaborative and teamworking skills growth. 
*Emphases on leadership, creativity, and design thinking through 3 week long projects.
**Leadership: Through the use of the JMU Dux Center students will benchmark their leadership/teamwork style at the beginning of the course. Through out the course as they finish a 3 week cycle, the group leader will receive 4-5 leadership reviews from their team members and each team member will receive teammate reviews from their team members. At the end of the course a student will have participated in 4 groups, lead one, received feed back and completed the leadership challenge workbook.
**Creativity: During class students will practice creativity exercises, learn it's application and get a further their understanding from the text; "Creative Confidence". 
**Design Thinking: The course will be project-based with the application of light design thinking. In 3 week students will have had to discover more about a problem they have to solve, ideate solutions, prototype solutions and select the best idea for presentations.
**Public Presentations: At the end of a 3-week cycle each team will present their process, idea and prototype in a public space such as TDU. Each student will be required to bring at least 2 guests (no repeats) to this public event. 
*Project Lead's 2015 Agenda-Nahom Fissaha
**Find the best way to register the course on MyMadison by Oct. 23 
**Continue interviewing professors who show interest in coleading the course till Nov. 6
**Meeting with all stakeholders and potential course coleaders to create plan of action-Nov.9-13

= Strategy #2: =

Establish an entity on campus where any student with a creative idea can get all the resources needed to become the entrepreneur they want to be, and test, launch, and grow their business.

== Tactic #1: MadX Labs ==

*Description: Test, iterate, and scale MadX Labs, JMU’s first seed stage startup accelerator.   
**MadX Labs aims to serve JMU’s most talented student founders, giving them the best of both worlds by leveraging the resources of an entire University and its network. We give young entrepreneurs at JMU the opportunity to experience a traditional accelerator program; with the mentorship, training, office space, and funding they need in order to test, launch, and grow their business – while maintaining a status as a student.
**University-wide, students are encourage to apply to MadX Labs startup accelerator two times a year in the beginning of each semester during “The Madison Challenge”, and if selected as winners they enter into the 12-week program and receive the mentorship, office space, and funding. After the 12 weeks, the program culminates in a Demo Day, where they will have the opportunity to pitch an invite only audience of JMU investors
**Agenda for planning:
***January 2015 - Launch of Beta(Completed)
***April 2015 - Close of Program - Demo Day
***September 2015 - University Wide Launch
***December 2015 - Close of First Official Program

= Strategy #3 =

Provide opportunities for students to become introduced to entrepreneurship and recognize their potential to become entrepreneurs at an early point in their collegiate careers.

== Tactic #1: Test Courses ==

*Description: Establish several “test courses” that can provide administration with an example of how a pattern of entrepreneurial and innovative courses in the General Education Program can lead to escalating forms of venture creation.
**February 2015
***Initial interviews with students regarding their thoughts on I&E at JMU
***Identify faculty members interested in participating in a course like this
**April 2015
***Discovery and ideation; explore what other schools are doing to introduce I&E earlier in their curriculum.  Develop a series of courses in several clusters that could be implemented
***Have courses officially created as "test courses" available for enrollment next semester
***Have courses registered across several disciplines, as to attract a variety of students
**May 2015
***Begin designing actual ideas for course lessons, assuming students sign up for courses

== Tactic #2: Summer Program ==

*Description: Start a four to five week ideation and entrepreneurship summer program for incoming freshmen and rising sophomores. This apply-for and optional course would not only fuel the entrepreneur mindset for these underclassmen early in their college career but it would also help mix students and provide infrastructure for a network of collaborators. The program would be open to all majors.
*Timeline: TBD

== Tactic #3: Spread the Word ==

*Description: Create pamphlets and a brief informational speech about I&E opportunities/resources at freshmen year orientation.

== Tactic #4: Residential Learning Community ==

*Description: Establish a Residential Learning Community for Entrepreneurship.  Students who participate in a Residential Learning Community get the unique opportunity to live and take classes with a small group of students who share similar interests. This helps students to be fully immersed in the topic of the RLC.  9 of these already exist on campus, and the Entrepreneurship RLC is already in the works through some members of Society of Entrepreneurs.
*Timeline: TBD

= Strategy #4: =

Create a culture on campus that elevates JMU national visibility in I&E in order to attracts the most talented entrepreneurially minded faculty and students.  

