October 16th
Drone Forward is dedicated to directing students' attention towards greater issues in the world and arming them with the skills to solve those problems using modern tools. The Drone and Robotics Entrepreneurship Course is a signature Drone Forward educational experience that pushes students to understand the problems in their communities and the world at large, and create sustainable businesses that provide solutions to these problems using aspects of drones or robotics in their business model.
As a child of the 90s, I remember vividly building a kite with my dad. We went down to the local arts and crafts store and picked up two wooden dowels, plastic sheeting and some fishing line. We built the kite and flew it over an empty baseball field behind our house in Tucker, Georgia and watched as the kite seemed to run around the bases with the wind. While we don’t see that many kites flying over fields these days, a new technology has emerged that captivates kids’ imaginations.
Drones and robotics have given a new generation of dreamers a path to take their ideas to new heights and build sustainable businesses out of a childhood hobby. These young entrepreneurs have grown up with technology and possess a keen understanding of today’s problems. As entrepreneurs ourselves, Drone Forward wanted to teach these young people how to move their ideas forward and show them how technology and entrepreneurship can change the world.
Drone Forward created the Drone and Robotics Entrepreneurship Course, a three-part series dedicated to taking a young person’s startup idea from conceptualization to execution. This course is the brainchild of Jesse Pacheco, a graduate of the top-ranking entrepreneurial studies program at Olin School of Business at Babson College. The series teaches young entrepreneurs to use their ideas to create more inclusive, creative, and sustainable communities with thriving economies. Drone Forward begins the course by building the foundation to address these issues by studying the U.N.’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By understanding and implementing these goals, students will become aware of the most pressing issues in today’s society while also solving problems with considerable market potential.
Our goal is to provide students with the confidence to take their ideas outside of their comfort zone and develop ideas based on an actual need. We achieve this goal by encouraging students to interview, pitch, and network with each other and those in the greater community. As a result, students will gain real-world insight into their ideas and gather the data needed to make decisions on how their business plan will deliver value.
A secondary goal is to show students how to finance their ideas and teach them how sustainable business models can generate revenue. We develop funding plans to help our students’ businesses become operational and teach them the equations that help venture capitalists and angel investors decide which start-ups are worth their investment. Students graduate the course by pitching their ideas to a panel of accomplished business leaders in drones and robotics.
Drone Forward is dedicated to providing a platform for young entrepreneurs to launch their ideas and offer the best chance for their future. That’s why we invite you to join us and register for the Drones and Robotics Entrepreneurship Course, Nov. 3 to Dec. 15. Applications are now open and limited to young entrepreneurs ages 10 to 16; this course is free to all accepted applicants. We encourage you to apply today: https://forms.gle/DfQv4PQJzNm3MMWs8