Wow! One week has already passed since I came to Denmark, and my class and practicum are getting fast-paced. As I mentioned before, I’m taking the Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Europe course & practicum, which combines both Session 1 and Session 2 into one huge 6-week course. My class consists of 24 people, and my instructor, Karim, who also has his own start-up, is very knowledgeable on all aspects of business.
For our course, we formed groups based on our interests and skills, and are currently brainstorming ideas to bring to life in the next four weeks. My group is outlining a social app that will help bring people together and make it easier to connect with one another. Our instructor is always encouraging us to take a step back from our vision and look at the bigger picture.
Aside from it being a six-week course, this class is unique because we don’t have Field Studies like many other courses at DIS do. We meet twice a week instead of five times a week, and the rest of the time is allocated to working on our practicum. The practicum is very similar to an unpaid internship, where we get hands-on experience with startups right here in Copenhagen. Before leaving for Denmark, we were asked to provide a cover letter and resume, so that DIS could match us with a company.
I am currently working for a start-up called Pinstriped, which is a tool used to help meetings run more efficiently. Although I can work from home on my own time, the majority of my hours are spent at the Founders House, which is a space dedicated to startups. Despite only being here for a week and a half, I have learned so much in regards to what it takes to start a company – all the work it takes to get financed, the many steps involved in getting recognized, and how to reach out to professionals and get noticed.
It has been a little over a week since I came to Denmark, and already I am learning so much about what it takes to build a company. Our course requires 20 hours a week, and although it gets tough, I know that the skills that I gain from this summer will be priceless. I also love that I can walk down to the Islands Brygge pier during my breaks, and just relax.
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