APEC 3551 is a Concept Design course. The focus of this course is two fold: first in creating ideas that solve real consumer problems.  And second, determining if these ideas can be developed into consumer concepts that have viable commercial opportunities. The course is not a class on how to start a new venture. Rather the students are working on entrepreneurial thinking competencies that take them from: concept design as a solution to a real consumer problem; developing critical assumptions of required hypotheses needed for a realistic product roadmap; identifying acceptable target consumers; and demonstrating a path to transactional viability.  The final output of the class is what you see here - a feasibility plan and a product pitch. 

The pitch is 5 min with another 5 min reserved for Q&A.  The questions are submitted before they present by a professional panel that has reviewed their Executive Summaries.  The student’s task is to pitch a recommendation to their panel for approval to take the development project to the next stage. So this is a Go/No Go plan rather than a business plan.  The key experience for students is to practice skills in creativity, problem identification, opportunity recognition, entrepreneurial thinking, and decision-making in an economic context. These 10 plans represent some of the best demonstrations of these skills this past semester. I hope you enjoy the outstanding thinking of these CFANS students.