Next guest
Ayelet Cohen
About our guest
Ayelet Cohen the founder of Meraki Innovation, is a social entrepreneur. She co-founded the ASPER-HUJI Innovate Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Hebrew University) and the JLM-Impact Consortium, leading programs that involved over 5,000 participants annually in events, hackathons, courses, and accelerators, helping start-ups raise over $70 million.
Ayelet Cohen | 21.10.2024-25.10.2024
Ayelet Cohen the founder of Meraki Innovation, is a social entrepreneur. She co-founded the ASPER-HUJI Innovate Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Hebrew University) and the JLM-Impact Consortium, leading programs that involved over 5,000 participants annually in events, hackathons, courses, and accelerators, helping start-ups raise over $70 million. At Start-Up Nation Central, she managed activities in Jerusalem, promoting connections between talent and opportunities and launching projects to integrate minorities into the tech ecosystem. Ayelet also launched Google Groups for Educators in Israel, empowering thousands of teachers to collaborate on transformative educational projects. Beyond her professional achievements, Ayelet has initiated and led social projects supporting mothers affected by domestic violence and cultural activities that support local businesses and artists.
Meraki Innovation is a social enterprise dedicated to promoting innovation and entrepreneurial thinking to drive change. Their expertise in Entrepreneurial Education, Startup Ecosystem Development, Intrapreneurship, and Public and Social Innovation positions them not just as consultants, but as agents of transformation. By combining advanced methodologies with personalized engagements, they offer consultancy, training, and project management. The organization’s goal is to contribute to the development of collaborative ecosystems that empower individuals and organizations to innovate, paving the way for sustainable growth and social impact.
Course Structure and Goals
The course will consist of four modules, spread over four days, and is designed to provide participants with a practical perspective on how business ideas can be transformed into business concepts. It also aims to inspire them to pursue the path of entrepreneurship.
The course revolves around “IdeaX,” an innovative educational game that encourages creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving among students. Throughout this workshop, participants will form teams, select challenges, generate solutions, develop business concepts, and ultimately present their innovative ideas. This interactive and dynamic environment not only equips students with practical skills in idea generation but also empowers the next generation of innovators and leaders to make significant contributions to society.
Course Objectives:
–> Understanding Impact Entrepreneurship: Providing participants with a basic understanding of impact entrepreneurship.
–> Identification and Problem Analysis: Participants' ability to identify real-world problems and analyze them using the problem tree model.
–> Market Analysis Training participants in conducting customer research to understand potential clients and their needs.
–> Encouraging Innovative Thinking: Inspiring participants to think creatively and tackle problems with innovative solutions, fostering a mindset essential for successful entrepreneurship.
–> Developing Startup Concepts: Guiding participants in refining their ideas into startup concepts using the model lean startup.
–> Developing Practical Skills: Enhancing participants' practical skills in collaboration and teamwork, communication and presentation, creative thinking, and problem-solving.
Day 1: Get Inspired and Select Your Challenge
Introduction to Impact Entrepreneurship (90 minutes) This module highlights the power of entrepreneurs to change lives, analyzes the rapid technological revolution, and emphasizes the need for an innovator's mindset, as well as the tools required for success. It also explores the steps for developing an entrepreneurial initiative and the main pitfalls to avoid. The module will provide participants with the opportunity to identify their entrepreneurial motivation through an exercise.
Problem Exploration (120 minutes)
- Introduction of Participants
- Reviewing Challenges from the IdeaX Card Deck and Forming Teams
- Using the Problem Tree Model to Analyze the Problem, Needs, and Market
Monday, 21.10.2024, 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM, Room 120
Day 2: Who is the Target Customer? Market Research (210 minutes)
- Identifying Potential Customers
- Learning Methodologies for Customer Needs Research, Understanding the Importance of Empathy in Customer Research, and Practicing Active Listening
- Customer Discovery
Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM, Room 120
Day 3: What is Your Idea? Ideas Generation Workshop (210 minutes)
- Analyzing Perspectives from Customer Research
- Idea Generation Session Using IdeaX Cards to Generate Ideas
- Selecting the Best Idea and Further Developing the Startup Concept Using the Lean Startup Model
Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM, Room 120
Day 4: What Is Your Story? Storytelling Workshop (120 minutes)
- Introduction to the Art of Storytelling: Its Origins and Importance
- Understanding the Structure of a Startup Pitch and Reviewing the Pitch Development Framework
- Creating a Pitch for Participants' Startup Ideas
Shark Tank: Pitch Competition Between Teams (90 minutes) Presenting the Idea to a Shark Tank-Style Panel, Receiving Feedback, and Selecting the Winning Teams.
