By Mitch Gordon
If you are already considering entrepreneurship, congratulations. You’ve taken a step few people do. Let’s help you move past the idea phase and to the point where you’re committed to building something special.
We are in the midst of an exciting time for entrepreneurs. There are more resources than ever available to you: start-up programs include YCombinator, TechStars, and 500 Startups and government programs like Startup Chile. Methodologies such as The Lean Startup help founders loosely follow a formula for success. The above said, every community is unique, and NAFSA is certainly no exception. Here are some suggestions for how to follow an entrepreneurial path in the world of international education.
Be a Creative, Entrepreneurial Thinker
From the outside looking in, it may seem that international education has everything it needs. I’d argue the opposite. We need creative, entrepreneurial problem solvers more than ever. The view from my vantage point says we’re in the calm before the storm. Massive, career altering disruption is around the corner for the field of international education. Online education is at the beginning stages of turning the U.S. university system upside down. Everyone will be impacted, including the world of international education. Disruption is chaotic, but it’s also an opportunity for positive change. Think ahead five, 10 years. What will the world of NAFSA look like then? What do students need? Can you create a business model around meeting those needs more efficiently?
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As institutions work to internationalize their campuses, gathering leaders from various offices to share ideas can be difficult. NAFSA webinars present a unique opportunity to bring multiple departments together to collaborate on university-wide issues related to international education.
