May 18, 2017

Every year, a small group of Close School students and faculty travel to and experience one of the United States’ innovation hubs. The annual immersion trip allows students to participate in a one-of-a-kind, learning experience through exploration. This year, the students visited an emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem: Boston.

From March 26 - 29, Close School students and faculty toured Staples, Inc., Cambridge Innovation Center, Zagster, Johnson and Johnson, Hubspot, and TJX Companies to see how innovative offices function. Senior level executives took time to speak about their experiences and dole out advice to the students. They told stories about their experiences working for startups, entrepreneurship in general, and what you need to do to succeed in the increasingly competitive and entrepreneurial world.

For students, meeting these like-minded, experienced professionals expands their network across the East Coast. Some students left with new business contacts in Boston or opportunities to interview for full-time positions. Boston professionals also heard from Close School students and received a firsthand look at Philadelphia student starters.

Here’s how the Close School group spent their week:

Students and faculty traveled to Boston on March 26 and spent the evening wandering and getting situated in the city. The following day, they visited Staples, Inc., the headquarters of one of the leading office supply companies in the United States. The group had the chance to see and hear about Staples’ executives day-to-day work. The next stop of the day was to Cambridge Innovation Center. There, they toured the creative space and heard from Innovation Center members about their experiences.

The group spent the following day enjoying tours and hearing from high level professionals at Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Zagster. J&J Innovation prides itself in advancing new healthcare solutions through collaboration with its team and different industries. Zagster is a leading provider of bike share programs for cities, universities, businesses, and properties.

On the final day of the trip, the group explored HubSpot, Inc. in Cambridge, MA and learned about the company’s roots and how it grew into a massive inbound marketing software platform that helps companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close customers. After learning and hearing advice, the group headed home to Philadelphia.

The immersion trip is a trademark of the innovative educational experience at the Close School of Entrepreneurship. Whether it is in Boston, Silicon Valley, or any other innovation hub, seeing and learning from successful people is imperative to motivate starters. By immersing themselves in these trips, the students can then return to Drexel with a refreshing, positive look at entrepreneurship and their careers ahead, all along strengthening the entrepreneurial atmosphere in Philadelphia, Drexel University, and the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship.

Sarah Temple, Communications, Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship