« Return to I&E Programming

The Ideas to Impact program is a webinar series designed to equip University System of Georgia students with practical entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. Offered as a complement to the USG Startup Studio, the program features interactive 45-minute sessions led by experienced professionals and covering topics such as startup development, innovation, finance, marketing, leadership, design thinking, artificial intelligence and resilience. Through expert insights and real-world guidance, Ideas to Impact helps students transform promising ideas into meaningful opportunities and impact.

Fall 2026 Ideas to Impact Schedule

Entrepreneurial Mindset
Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 12:00 - 12:45p

Lynsey Steinberg, Director Academic Entrepreneurship, Augusta University

This presentation explores how an entrepreneurial mindset and behavioral motivation can help individuals recognize opportunities, navigate uncertainty, and move ideas into action. Through practical insights and examples, participants will examine how curiosity, experimentation, resilience, and an understanding of what motivates behavior can strengthen creative problem-solving and drive meaningful innovation.

Starting Your New Business: Your Business Model
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 12:00 - 12:45p

Kirk Heriot, Professor & Crowley Chair Entrepreneurship, Columbus State University

In our Ideas to Impact session we will address the aspiring entrepreneur's need for a well-defined business model. Your business model describes how you create and deliver value to your customers, while retaining some of the value in the form of a profit. It ensures you are focused on customers and their needs while being prepared to pivot to adapt to market demands. 

Validate Before You Build: How Entrepreneurs Discover What Customers Actually Value
Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 12:00 - 12:45p

Berkley Baker, Professor of Practice Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute, Georgia State University

Entrepreneurs often begin building solutions before they have enough evidence that customers actually value what they are creating. In this session, participants will learn practical approaches for identifying meaningful customer problems, testing assumptions, and discovering what customers truly value before investing significant time and resources in building a solution.

I Think I Want to Create a Startup! What You Think It Takes and What It Actually Takes

Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 12:00 - 12:45p

Ethan Benater, Founder of TOOL

In a day and age where everyone seems to be part of a startup (or have their own!) it's easy to think that it's just another thing to do. In this talk, Ethan will share his personal startup journey along with some practical do's and don'ts. 

Innovation in Startups: Engineering an Idea into a Product People Purchase

Tuesday, December 1, 2026, at 12:00 - 12:45p

Akos Vida, Founder of AdaptaPlay

A good idea can start a startup; what makes it successful is the execution. This session will discuss the process of turning an idea into a working, purchasable product, and will guide the listener through customer discovery, prototyping, iterative design, and the tricks to scale further. After the session, you'll have an expanded toolkit to test and develop your solution while still addressing the key customer needs that enable success. 

AI Tools
Tuesday, December 15, 2026, at 12:00 - 12:45p

Mariangela Vecchiarini-Piazza, Associate Professor Entrepreneurship, University of North Georgia

This webinar will introduce practical AI tools that entrepreneurs can use throughout the venture-development process, from generating and evaluating ideas to researching customers, developing business models, creating marketing content, and building early prototypes. Participants will also learn how to use these tools responsibly while maintaining human judgment and verifying the quality and accuracy of AI-generated content.