It is a well known fact University of California, Berkeley has produced more StartUp Founders than any university in the United States, if not Globally. The Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology has provided a great opportunity for students to learn what it’s like to be in that process and given the chance to hopefully walk away from this experience with hands-on knowledge of how to create one. This DeCal is meant to help students identify industries that have problem spaces that need solving. We structure this course in a way that adapts based on new technologies, industries, public events, emerging trends, or student interests that arise throughout the semester. Through weekly topics, students will be exposed to unique startups that already exist, a brief introduction of that weekly industry/topic, as well as connection to SCET (e.g. a class that covers a similar topic). We hope to bring in faculty as guest lecturers, who would like to gain traction for their class, start-up founders, and teams that have participated in the collider cup.

At its core, the course focuses on the ideation side of entrepreneurship. Specifically giving students a dedicated space to generate venture ideas and, just as importantly, to develop the judgment to spot what makes an idea truly meaningful and worth pursuing. Each week, students explore a different problem space, from healthcare and accessibility to infrastructure and emerging technologies, and work in teams to pitch solutions inspired by the weekly topic.

A big part of the vision for this DeCal is to serve as an introduction to the broader SCET ecosystem, a welcoming first step that sparks curiosity and naturally guides students toward SCET’s courses, programs, and opportunities. We want students to leave not just with sharper entrepreneurial thinking, but with a clear sense of where they can go next within SCET to keep growing.