Thursday, October 24, 2024, 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM, Room 120
David Mammano | 18.11.2024-22.11.2024
David Mammano has founded seven companies and has drawn upon these experiences to instill courage in those who view entrepreneurship as the pathway to achieving their dreams. He has won the Inc. Magazine 5000 Growth Company award three times. He is a TEDx Speaker, a professor at the University of Rochester, and an author of books on entrepreneurship and strategic planning. He graduated from the University at Buffalo and the MIT Entrepreneurial Master's Program, a program focused on entrepreneurial development. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Western NY Make-A-Wish Foundation and a local member of the Junior Achievement council.
Elevate Your Entrepreneurship with AI
The meeting aims to highlight the opportunities created by artificial intelligence in entrepreneurship. The course will begin with an introduction to the importance of AI in the modern business landscape, explaining what AI is, its various types, and key concepts such as machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing. The course will emphasize current trends of AI in entrepreneurship and the benefits offered, such as the automation of repetitive tasks, advanced data analysis, personalization of customer experience, and product innovation. AI applications in business range from marketing and sales, operations, and customer service to finance. Implementing AI in business requires identifying areas with added value, using appropriate tools to facilitate the integration of existing processes, and overcoming challenges. The course will be complemented by a workshop in which students will discover how AI can revolutionize the entrepreneurial journey. Students will learn practical strategies to leverage AI for innovation, streamline operations, and gain a competitive advantage.
Monday, 18.11.2024, from 16:00 to 17:30, Room 120
Lean Start-up Methodology
This talk explores the Lean Startup Methodology, a dynamic approach to launching and scaling businesses. Attendees will learn how to validate ideas quickly, minimize risks, and maximize efficiency through iterative cycles of build-measure-learn. Ideal for entrepreneurs seeking to innovate, adapt, and succeed in today's fast-paced market.
Students will explore how AI enhances the Lean Startup Methodology in this dynamic workshop. Learn to integrate AI tools for rapid experimentation, customer feedback analysis, and data-driven decision-making. Discover techniques to validate your business model efficiently, pivot effectively, and scale sustainably, using AI to accelerate your startup’s growth and success.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 1:00 PM - 3:40 PM, Room 120
Value Proposition Design
This presentation will offer students insights into how the proposed value must be adapted to resonate with customer needs. Students will have access to practices and tips designed to facilitate the identification of customer needs, allow the adaptation of products/services to these needs, and lead to the creation of solutions that differentiate from competitors. The workshop will provide a perspective on how AI can help update the proposed value. Thus, students will have the opportunity to discover ways in which AI tools can analyze market trends, customer needs, and the competitive landscape to refine and validate the proposed value. They will gain insights into creating compelling offers and strategies that resonate with the target audience and drive business growth.
Wednesday, 20.11.2024, 1:00 PM - 3:40 PM, Room 120
Managing an Entrepreneurial Team
The meeting will provide an understanding of strategies for managing an entrepreneurial team, focusing on leadership, communication, and fostering innovation. It will highlight the importance of aligning team objectives with the startup's vision, promoting a collaborative culture, and managing conflicts constructively. Practical tips for balancing creativity with accountability will also be discussed. In the workshop, students will explore the potential of AI in managing entrepreneurial teams. They will have the opportunity to analyze how AI-based tools can enhance team collaboration, optimize workflows, and generate performance analytics. Additionally, they will learn strategies for effective leadership and team management, leveraging AI to encourage innovation, improve communication, and drive the startup toward success.