== Tactic #1: Develop a Hub ==

*Description: Develop, design, fundraise, and build a hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation that includes living space, maker spaces, open workspace, etc.
**To prove a need for this hub, we plan to use the spaces that currently exist on and around campus to establish smaller-scale environments in which student thinkers and entrepreneurs can come to work on their projects and collaborate on ideas.
**Through this beacon of entrepreneurship, offer a wide variety of programs and engagement opportunities for students to learn about and engage in all phases of the entrepreneurship and innovation process.
***“Idea mixers” or “idea factory workshops” that are heavily marketed

= '''Strategy #5:''' =

Engage students with the greater local and regional I&E community in order to strengthen the relationship between the student body and the Harrisonburg community. 

== Tactic #1: Regional Meet-up ==

*Description: The regional meet-up will bring UIF students from campuses within a 5-hour driving distance to James Madison University campus. Through various workshop students will understand JMU’s campus and share their own experiences from their respective campuses. Current James Madison University UIF members will create a collaborative environment for students to share ideas with each other. 

= Related Links =

== Current Fellows ==

[[Chris Ashley|Chris Ashley]]

[[Jack O'Neill|Jack O'Neill]]

[[Andrew Carlone|Andrew Carlone]]

[[Timothy Moore|Timothy Moore]]

[[Emily Platt|Emily Platt]]

______________________________

[[James Madison University|James Madison University]]

[[Category:Student Priorities|Student_Priorities]]

Priorities:James Madison University Student Priorities

2015-10-09T16:40:45Z

Nahom:

= Strategy #1 =

Create Collisions amongst entrepreneurially minded students and the general population amongst all disciplines, in order to organically spread innovation, collaboration, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

== Tactic #1: Theme Based Think-A-Thons ==

*Description: Cultivate talent in theme based hack-a-thon style events that correlate to the various colleges of academics, but appeal to the general population. We would want to create a brand that does not alienate or intimidate students that don’t necessarily think of this as “their” thing.
**1-2 times per month
**24hr Think-A-Thons
**Various themes/prompts that represent the interests of all the colleges of academics
***College of Education:
****Reinvent the classroom
***College of Health and Behavioral Studies:
****Create low-cost products that meet basic needs of the world's poorest people
***Integrated Science and Technology / School of Art, Design, and Art History:
****Designing for a sustainable campus
****Fashion Think-A-Thon
**The theme of these thinker-mixers/hack-a-thons would vary each time and would touch on topics that are up-to-date with current events to help attract students from all colleges within JMU. This in turn, would help continuity of participation and the dismantlement of silos.
**Gathering participant information gives us a more defined target audience to project some marketing efforts towards.
**Approaching these events with hopes of there being multi-disciplinary teams does not expedite the view that these are hack-a-thons or "techie" events.  This merely generates exploratory and problem-solving experiences to any given area of study.
**Agenda for planning:
***February 2015 - Planning/ Scheduling/ Marketing
***March 2015 - First Event
***April 2015 - Second Event
***May 2015 - Third Event

== Tactic #2: Make the I&E Network Accessible to Students ==

*Description: Launch a heavily marketed website that establishes a network for students looking to collaborate and pursue a business or product idea. This JMU affiliated website would help spread awareness of funding opportunities, resources available on campus, upcoming I&E events, and clubs/groups.
*Replicate a Landspace Canvas for I&E or create a landscape map to guide students through the process of finding relevent resources on campus for their prospective entrepreneurs. 

== Tactic #3: 200 Level Collabbrotive course  ==

*'''Course Description''': A 200 level course that will bring sophomores from the College of: Business, Engineering & ISAT, and Visual Arts & Design. With each of these programs having some sort of capstone or long time frame projects this 200 level course will utilize short-term projects with teams made of diverse disciplines to foster collaborative and teamworking skills growth. 
*Emphases on leadership, creativity, and design thinking through 3 week long projects.
**Leadership: Through the use of the JMU Dux Center students will benchmark their leadership/teamwork style at the beginning of the course. Through out the course as they finish a 3 week cycle, the group leader will receive 4-5 leadership reviews from their team members and each team member will receive teammate reviews from their team members. At the end of the course a student will have participated in 4 groups, lead one, received feed back and completed the leadership challenge workbook.
**Creativity: During class students will practice creativity exercises, learn it's application and get a further their understanding from the text; "Creative Confidence". 
**Design Thinking: The course will be project-based with the application of light design thinking. In 3 week students will have had to discover more about a problem they have to solve, ideate solutions, prototype solutions and select the best idea for presentations.
**Public Presentations: At the end of a 3-week cycle each team will present their process, idea and prototype in a public space such as TDU. Each student will be required to bring at least 2 guests (no repeats) to this public event. 
*Project Lead's 2015 Agenda-Nahom Fissaha
**Find the best way to register the course on MyMadison by Oct. 23 
**Continue interviewing professors who show interest in coleading the course till Nov. 6
**Meeting with all stakeholders and potential course coleaders to create plan of action-Nov.9-13

