COVID PIVOT.
COVID threw us a curveball - our 2020 entrepreneurs hit it out of the park.
2020 has been a wild experience. Many businesses had to pivot - a trait we applaud in entrepreneurship.
GSE 2020 was a highly competitive summer program where 72 Kentucky high school students focused on product innovation and business model design. This summer, we launched with an innovative “hybrid” approach due to COVID-19. While the program was not able to be on site at Northern Kentucky University this summer, GSE students from Paducah to Pikeville attended virtual sessions 3 days a week and met in person at entrepreneurial hubs across the state 2 days a week, until we made a data-driven decision to move fully online.
P.i.v.o.t.
Grit. Growth. Resilience.
Our approach to COVID-19 in Summer 2020 relied on strategic planning, a network of organizations across the state, and a team of young entrepreneurs ready to take action.
Now, more than ever, young entrepreneurs are needed to help sustain and rebuild Kentucky’s economy. Our unique hybrid approach included a state-of-the-art conferencing software, partnering with entrepreneurial hubs, and exceptional students.
Hopin.
Hopin partnered with us - allowing us to use their video conferencing platform in exchange for beta testing. This was a collaboration software like no other. Accessible. Adaptable. Slick.
Entrepreneurial Hubs
Coworking locations across the state welcomed our young entrepreneurs into their spaces and helped us follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Exceptional Entrepreneurs
These high schoolers were committed to a transformational experience. Three weeks of intensive collaborative work paid off.