Friday, 22.11.2024, from 13:00 to 15:40, Room 120
*Mr. David Mammano will deliver, as part of the Cluj Economics and Business Seminar Series (CEBSS), a presentation on the topic: „Empowering Educators to Foster the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs”.
The seminar aims to bring together the academic community and representatives from the business environment.
Thursday, 21.10.2024, from 14.00 to 15.00, Room 118
CEBSS ZOOM link
To reserve your seat for the courses, please fill in the form.
* All students who attend the courses will receive a certificate of participation; also, the professor will award three certificates for outstanding achievements.
Catherine Delevoye | 02.12.2024-05.12.2024
Catherine Delevoye has more than 25 years of experience in advising entrepreneurs, supporting start-ups and scale-ups for their business strategies, paths to markets and the management of their portfolios of technologies, providing coaching and support services in terms of internationalisation, business development, investment readiness, innovation management and value chains. She has been supporting companies in their international development in Europe, North America, India, Africa and the Middle East, providing tailored legal advice and expertise for their technology development, partnering and business modelling activities. She is working with innovative companies at all stages, from idea maturation to international growth, and supports entrepreneurs in their business and legal matters, from intellectual property management to agreements with clients, partners and investors worldwide.
Catherine is passionate about travel and cultural exchanges and has served as a trainer, coach, and mentor in international incubation and acceleration programs for technology startups, social enterprises, students, researchers, innovation managers, and young entrepreneurs from Luxembourg, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Latvia, Romania, Ethiopia, Comoros, Jordan, Sri Lanka, and many others.
Intellectual Property and Value Creation with developing MVP
This course is designed to provide a deep and practical understanding of how effective management of intellectual property (IP) and licensing agreements can support the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Participants will learn to identify and protect intellectual assets from the early stages of product development, successfully navigate licensing agreements and co-development partnerships, and maximize the value of innovation within them. The course is particularly focused on the needs of startups and spin-offs, offering solutions for flexible IP management and protecting interests in relationships with larger organizations. Additionally, participants will gain essential commercial negotiation skills and an understanding of the legal aspects necessary to ensure the long-term success of the business.
Monday 02.12.2024, 13.00-14.30, Room 120
Scalability and GO to Market Strategy
The workshop will guide students through the process of identifying and organizing essential activities to create and efficiently deliver a product to the end customer. Starting with supplier analysis and ending with delivery to the consumer, participants will learn to develop a value chain map, using visual methods to illustrate the logical structure of activities. In teams, students will create flowcharts to understand how these activities interconnect and contribute to increasing product value. They will also analyze the interdependencies among these activities and explore optimization methods, such as streamlining processes. The workshop will culminate in presentations of the value chain maps and feedback sessions, allowing students to identify strengths and areas for improvement, thereby developing essential skills for future entrepreneurial and managerial projects.
Tuesday 03.2024, 13.00-15.00, Room 120
Accessing Investors and Business Internationalization
The course offers a strategic approach to preparing a business for investment and expanding into international markets. Inspired by “The Art of War,” it provides practical advice for identifying and approaching investors based on the entrepreneur's experience, business idea, and available resources, emphasizing realistic expectations in the fundraising process. Using examples from the Technoport portfolio, the course will discuss both success factors and pitfalls to avoid when presenting to investors. Additionally, it addresses international expansion, highlighting the advantages and risks of internationalization and sharing lessons learned from the experiences of companies that have successfully or unsuccessfully expanded globally.
Participants will have access to a set of tools that will help them identify potential investors and consider internationalization as a means of business growth and development.
Wednesday 04.12.2024, 13.00-14.30, Room 120
The art of partnerships
Partnerships are extremely important for small businesses. They can provide various benefits, such as increased credibility and easier access to the market, complementing the capital and expertise available to a small team. However, they can also hinder business growth if they are too rigid, unbalanced, or based on divergent visions and expectations. The course will outline the aspects to consider when seeking to attract new partners and how to transition from proposal to partnership implementation. Participants will have the opportunity to analyze and evaluate the extent to which their case is suitable for a partnership, as well as the operational terms and criteria that should be targeted for a successful collaboration.
