Dr. Carol Dimopoulos is as CEO and founder of Learning Journeys, Xue (Stella) Dong is Assistant Professor at East Stroudsburg University and Stelios Melekos is the CEO of Blitz Performance

Entrepreneurs must possess essential strategic thinking skills to respond to the increasing complexity of business problems. Achieving success as an entrepreneur necessitates elevated strategic thinking, a growth-focused business mindset, and a holistic view. In 2023, at ESU, the two presenters launched a collaborative learning experience between product design and entrepreneurial students. Students worked in pairs in two disciplines and developed a new product development and a strategic plan as the outcome. This case study involves multiple parties, such as professors, business owners, industry mentors, and other relevant stakeholders. The interdisciplinary co-design learning experience offered an enjoyable opportunity for students to explore their ideas while gaining insights into the business side of independent creation. The project was divided into several phases: research, ideation, prototype, and product launch.

In this presentation, we will discuss our insights and challenges in fostering collaboration. We aim to create an equitable and inclusive culture that prepares students and young professionals to innovate and lead in today’s dynamic business environment. Our focus is on community transformation through education, and we hope the audience will engage with these concepts and apply them in their contexts.