Ideation for Impact by Stephanie Sek, SHA ’19

The Ideation for Impact event was the first of its kind as well as one of a kind: part pitch competition and part improvised problem solving. Upon entering the event, we were arranged into teams randomly with various professionals from a variety of industries, ranging from hotel to healthcare. Our task as a team was to design a new use for the emotion reading robot, Pepper, that tackled hospitality and/or healthcare issues. Working under a time crunch with minimal preparation was a daunting yet rewarding experience, but with our mentors and team synergy, our team ended up winning the pitch competition with our “Pepper for Patients” initiative.

This event taught me a lot about myself, as well as what amazing people we have a chance to work with at the hotel school. Our students, faculty, and alumni are all truly one of a kind, top notch individuals that I’m so glad I got to work with via the Ideation for Impact event. It helped build trust, self-confidence, and bonds between people we might not have met otherwise. I’m looking forward to the next one of these, as well as future Pillsbury Institute events!