WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Aspiring or very early‑stage technology or tech‑enabled entrepreneurs—including students, researchers, faculty, and ideation‑stage founders—who bring strong technical expertise but have limited exposure to the business, commercialization, and venture‑building skills required to turn an idea into a viable company.
THE CHALLENGE THEY FACE
They are building their ideas within an underdeveloped entrepreneurship ecosystem, where the essential elements that help founders succeed—mentorship, early‑stage capital, customer access, legal and financial guidance, and a supportive peer community—are partial, inconsistent, or missing entirely. As a result, even promising technologies struggle to move from concept to market.
OUR SOLUTION
A free, hands‑on ENT 101 workshop, delivered in partnership with local supporters, IEEE Sections, and anchor institutions, that equips participants with the foundational entrepreneurship skills, frameworks, and mindsets needed to increase their chances of success. The workshop blends global best practices with local context to help founders navigate their ecosystem as it exists today while preparing them for the ecosystem they want to build tomorrow.
Agenda and topics are below.
Phase 1: Pre-Workshop Online Sessions
Session 1 — Orientation (90 minutes)
Welcome & program overview
Introduction to IEEE Entrepreneurship
UN‑SDGs / ethical innovation (optional module)
Participant introductions
Pitch expectations & evaluation criteria
Session 2 — Team Building (90 minutes)
Icebreakers
Idea sharing
Early team formation
Value proposition basics
Day 1: Foundations, Teams, and Customer Discovery
08:45 – 09:15 Welcome & Opening Remarks
IEEE Entrepreneurship overview
UN‑SDGs / societal impact
Workshop expectations
09:15 – 10:15 Networking + First‑Round Pitches + Team Formation
10:15 – 11:00 Innovating an Idea & Creating a Value Proposition
11:00 – 11:30 — Break
11:30 – 12:00 Sample Pitch + Discussion
12:00 – 13:00 Customer Profiles, Market Sizing & Market Survey Exercise
Personas
TAM/SAM/SOM
Customer feedback methods
13:00 – 14:00 — Lunch
14:00 – 15:30 Thematic Panel (Optional)
Examples:
AI & Sovereignty
Climate Tech
Health Tech
Sustainable Innovation
15:30 – 15:45 — Break
15:45 – 17:00 Financial Fundamentals for Founders
Cash flow
ROI
Equity
17:00 – 18:00 Group Work: Customer Profiles, Value Proposition, Market Size
Day 2: Business Models, IP, Legal, Budgeting, TRLs
09:00 – 10:00 Business Models
10:00 – 11:00 Team Presentations: Value Proposition + Feedback
11:00 – 11:30 — Break
11:30 – 12:30 Intellectual Property for Startups
12:30 – 13:00 Legal Documents for Startups
13:00 – 14:00 — Lunch
14:00 – 15:30 Budgeting for a Startup (Hands‑On Exercise)
15:30 – 15:45 — Break
15:45 – 16:45 Invention to Product: TRLs & Commercialization Pathways
16:45 – 17:45 Startup Financing Options (Local Context Module)
17:45 – 18:30 Group Work: Business Models + Budget Estimates
Day 3: Soft Skills, Marketing, GTM, and Wrap‑Up
09:00 – 10:00 Communication & Soft Skills for Founders
Pitch delivery
Leadership
Team dynamics
10:00 – 11:00 Digital & Social Media Marketing
11:00 – 11:30 — Break
11:30 – 13:00 Classroom Exercise: Taking an Idea to Market
Customer validation
GTM strategy
13:00 – 14:00 — Lunch
14:00 – 15:30 Entrepreneur Panel
Local founders
Q&A
15:30 – 15:45 — Break
15:45 – 16:45 Wrap‑Up, Feedback & Concluding Remarks
Phase 3: Post‑Workshop Online Sessions
Session 1 — Q&A with Teams (60–90 minutes)
Clarifications
Pitch coaching
Final guidance
Pitch Video Submission Deadline
Typically 7–10 days after workshop
Session 2 — Final Judging Call (90 minutes)
Team presentations
Judge feedback
FAQs
Can Non-IEEE Members Attend?
Participants will receive lodging for three or four nights, according to their travel plans, in shared rooms at the venue hotel in Gammarth, plus three meals and coffee breaks. The rooms are double rooms, so please know that you will be assigned a roommate of the same gender. Your room assignment will be provided upon check-in. ALL other travel costs to attend the workshop will be the responsibility of the participants – IEEE will not reimburse any travel-related costs.
YES. You do NOT have to be an IEEE member to apply and/or attend.
Expectations?
We expect full and professional participation in every aspect of the program if accepted. This includes, but is not limited to:
1) Confirming your participation as early as possible for planning purposes,
2) Being present at every virtual and in-person session outlined in the agenda above,
3) Using the tool(s) being offered in the class (e.g. Smartsheet Board)
4) Being an engaged and professional team member
5) Participating in the post-event survey in order to get your certificate of completion
How Much does it Cost?
The workshop itself is free, but all attendees are responsible for covering their own travel costs to and from the workshop. These expenses will not be reimbursed by IEEE.
What is Included?
* Subject to change. The following is typically provided for each ENT 101 Workshop:
Lodging for 3-4 nights (depending on travel plans) at a venue hotel in shared rooms and three meals plus coffee breaks for each day of the in-person portion of the workshop. All other travel costs are the responsibility of the participants and IEEE will not reimburse any travel-related costs.
Contacts?
Volunteer Leaders: Daniel Renner (daniel@atacamalight.com) or Surya Raghu (sraghu@ieee.org)
IEEE Staff: Lauren Beighley (l.beighley@ieee.org) or Caitlin Zubrowski (c.zubrowski@ieee.org)
You can also email IEEE Entrepreneurship at entrepreneurship@ieee.org