{"680538":{"#nid":"680538","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College Expands Partnership with CREATE-X to Double Down on Entrepreneurship Curriculum","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEntrepreneurship is on the rise in the College of Computing, with student interest in startup-driven education hitting record highs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo meet this demand, the College is doubling down on efforts to equip students with entrepreneurial skills, offering expanded course sections and deeper collaborations with CREATE-X. Faculty say the goal isn\u2019t just to produce startups\u2014it\u2019s to teach students how to identify and tackle meaningful problems, a skill that\u2019s increasingly vital in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEntrepreneurial Capstone Growth Through Cross-College Collaborati\u003C\/strong\u003EThe College\u2019s entrepreneurial capstone more than doubled in size within the same academic year, growing from 55 students in Fall 2023 to 126 this semester. Enrollment in the CREATE-X entrepreneurial capstone surged by 14% this semester, continuing its steady growth since launching in 2018. What began with just nine students has now expanded to 126 participants eager to transform their ideas into real-world ventures.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis growth can be traced back to the collaborative roots of the CREATE-X Capstone. In 2018, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/olufisayo-omojokun\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOlufisayo Omojokun\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E partnered with Mechanical Engineering Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/craig-forest-phd\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECraig Forest\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E to co-teach the Institute\u0027s first multi-college capstone section.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis allowed engineering and computing students to work together in a dynamic learning environment. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Right away, we saw how powerful this combination of engineers and computer scientists working together was. The College of Computing has always been a willing and eager partner to try experiments and boldly move toward this future direction. Every step of the way, they\u0027ve risen to the challenge,\u0022 Forest said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPreparing Problem Seekers, Not Just Problem Solvers\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis jump represents the College\u2019s emphasis on creating the next generation of problem solvers who are also problem seekers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s not just about finding solutions but identifying the problems that must be solved. This emphasis is more important than ever given the changing landscape of computing,\u201d Omojokun said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe points to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/sci-pilots-ai-enhanced-capstone-advance-software-engineering-instruction\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI and automation as key drivers of this shift\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. While launching startups is an exciting outcome, the deeper focus is on preparing students for a future where the definition of a software engineer may evolve and the number of traditional roles in the market could shift. With the power of computing, students who can identify meaningful problems are better equipped than ever to solve them\u2014often with fewer resources and smaller teams.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCan our College lead in graduating such multifaceted students who know how to fix things and what to look for? Embedding entrepreneurship into our non-elective courses gives us that opportunity,\u201d Omojokun said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/sci-pilots-ai-enhanced-capstone-advance-software-engineering-instruction\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERELATED: SCI Pilots AI-Enhanced Capstone to Advance Software Engineering Instruction\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding Confidence Through Entrepreneurship\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile some students may go on to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/launch\/startup-launch\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Econtinue their projects after the course\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, others might revisit them after graduation, driven by personal motivation or market opportunities. Many will enter the workforce and, perhaps years later, draw on the confidence they built through this capstone to forge their paths in entrepreneurship.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s not necessarily about launching the most successful startups right now. It\u2019s about giving students the confidence to try\u2014and even fail\u2014while the stakes are low,\u201d Omojokun said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhether they pursue entrepreneurship immediately or later in their careers, my hope is that the confidence from this course sticks with them if they ever choose to do something different and forge their path.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInside the CREATE-X Capstone Experience\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESCI faculty members \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/aaron-hillegass\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAaron Hillegass\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/daniel-forsyth\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDan Forsyth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/jennifer-whitlow\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Whitlow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E co-mentor the College\u2019s entrepreneurial capstone course. Whitlow describes the course as a hands-on, problem-driven environment where students are encouraged to tackle scalable, global challenges.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re trying to treat it like a venture studio would work,\u201d said Whitlow, who is familiar with executing such a model from her leadership role at a startup accelerator. \u201cThe first part of the class is focused on identifying scalable real-world problems and understanding actual pain points through customer discovery.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhitlow and Hillegass have startup experience and unique perspectives that they share with students. These insights help students understand the entrepreneurial process of identifying problems, designing solutions, and building products.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is the only course at Georgia Tech where they go from zero to 100. By the end of the semester, students have developed something entirely from scratch, giving them a unique skill set that sets them apart from their peers,\u0022 said Whitlow, a Georgia Tech computational media alumna.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on enrollment growth this Spring, the College offered students the option to choose between the course\u2019s two sections. Computing students seeking to work with engineering students on solutions incorporating hardware and software elements signed up for the multidisciplinary section. Students exclusively interested in software chose the section dedicated to software-based solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHillegass, who recently sold a midsized software company and spent years at different startups before his academic career, is mentoring thirteen software-only teams.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe software-focused section gives me a chance to apply my knowledge and give students a perspective that can help them address the real-world challenges and opportunities specific to companies whose fate is determined primarily by software,\u201d Hillegass said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EForsyth, who has many years of industry experience building large software system, says the following about the process of guiding students through the problem finding phase of the course:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe problem-finding phase requires balancing a passion for solving particular problems with the realities of customer preferences, technical limitations, team strengths, and financial sustainability. This phase is often the most challenging because teams must navigate ambitious ideas, practical constraints, and customer needs while making tough, objective decisions,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I can\u0027t make choices for them, and the future is uncertain, but I can challenge them with hard questions to determine whether they can make reasonable assumptions that plot a path to success. I see myself as a colleague to the students\u2014offering my advice based on experience while also having the privilege of helping them tackle problems I\u0027ve never encountered before. Watching bright, passionate students break through barriers to achieve their goals is incredibly rewarding.