Spotlight: Alumni Story
By: Priya Patel, HUVTSP ‘24
A year ago, if you had asked me what I had planned for my future, I would have said something along the lines of engineering or medicine. My mind was fully focused on the natural sciences, innovation, and research. Business and startups didn’t seem to fit into the STEM world that I pictured myself in, so imagine my surprise when I applied to the Harvard Ventures-TECH Summer Program (HVTSP), a entrepreneurship and innovation-based program.
What was I thinking?! I didn’t like economics or business pitches or case studies that had nothing to do with cells or physics! And yet, for reasons still unknown, I applied to the program on a whim, two days before the extended application deadline closed. Part of me wanted to see if I could get into this program and find a new interest, and the other part of me was contemplating if I was slightly crazy for going in such a new direction. Spoiler alert: I am still in love with STEM, but business has wormed its way in too - all thanks to HVTSP.
HVTSP involved a few main parts, each of which had their own values. There were the daily classes that focused on economics, business, entrepreneurship, and innovation, real-world case study discussions, internship meetings, and fireside chats with people from all different walks of life. The fireside chats - Zoom call Q and A sessions with founders, investors, and other integral parts of the business world - were some of my favorite parts of this program. These conversations took the theory from classes and gave it actual faces to connect with. Every speaker had a unique story in how they were introduced to business and what they have created so far. Everyone had full faith that we, as teenagers, could change the world too. It was inspiring, motivational, and eye-opening to learn about the multitude of paths my life could take. There is no “one size fits all” for business; rather, each person’s path is their own to create and that defines business as a sector. Entrepreneurship and innovation are about the people in them, and having unparalleled access to founders, C-suite executives, and investors was a chance to dip my toe into the water. These fireside chats have continued on past the end of the program, and have been an awesome opportunity to hear new and inspiring stories and to reconnect with fellow HVTSP alumni.
My fellow HVTSP students made the program truly amazing. The international reach of the program guarantees that there are a myriad of identities in the student body who are all brought together by similar interests in entrepreneurship, innovation, and a love of learning. This program pushes its students to think creatively and critically, none of which is fruitful without a great network of peers to bounce ideas off of and to gain feedback from. We pushed each other to be better and to think bigger, while also supporting each other as we ran into obstacles in our startup ideas and internships. While the program’s timing was better for some time zones than others, my peers were so dedicated to the program and each other that it hardly mattered. Then again, what’s wrong with waking up at 4am when everything is on Zoom? The virtual nature of the program allowed for comfort when learning and a focus on doing rather than logistics of travel and housing. The program was conducive to traveling, getting my braces off, and even being under the weather, all thanks to the zoom calls and the team. The HVTSP team kept the program running smoothly during the entire six weeks, troubleshooting seamlessly in the background to create a consistently enjoyable experience. They were always the first to offer support and mentorship that was truly one-of-a-kind. There are few other programs where the team members, including high-achieving college students, professionals, and faculty, readily offer one-on-one chats to answer any questions you might have, and it was phenomenal to pick someone’s brain as opposed to resorting to google for my questions.
When HVTSP sessions started, I was immersed in a whole new ecosystem. There were new terms and acronyms - and I had no idea what half of them meant! There were new skills, like speed networking, that I didn’t realize were ones I needed to have. There were new people who had done amazing things, like launching their own companies, who I had never heard of. And yet for everything I didn’t know that others did already, the program made me want to learn more rather than shy away. Instead of barely skimming the meanings of those acronyms or the bios of the speakers, I found myself falling down rabbit holes of information, wondering what else I could find. That is one of the magical things about HVTSP: it inspired me to learn more in an area I hadn’t found intriguing before. Suddenly, startup ideas were joining the random art projects and physics facts that inhabited my brain rent-free. HVTSP helped me realize that business and startups are in every space, STEM included. The concepts and verbiage I learned and the people I met were just the tip of the iceberg - there was entrepreneurship and innovation all around me. STEM is not only textbooks and lab experiments. It is innovating to create new ideas. It is learning how to research and create for a specific audience’s needs. It is finding the gaps in society that you can fill. STEM is just as much part of entrepreneurship as publishing or music or education.
Please contact tech@seas.harvard.edu with any questions.