= Strategy #2: =

Establish an entity on campus where any student with a creative idea can get all the resources needed to become the entrepreneur they want to be, and test, launch, and grow their business.

== Tactic #1: MadX Labs ==

*Description: Test, iterate, and scale MadX Labs, JMU’s first seed stage startup accelerator.   
**MadX Labs aims to serve JMU’s most talented student founders, giving them the best of both worlds by leveraging the resources of an entire University and its network. We give young entrepreneurs at JMU the opportunity to experience a traditional accelerator program; with the mentorship, training, office space, and funding they need in order to test, launch, and grow their business – while maintaining a status as a student.
**University-wide, students are encourage to apply to MadX Labs startup accelerator two times a year in the beginning of each semester during “The Madison Challenge”, and if selected as winners they enter into the 12-week program and receive the mentorship, office space, and funding. After the 12 weeks, the program culminates in a Demo Day, where they will have the opportunity to pitch an invite only audience of JMU investors
**Agenda for planning:
***January 2015 - Launch of Beta(Completed)
***April 2015 - Close of Program - Demo Day
***September 2015 - University Wide Launch
***December 2015 - Close of First Official Program

= Strategy #3 =

Provide opportunities for students to become introduced to entrepreneurship and recognize their potential to become entrepreneurs at an early point in their collegiate careers.

== Tactic #1: Test Courses ==

*Description: Establish several “test courses” that can provide administration with an example of how a pattern of entrepreneurial and innovative courses in the General Education Program can lead to escalating forms of venture creation.
**February 2015
***Initial interviews with students regarding their thoughts on I&E at JMU
***Identify faculty members interested in participating in a course like this
**April 2015
***Discovery and ideation; explore what other schools are doing to introduce I&E earlier in their curriculum.  Develop a series of courses in several clusters that could be implemented
***Have courses officially created as "test courses" available for enrollment next semester
***Have courses registered across several disciplines, as to attract a variety of students
**May 2015
***Begin designing actual ideas for course lessons, assuming students sign up for courses

== Tactic #2: Summer Program ==

*Description: Start a four to five week ideation and entrepreneurship summer program for incoming freshmen and rising sophomores. This apply-for and optional course would not only fuel the entrepreneur mindset for these underclassmen early in their college career but it would also help mix students and provide infrastructure for a network of collaborators. The program would be open to all majors.
*Timeline: TBD

== Tactic #3: Spread the Word ==

*Description: Create pamphlets and a brief informational speech about I&E opportunities/resources at freshmen year orientation.

== Tactic #4: Residential Learning Community ==

*Description: Establish a Residential Learning Community for Entrepreneurship.  Students who participate in a Residential Learning Community get the unique opportunity to live and take classes with a small group of students who share similar interests. This helps students to be fully immersed in the topic of the RLC.  9 of these already exist on campus, and the Entrepreneurship RLC is already in the works through some members of Society of Entrepreneurs.
*Timeline: TBD

= Strategy #4: =

Create a culture on campus that elevates JMU national visibility in I&E in order to attracts the most talented entrepreneurially minded faculty and students.  

== Tactic #1: Develop a Hub ==

*Description: Develop, design, fundraise, and build a hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation that includes living space, maker spaces, open workspace, etc.
**To prove a need for this hub, we plan to use the spaces that currently exist on and around campus to establish smaller-scale environments in which student thinkers and entrepreneurs can come to work on their projects and collaborate on ideas.
**Through this beacon of entrepreneurship, offer a wide variety of programs and engagement opportunities for students to learn about and engage in all phases of the entrepreneurship and innovation process.
***“Idea mixers” or “idea factory workshops” that are heavily marketed

= '''Strategy #5:''' =

Engage students with the greater local and regional I&E community in order to strengthen the relationship between the student body and the Harrisonburg community. 

