A memorable 10 days

Simply the idea of travelling to the United States this summer was beyond exhilarating; from the nine-hour transatlantic flight to holding dollars in my hands, this trip unlocked a different reality that had, until now, seemed unreachable. The people that were part of it helped make it truly unforgettable; whether it was a class, an afternoon excursion, or simply hanging out on campus, I always felt surrounded by friends and people who shared my enthusiasm for the things we did and learned.

One of the most amazing parts of this ten-day program was visiting two incubators, 1776 and Halcyon. The concept of an incubator was completely unknown to me before this trip and upon encountering it I was filled with awe and amazement. To me they seemed like “the birthplace of ideas”, areas that inspired, provoked and challenged younger and older people alike to put forward their own vision. Haphazardly, yet beautifully, decorated and furnished, these places were not only the workspace of all these entrepreneurs but also their home. It was amazing seeing those people working towards something with so much dedication and passion without the least bit of guarantee that they would succeed. I felt truly inspired by the story of one of the members of the Halcyon group; he had launched multiple ventures, one of them seeming particularly successful, but they all ended up closing down. Yet he stood there alive and full of energy, ready to convey his passion for entrepreneurship and how it is a way of life that easily knocks you down, yet it is up to you to stand up and smile.  

Another more abstract aspect of the trip that really intrigued me was the way our morning classes were carried out. Coming from a school which adheres to the British educational system, being exposed to an American style of teaching felt very refreshing and unique. With the guidance of the amazing Professor Stuart Levy, we explored the world of business, and particularly social ventures, through a series of very engaging and interesting classes while also developing our own social venture concept along the way. We also had the chance to listen to and talk with some very accomplished entrepreneurs, namely Monica Flores of Changemakers.com and Monica Kang of Innovators Box, who helped answer questions as to how to develop our ideas. Presenting our projects felt like the fruit of a very long and productive week that gave us so much food for thought.

This trip is definitely something to remember and refer back to.

Despina

1776 Incubator, main hall 

Halcyon Incubator, mansion staircase 

A dream that became a reality

             From a really young age, like any other child, a dream of mine was visiting the United States. Living in a small, warm and beautiful island called Cyprus, which is located in the heart of the Mediterranean sea, that childhood dream of mine always seemed impossible to become a reality. Luckily, one day, as I was browsing the internet, I came across an advertisement of a program hosted by the US Embassy. A program that would give me the opportunity to travel to the United States. Thus, I applied with excitement and after a few months I got informed that I was selected for the program. At first I could not believe it, but I did as soon as we landed in Washington DC. We sat in our shuttle bus and headed to the university that we were going to stay and spend our time at. Looking at the beautiful greenery on our way, I was constantly having thoughts about what to expect to experience and see in Washington. "Is it going to be the same as the movies?", "Does everyone eat at fast food restaurants?". Frankly, I did not know.
            After about 30 minutes we finally arrived at Mount Vernon at George Washington University. We immediately had our quick introduction while also receiving our daily schedule. Standing in the middle of the hallway, I took a quick look at the schedule and realised how busy we are actually going to be in the following days. It was exhausting indeed, but at the end, it was all worth it.
           Everyday we would wake up really early, have a quick breakfast and take the bus to Foggy Bottom to have our daily classes with Dr. Stuart Levy. During our classes we had presentations, lectures and discussion about social entrepreneurship and what it means to become a leader. Through these classes, a lot of my questions concerning start ups and social ventures got answered, but we also got the chance to form teams and present our own start up ideas at the end of our course. To be honest, in the beginning it was really challenging. In order to successfully present our social venture, we had to research and discuss for several hours with our teams. However, I was lucky enough to be paired with 3 other amazing individuals who made those hours very joyful and worthwhile. We got to share our stories, memories but also our favourite jokes, all of which brought us closer and closer to each other.
           Besides the classes, we also spent a large portion of our time visiting around Washington DC. We had the the chance to visit multiple monuments, the White House, the Newseum, the National Gallery of Art, where we got to know more and more about the American history and culture. Along this line, we also visited Annapolis, which is located in Maryland, a relatively small city where we walked among the red-bricked houses. Furthermore, we also visited the Department of State where we discussed about the current reconciliation issue in Cyprus with Deputy Assistant Secretary Jonathan Cohen. Last but not least, we were also lucky enough to visit two incubators, Halcyon & 1776. There we got to ask different questions concerning entrepreneurship, the obstacles they face and how to overcome them but also the benefits of working in an environment such as incubators.
          In conclusion, through this program my dreams finally became a reality, while also growing and improving me as a person, especially in areas such as communication and team working. Most importantly I made amazing friends from both Cyprus and from around the world, who I'm sure we will keep in touch for the many years to come. My trip to the United States will remain an unforgettable experience and I hope I get the chance to re-visit this amazing country as soon as possible, to explore it furthermore. All the fast food advertisements I saw online, all the movies I watched, through this trip I got to witness everything with my own eyes. The taste of the classic American burger is something that I will carry around with me.

Erfan Mohseni

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

 This program involves various activities such as class discussions, presentations, trips to museums, lectures, visits to incubators and more.

   Firstly, there are many things that this programme has added to me. To begin with, our visit to the State Department was unforgettable. I learned about a highly important problem as well as having one chance to make a discussion about it. This problem is a crisis in the oceans as overfishing, bycatch and illegal fishing has led to the depletion of marine life. As entrepreneurs, we tried to solve this problem and there were many competing interests and a great number of challenges involved when addressing this issue. By proposing solutions and also thinking about the effects that this problem will cause makes me aware of the world and I improved my communication skills with the help of discussions.

    As for 1776 Dc Incubator tour, we went to the top of the building by passing many storeys.There was a girl working in an incubator and the interesting fact was that people who are working in the incubator book their places by giving money and they work on their business by sitting at their own table in the same building.For example, I saw a corner with the picture of the Microsoft.

As Steve Ballmer a man who worked in the Microsoft says ''Great companies in the way they work, start with great leaders.''I understand that dedication and working are the keys to success. Moreover, Halcyon House was similar to 1776 DC incubator and it is a non-profit organisation. To see a great man working in that place who produced special sunglasses for cataract disease, influenced by her mother showed me that there is nothing that is impossible.He told us that first, you need to take support from your family in order to start your venture then the rest will come.In addition, I had a really big opportunity as I learned about the founder of Innovator box and Ashoka.They were great people and the important thing is that they have great aims and different ideas to change the world.

   To sum up, this programme improved my knowledge, communication skills, my attitude towards the world and helped me to see the importance of finding new innovative ideas and products for the development of the world.As an entrepreneur, I am glad that I took place in this program and participated in great lectures about social entrepreneurship and learned about making a social venture as well as how to make it sustainable.My top two takeaways are improved communication skills with the help of discussions and importance of teamwork.  Having the opportunity to meet with our professor was great.Thank you for this great opportunity in a great country which is America.