Thursday, 05.12.2024, 13.00-14.30,, Room 120
To reserve your seat for the courses, please fill in the Formularul.
* All students who attend the courses will receive a certificate of participation; also, the professor will award three certificates for outstanding achievements.
Daniel Druhora | 06.12.2024
Daniel Druhora is a filmmaker, professor, and innovation leader of Romanian-American origin, recognized for his Emmy Award-winning documentary Lives Not Grades and other notable works such as Cloudwalkers and Long Distance Swimmer. He studied International Relations at the University of Washington and earned an MFA in Film and Television Production from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.
As the Director of the Grand Challenges Innovation Lab at USC, Daniel coordinates innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives, promoting solutions that address global problems. In addition to his contributions to education and filmmaking, Daniel is involved with the USC ReWater Center, working with students to actively address the water crisis. His current projects include Elie’s Overcoat, a feature film set to be filmed in Romania.
Storytelling for Innovators: Discover How to Conquer the World of Entrepreneurship
In the seminar "Storytelling for Innovators and Creators," we will explore various essential themes for using storytelling in innovation and entrepreneurship.
The instructor will begin with Starting From Story, where we will discover how companies like Apple, Google, and IBM use storytelling to create remarkable products that come to dominate the market. Participants will have the opportunity to learn storytelling techniques to better understand the market and address customer needs.
Another important topic will be Connecting Storytelling with Product Design and Development Process, where participants will have the opportunity to explore how storytelling can be integrated into the product development process to enhance design and functionality. Finally, there will be a discussion on Story and Share of Mind, learning how storytelling can influence public perception and increase a product's market share by capturing customer attention and loyalty.
Friday 6.12.2024, 17.00-18.30
On-Line on Zoom
Personal Meeting Room
Join Zoom Meeting
https://econ-ubbcluj-ro.zoom.us/j/2106808330
Meeting ID: 210 680 8330
To reserve your seat for the courses, please fill in the form.
* All students who attend the courses will receive a certificate of participation; also, the professor will award three certificates for outstanding achievements.
Sophie Rippinger | 10.03.2025-14.03.2025
Sophie Rippinger is a freelance Circular Economy specialist. She worked for Edinburgh Innovations, the commercialisation arm of the University of Edinburgh, where she contributed to the delivery of the Venture Builder Incubator program and created the award winning EARTH Centred Business Design (ECBD) framework, a circular net zero business model toolkit for early stage start-ups.
Sophie worked as a Circular Economy Senior Consultant for Wood Group Plc where she supported multiple local and international projects including developing plastic pollution prevention policies for the World Bank and providing direct business support to small and medium enterprises wishing to move towards a Circular Economy for Zero waste Scotland. Sophie is also an accomplished Waste Manager. She has project managed new waste strategies for Ford, Renault and Peugeot while working for Veolia Environmental, implemented the waste management contractors for University of Edinburgh, and benchmarked and conducted waste management gap analysis for the University of Strathclyde and Historic Environment Scotland.
Over her 20 year career, she has engaged with hundreds of business founders. This includes students, professionals from both academic and non-academic backgrounds representing over 25 European higher education institutes, as well as entrepreneurs and workers from a wide range of business sectors.
Sophie firmly believes that the Circular Economy holds the potential to address the pressing climate crisis and environmental emergency we currently face. Therefore she adopts an interdisciplinary and experiential approach with businesses and start-ups that goes beyond traditional settings to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable society.
1.Identify your start-up idea
The workshop is designed to guide you through the process of developing a sustainable and innovative start-up idea based on the principles of the circular economy. During this workshop, you will have the opportunity to explore the risks and opportunities in the field, participating in team exercises aimed at stimulating circular thinking. We will place a strong emphasis on your start-up idea and the business you wish to launch. We will support you in defining the problem you want to solve, analyzing the assumptions and gaps together. To help you shape your value proposition, we will introduce the concept of design thinking and the "how might we..." approach. Additionally, you will receive practical advice on how to expand your network of contacts and develop an effective stakeholder engagement strategy, whether you are starting from scratch or building on an existing strategy. Efficient networking will also be a key topic.