== Tactic #1: Regional Meet-up ==

*Description: The regional meet-up will bring UIF students from campuses within a 5-hour driving distance to James Madison University campus. Through various workshop students will understand JMU’s campus and share their own experiences from their respective campuses. Current James Madison University UIF members will create a collaborative environment for students to share ideas with each other. 

= Related Links =

== Current Fellows ==

[[Chris Ashley|Chris Ashley]]

[[Jack O'Neill|Jack O'Neill]]

[[Andrew Carlone|Andrew Carlone]]

[[Timothy Moore|Timothy Moore]]

[[Emily Platt|Emily Platt]]

______________________________

[[James Madison University|James Madison University]]

[[Category:Student Priorities|Student_Priorities]]

Fellow:Nahom Fissaha

2015-09-23T14:49:50Z

Nahom:

[[File:NahomF Profile IMG.jpeg|thumb]]Nahom Fissaha was born in Ethiopia and moved to America when he was five. Since being born he has been curious and enjoyed tinkering by nature. Imagine the number of toys and household items he broke and frantically trying to fix them before his parents found out at age 11....now double that number. He is always trying to learn something and often has his nose buried in YouTube's HowTo section or listening to peoples stories. As a young DIYer who loves working with people, majoring in general engineering at JMU's project based program and felt natural for him. An avid traveler and explorer of culture and natural wonders he also is working on a double minor in environmental and geographic science to protect them. Currently expanding his knowledge in these fields so he can transform his HowTo mindset, to a more technical understanding of systems and design processes at play.

He loves to generate new ideas and feasible solutions with the resources he is given.

Just as expanding his technical skills are important, being able to work and engage with a variety of people is just as important to him. Thanks to working at his mothers convenience store and farmers market stand at a young age, his learning curve on how to work and communicate with people to reach goals was shortened. Having an amazing mother who happened to be an entrepreneur gave him a window to running small buisnesses. All the amazing characteristics he saw in his mother were ones of a true leader which peaked his interests in learning them. First by learning how it feels to work under authority through high school sports such as wrestling and football and now onto more serious leadership roles. His first being Fundraising Chair of Alpha Phi Omega-Chi Gamma which gives him the chance to collaborate with community partners. He also is working on a leadership certificate through the Madison Engineering Leadership program where he has been given the oppertunitty to mentor 13 freshmen engineers.

When he is taking a break from school work, he can be found wondering the trails of the Shenandoah National Park with friends, painting away in his room, improving his coffee roasting skills, rock climbing or working at a non-profit called Our Community Place in downtown Harrisonburg.

Fellow:Nahom Fissaha

2015-09-09T19:46:13Z

Nahom:

[[File:NahomF Profile IMG.jpeg|thumb|NahomF Profile IMG.jpeg]]Nahom Fissaha was born in Ethiopia and moved to America when he was five. Since being born he has been curious and enjoyed tinkering by nature. Imagine the number of toys and household items he broke and frantically trying to fix them before his parents found out at age 11....now double that number. He is always trying to learn something and often has his nose buried in YouTube's HowTo section or listening to peoples stories. As a young DIYer who loves working with people, majoring in general engineering at JMU's project based program and felt natural for him. An avid traveler and explorer of culture and natural wonders he also is working on a double minor in environmental and geographic science to protect them. Currently expanding his knowledge in these fields so he can transform his HowTo mindset, to a more technical understanding of systems and design processes at play.

He loves to generate new ideas and feasible solutions with the resources he is given.

Just as expanding his technical skills are important, being able to work and engage with a variety of people is just as important to him. Thanks to working at his mothers convenience store and farmers market stand at a young age, his learning curve on how to work and communicate with people to reach goals was shortened. Having an amazing mother who happened to be an entrepreneur gave him a window to running small buisnesses. All the amazing characteristics he saw in his mother were ones of a true leader which peaked his interests in learning them. First by learning how it feels to work under authority through high school sports such as wrestling and football and now onto more serious leadership roles. His first being Fundraising Chair of Alpha Phi Omega-Chi Gamma which gives him the chance to collaborate with community partners. He also is working on a leadership certificate through the Madison Engineering Leadership program where he has been given the oppertunitty to mentor 13 freshmen engineers through leading a weekly class. 

When he is taking a break from school work, he can be found wondering the trails of the Shenandoah National Park with friends, painting away in his room, improving his coffee roasting skills, rock climbing or working at a non-profit called Our Community Place in downtown Harrisonburg.