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Launchpad for Future Innovators\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike traditional capstone projects with predefined requirements, Computing\u2019s entrepreneurial capstone course gives students full ownership of their ideas. Students finish with a product to showcase in job applications or with the foundation for a startup. They can pursue opportunities like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/launch\/startup-launch\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECREATE-X Startup Launch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E or the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/klaus-startup-challenge\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKlaus Startup Challenge\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, with the added advantage of owning their intellectual property.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u2019s really the launching pad to additional opportunities to turn it into a business. Even if they fail, they\u2019ve learned, pivoted, and now have a new place to launch from,\u0022 Whitlow said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EContinuing the Momentum\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the continued success and growth of the CREATE-X Capstone, Omojokun is committed to sustaining this momentum and expanding the program further, especially given the endorsement of CREATE-X Director \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/rahul-saxena#:~:text=Rahul%20Saxena%20is%20the%20Director,engineer%2C%20and%20published%20academic%20researcher.\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERahul Saxena\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. He says this will require collaboration from more people, including experienced entrepreneurs from Atlanta\u2019s vibrant ecosystem.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInterested in participating in or learning more about the College of Computing\u2019s CREATE-X Capstone? Contact Omojokun at omojokun@cc.gatech.edu to explore opportunities for involvement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEntrepreneurship is on the rise in the College of Computing, with student interest in startup-driven education hitting record highs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo meet this demand, the College is doubling down on efforts to equip students with entrepreneurial skills, offering expanded course sections and deeper collaborations with CREATE-X. Faculty say the goal isn\u2019t just to produce startups\u2014it\u2019s to teach students how to identify and tackle meaningful problems, a skill that\u2019s increasingly vital in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Entrepreneurship is on the rise in the College of Computing, with student interest in startup-driven education hitting record highs. "}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2025-02-17 17:53:40","changed_gmt":"2025-03-26 01:19:51","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-17T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-17T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676307":{"id":"676307","type":"image","title":"entcap1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents pitch startup ideas to the capstone class.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1739814868","gmt_created":"2025-02-17 17:54:28","changed":"1739814868","gmt_changed":"2025-02-17 17:54:28","alt":"Students pitch startup ideas to the capstone class.","file":{"fid":"260067","name":"entcap1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/entcap1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/entcap1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":269009,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/17\/entcap1.jpg?itok=XJo-9DkH"}},"676308":{"id":"676308","type":"image","title":"finalentcap2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudents pitch their team\u0027s startup idea in the entrepreneurial capstone course. Photos by Emily Smith\/ College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1739814930","gmt_created":"2025-02-17 17:55:30","changed":"1739814930","gmt_changed":"2025-02-17 17:55:30","alt":"Students pitch their team\u0027s startup idea in the entrepreneurial capstone course. Photos by Emily Smith\/ College of Computing.","file":{"fid":"260068","name":"finalentcap2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":166689,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap2.jpg?itok=6I6AwRer"}},"676309":{"id":"676309","type":"image","title":"finalentcap3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudent pitches a team\u0027s startup idea to the class.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1739814930","gmt_created":"2025-02-17 17:55:30","changed":"1739814930","gmt_changed":"2025-02-17 17:55:30","alt":"Student pitches a team\u0027s startup idea to the class. ","file":{"fid":"260069","name":"finalentcap3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":124095,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap3.jpg?itok=KilTLEkW"}},"676310":{"id":"676310","type":"image","title":"finalentcap4.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhitlow meets with a student group after class to discuss their startup around agriculture equipment manufacturing. From left to right: Whitlow, CS majors Alexa Shoop, Joseph Britt, Roderic Parson, and Daniel Arias.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1739814930","gmt_created":"2025-02-17 17:55:30","changed":"1739814930","gmt_changed":"2025-02-17 17:55:30","alt":"Whitlow meets with a student group after class to discuss their startup around agriculture equipment manufacturing. From left to right: Whitlow, CS majors Alexa Shoop, Joseph Britt, Roderic Parson, and Daniel Arias.","file":{"fid":"260070","name":"finalentcap4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":213422,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap4.jpg?itok=hBbY3_x0"}},"676311":{"id":"676311","type":"image","title":"finalentcap5.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhitlow mentors students Gabriel Wetherby and Shubhangi Asthana on their startup for the entrepreneurial capstone.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1739814930","gmt_created":"2025-02-17 17:55:30","changed":"1739814930","gmt_changed":"2025-02-17 17:55:30","alt":"Whitlow mentors students Gabriel Wetherby and Shubhangi Asthana on their startup for the entrepreneurial capstone.","file":{"fid":"260071","name":"finalentcap5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":160463,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/17\/finalentcap5.jpg?itok=cQYJ_bMj"}},"676312":{"id":"676312","type":"image","title":"craigf.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMechanical Engineering Professor Craig Forest co-taught the Institute\u0027s first multi-college capstone section.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1739815074","gmt_created":"2025-02-17 17:57:54","changed":"1739815074","gmt_changed":"2025-02-17 17:57:54","alt":"Mechanical Engineering Professor Craig Forest co-taught the Institute\u0027s first multi-college capstone section.","file":{"fid":"260072","name":"craigf.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/craigf.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/craigf.png","mime":"image\/png","size":124441,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/17\/craigf.png?itok=R63gqIke"}},"676313":{"id":"676313","type":"image","title":"Growth.png","body":null,"created":"1739815243","gmt_created":"2025-02-17 18:00:43","changed":"1739815243","gmt_changed":"2025-02-17 18:00:43","alt":"Growth of CS students in the Capstone","file":{"fid":"260073","name":"Growth.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/Growth.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/17\/Growth.png","mime":"image\/png","size":54937,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/17\/Growth.png?itok=ldIM86mh"}}},"media_ids":["676307","676308","676309","676310","676311","676312","676313"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"137161","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"187877","name":"CREATE-X Capstone"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}