At the end of the workshop, you will complete two essential canvases: a problem identification canvas and a value proposition canvas, both utilizing the principles of the circular economy. These tools will become your reference points throughout the entire business development process.
Monday 10.03.2024, 1.00-4.30 PM, Room 120
2.Your Vision for the Future
The workshop is designed to guide you in creating a business vision that is not only sustainable but also responsible, equitable, and transparent, helping you identify the potential financial benefits of this approach. During the second day, we will focus on the operational needs of your business, providing you with a solid framework to select and refine the options that will ensure its success, using sustainability principles as a competitive advantage. You will learn how to apply these principles practically, turning your idea into a tangible reality, and you will receive useful tools to monitor your progress. We will also guide you in refining your value proposition and methods to keep it relevant in a constantly changing market. Additionally, you will explore the different available funding methods, analyzing their advantages and disadvantages.
At the end of the day, you will have the opportunity to shape your business story and the confidence needed to continue your journey successfully.
Tuesday 11.03.2024, 1.00-4.30PM 13.00-16.30, Room 120
3. Brainstorm your business strategy
The workshop is designed to help you explore new concepts for products and services, generate ideas for business models, and identify sustainable and inclusive opportunities. During this workshop, we will analyze circular business models and present case studies of successful circular businesses. Building on the knowledge gained in previous days, you will have the opportunity to create your own circular business model canvas, tailored to your business idea.
We will go through the necessary steps to develop a concrete action plan, and you will have the opportunity to discuss and share your implementation strategy while exploring ways to build and develop an effective team. At the end of the workshop, you will have the chance to tell your story and share your entrepreneurial journey. We will provide you with valuable advice on how to communicate effectively with various types of audiences, including through social media, and we will prepare you to deliver a perfect pitch.
The tasks for this workshop include completing the ECBD circular canvas, developing an action plan and timeline, and writing a story that reflects your journey, thus preparing you for the final pitch.
Wednesday 12.03.2024, 1.00-4.30 PM, Room 120
4. Pitching
The pitching session is designed to give participants the opportunity to present and refine their business idea. Each participant will have the chance to deliver a pitch in front of their peers. Each presentation will be followed by a session of evaluation and feedback from both the facilitators and the other participants. We will prepare an evaluation document to structure and facilitate the feedback, encouraging detailed and constructive analysis.
Peer evaluation is essential, providing a valuable and relevant perspective for early-stage entrepreneurs. This session will not only give you the chance to test your business idea but will also allow you to learn from the perspectives and suggestions of your peers, helping you refine your approach and perfect your future pitches. Selected teams will be automatically included in the incubation program, where they can deepen their business concepts and gain access to numerous resources and opportunities for learning and development.
Thursday 13.03.2024, 1.00-4.30 PM, Room 120
To reserve your spot in Mrs. Sophie Rippinger's courses, please fill out the form.
* All students who attend the courses will receive a certificate of participation; also, the professor will award three certificates for outstanding achievements.
Jan Philipp Ahrens 24.03.2025-30.03.2025
Jan-Philipp holds a venia legendi (Habilitation) from the Faculty of Business Studies at University of Mannheim. He is head of the interdisciplinary research group at the University of Mannheim which operates a supercomputer dedicated to AI & big data research on sustainability. His research appears in international peer-reviewed top journals, such as Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice (VHB: A), Journal of Management Studies (VHB: A), or ICIS (VHB: A). He authored books and contributed to scientific reports comissioned by German Federal Ministries. His research won or was nominated for more than 30 international peer-reviewed awards. He also holds the award for diversity & gender equality from University of Mannheim and a recognition for outstanding engagement for leading the 'task force Ukraine' of the University of Passau. Jan-Philipp is a frequent reviewer & was honored for this service by receiving a best reviewer award.