As you can see he can be all over the place. So if you would like to contact him shoot him an email at fissahnm@dukes.jmu.edu and look for a reply within 24 hours.

Fellow:Nahom Fissaha

2015-09-02T18:04:19Z

Nahom:

[[File:NahomF Profile IMG.jpeg|thumb]]Nahom Fissaha was born in Ethiopia and moved to America when he was five. Since being born he has been curious and enjoyed tinkering by nature. Imagine the number of toys and household items he broke and frantically trying to fix them before his parents found out at age 11....now double that number. He is always trying to learn something and often has his nose buried in YouTube's HowTo section or listening to peoples stories. As a young DIYer who loves working with people, majoring in general engineering at JMU's project based program and felt natural for him. An avid traveler and explorer of culture and natural wonders he also is working on a double minor in environmental and geographic science to protect them. Currently expanding his knowledge in these fields so he can transform his HowTo mindset, to a more technical understanding of systems and design processes at play.

He loves to generate new ideas and feasible solutions with the resources he is given.

Just as expanding his technical skills are important, being able to work and engage with a variety of people is just as important to him. Thanks to working at his mothers convenience store and farmers market stand at a young age, his learning curve on how to work and communicate with people to reach goals was shortened. Having an amazing mother who happened to be an entrepreneur gave him a window to running small buisnesses. All the amazing characteristics he saw in his mother were ones of a true leader which peaked his interests in learning them. First by learning how it feels to work under authority through high school sports such as wrestling and football and now onto more serious leadership roles. His first being Fundraising Chair of Alpha Phi Omega-Chi Gamma which gives him the chance to collaborate with community partners. He also is working on a leadership certificate through the Madison Engineering Leadership program where he has been given the oppertunitty to mentor 13 freshmen engineers through leading a weekly class. 

When he is taking a break from school work, he can be found wondering the trails of the Shenandoah National Park with friends, painting away in his room, improving his coffee roasting skills, rock climbing or working at a non-profit called Our Community Place in downtown Harrisonburg.

As you can see he can be all over the place. So if you would like to contact him shoot him an email at fissahnm@dukes.jmu.edu. He usually likes to dedicate his focus to the people and place physically around him but usually responds back to emails within 24 hours.

Fellow:Nahom Fissaha

2015-09-02T17:53:42Z

Nahom: Created page with "NahomF Profile IMG.jpegNahom Fissaha was born in Ethiopia and moved to America when he was five. Since being born he has been curious an..."

[[File:NahomF Profile IMG.jpeg|thumb|NahomF Profile IMG.jpeg]]Nahom Fissaha was born in Ethiopia and moved to America when he was five. Since being born he has been curious and enjoyed tinkering by nature. Imagine the number of toys and household items he broke and frantically trying to fix them before his parents found out at age 11....now double that number. He is always trying to learn something and often has his nose buried in YouTube's HowTo section or listening to peoples stories. As a young DIYer who loves working with people, majoring in general engineering at JMU's project based program and felt natural for him. An avid traveler and explorer of culture and natural wonders he also is working on a double minor in environmental and geographic science to protect them. Currently expanding his knowledge in these fields so he can transform his HowTo mindset, to a more technical understanding of systems and design processes at play.

He loves to generate new ideas and feasible solutions with the resources he is given.

Just as expanding his technical skills are important, being able to work and engage with a variety of people is just as important to him. Thanks to working at his mothers convenience store and farmers market stand at a young age, his learning curve on how to work and communicate with people to reach goals was shortened. Having a boss that came home with him allowed him to see behind the scenes of running small businesses.

When he is taking a break from school work, he can be found wondering the trails of the Shenandoah National Park with friends, painting away in his room, improving his coffee roasting skills, rock climbing or working at a non-profit called Our Community Place in downtown Harrisonburg.

As you can see he can be all over the place. So if you would like to contact him shoot him an email at fissahnm@dukes.jmu.edu. He usually likes to dedicate his focus to the people and place physically around him but usually responds back to emails within 24 hours.

File:NahomF.png

2015-09-02T17:48:29Z

Nahom:

File:NahomF Profile IMG.jpeg

2015-09-02T12:18:44Z

Nahom:

File:NahomF Profile IMG.jpeg

2015-09-02T12:18:44Z

Nahom: Nahom uploaded a new version of "File:NahomF Profile IMG.jpeg"