2025 Schedule Deep Dive: Increasing Student Engagement Through Entrepreneurship

“When am I ever going to need this?” “How will this help me in the future?” –  These are common questions that echo the halls of traditional classrooms, as students struggle to connect math equations, historical events, and literary themes to their daily lives. Because of this lack of connection, learning needs to evolve and become more engaging and applicable. Through integrating entrepreneurship in education, we can create a bridge between classroom knowledge and real-world application. 

As the world continues to evolve, fostering innovation and entrepreneurial spirit in schools is more important than ever. Integrating entrepreneurship into education empowers students, and equips them with skills necessary to succeed in diverse career paths and everyday life. Through entrepreneurship, students can see the connection between their curriculum and the real world. 

Hamid Rab Nawaz, the CEO of Furniturefy, makes the distinction that entrepreneurship education isn’t just about starting a business and making profit, but encompasses the concept of having an idea and the crucial steps it takes to turn an abstract idea into a reality. According to Drexel University, the steps an entrepreneur takes gives students the opportunity to think differently, learn practical skills, practice creative problem solving, and more.

Ultimately, entrepreneurship is not just about creating more businesses and increasing profit margins, it is about inspiring the next generation to create a more resilient and innovative society.

Save These Sessions to Your Schedule:

Join the Panel Three Innovators Discuss Books, Media, & Entrepreneurship to harness the power of the written word. Hear from  young innovators, Annabelle Chang, Alexandra Brown Chang, Raegan Revord, and Rania Zuri, as they discuss how they have used their entrepreneurial endeavors to help expand literacy, storytelling, and a shared love of books. 

Curious about How Abbott Elementary Would Write a Startup Pitch? Join this interactive workshop inspired by ABC’s award-winning series to tackle your presentation fears head-on with Mahlena-Rae Johnson, also known as Professor X for introverted CEOs with stage fright. Perfect your pitch and ensure your innovative ideas for the future of learning shine through.

Deepen your understanding of R&D and learn how to prepare for all kinds of research with Katie Boody Adorno and Lynne Harden in the Workshop How to Prepare for Education R&D: A Logic Model Workshop. 

Join the Panel Beyond Compromise: Mastering Negotiation to Advance Women which includes experts Dr. Susana Córdova, Dr. LaTanya McDade, and Alberto M. Carvalho, who will share powerful strategies to strengthen negotiation skills, empower women to navigate complex processes, and help advance them in their leadership journeys.

Attend the Meet Up Building Authentic Relationships: Networking to form the foundation of your personal value proposition (PVP) while networking. In this Meet Up, Candelario Cervantez will work through why people avoid networking, how to network authentically, how to show-up authentically and have strategies on how to maintain these relationships.

Join Maurice McCaulley and Molly O’Donnell in the Meet Up Getting Closer: Social Entrepreneur & Funder Mixer to discuss how they are ‘practicing proximity’ in their work and network with fellow funders and social entrepreneurs. 

Learn how to thrive in your career and life in the Workshop SkillQuest: Shaping Future-Ready Students with Soft Skills to prepare the essential soft skills valued by employers with Jéssica Santos and Nadia Silva. 

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Photo by Daniel Poe.