He supports the profession by co-organizing international conferences, such the European Academy of Management and the Interdisciplinary European Conference on Entrepreneurship Research. He teaches at Bachelor, Master, and PhD level (entrepreneurship, organization, management, strategic & international management), is a frequent speaker in classes for international executive education (Mannheim Business School), and has coached more than 25 start-up teams. Jan-Philipp's research is discussed in the public media, such as Deutschlandradio/Deutschlandfunk, Spiegel Online, Der Standard (Austria), Brand Eins, DIE ZEIT or Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Jan-Philipp Ahrens gained his PhD (Dr. rer. pol.) from University of Mannheim (2010-2013). He was a visiting researcher at Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität München & Humboldt University at Berlin. From 2013-2014 he joined the German Federal Ministry of Finance in Berlin as a political advisor in business restructuring. In 2024 he was a visiting researcher at Stanford University, Scandinavian Consortium for Organizational Research. Marathon-Rowing is one of his passions.
He finished 3rd in the quad-scull team discipline of the international Rhine marathon contest and 1st in the eight-team of the Technical University Munich team at the Roseninsel contest.
To reserve your spot in Mr. Jan-Philipp Ahrens' courses, please fill out the form.
* All students who attend the courses will receive a certificate of participation; also, the professor will award three certificates for outstanding achievements.
Amnon Dekel | 12.05.2025-16.05.2025
Dr. Amnon Dekel este directorul executiv al ASPER-HUJI Innovate, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center din cadrul Universității Hebrew din Ierusalim. Anterior, Amnon a fost președinte al Departamentului de Inginerie Software la Colegiul de Inginerie și Design Shenkar din Israel. Amnon are peste 20 de ani de experiență în dezvoltarea de produse pentru servicii și aplicații bazate pe IT, precum și peste 15 ani de experiență în cercetare aplicată ce vizează User Experience și Mobile Computing. Acesta a contribuit la lansarea a 3 companii din domenii precum video sharing, personal networking and indoor navigation. A primit numeroase premii internaționale, inclusiv o nominalizare la Premiile Pulitzer, pentru munca sa cu New York Times. Amnon are un doctorat în Informatică la Hebrew. Este pasionat de transpunerea artei în tehnologie, iar când are timp se dedică acestui hobby.
LinkedIn_Amnon Dekel
To reserve your spot in Mr. Amnon Dekel's courses, please fill out the form.
* All students who attend the courses will receive a certificate of participation; also, the professor will award three certificates for outstanding achievements.
Debra Zahay-Blatz | 26.05.2025-01.06.2025
Dr. Debra Zahay-Blatz is a Professor of Marketing and the Director of the Master of Science in Digital Marketing and Analytics program at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. She teaches digital marketing and analytics courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her areas of expertise include Digital Marketing, Marketing Analytics and Predictive Modeling, Social Media Marketing, and Marketing Strategies. Her courses are experiential, allowing students to apply their knowledge and gain valuable experiences and skills. She holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Illinois, a Master’s degree in Management from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois, and a Bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Dr. Zahay-Blatz researches how firms can facilitate customer relationships, particularly using customer information. Her recent focus has been organizing for Big Data and Customer Data Quality. Dr. Zahay-Blatz has authored numerous research articles and is the co-author, with Mary Lou Roberts of Internet Marketing: Integrating Online and Offline Strategies. She is also a regular speaker on digital marketing and analytics topics and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing. She has been the President of her own database and relationship management consulting firm, Zahay, Inc., since 1993 and has extensive experience helping companies identify and develop customer relationships. Her prior business experience includes senior marketing management responsibilities at MCI Telecommunications (now Verizon) and Dun & Bradstreet. She has also served as a Vice President on the Executive Board of the Chicago American Marketing Association and on the Executive Board of the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing and is active in the Digital Analytics Association.
To reserve your spot in Mrs. Debra Zahay – Blatz's courses, please fill out the form.
* All students who attend the courses will receive a certificate of participation; also, the professor will award three certificates for outstanding achievements.