Failures, Flops and Frustrations: An Open Exchange on learning from our mistakes

As entrepreneurship educators, we are fortunate to work with bright and innovative students, forward-thinking colleagues and institutions that support programs that respond to market and economic demand. Despite all of these attractive ingredients, we undoubtedly encounter challenges on a regular basis. Often the more new things we try, the greater the probability of experiencing failures, flops and a multitude of frustrations: new courses that aren’t as subscribed as we had hoped, cross-campus programs that don’’t produce the interest to justify the investment of time and money, and creative spaces of innovation that are underutilized.

As we teach our students, sharing and learning from our mistakes as opposed to focusing solely on what has worked, allows us to propel new products and services forward. This Open Exchange will inspire participants to learn from our collective bumps in the road, creating stronger programs for VentureWell member institutions.

Michael Lehman, Lehigh University

Track: Topics in I&E