Sparking Sustainability and Entrepreneurship: A Glimpse Into ENV490 Sustainability Innovation I
The ENV490 Sustainability Entrepreneurship I course welcomes students from all majors and career aspirations. It’s not just for those pursuing environmental studies or dreaming of launching a business or startup. At the heart of the course lies the ethos of the ‘Īnana Innovators Program, inspiring students to innovate in support of strong economies and communities in our region.
Hands-On Projects With Local Businesses
This semester, students collaborated with three local businesses: Talk, Keep It Simple, and Bess Press.
Talk
Students designed and launched sustainability awareness and education materials for the store, QR codes stickers.
Keep It Simple
Students partnered with the CUH Sustainability Club, merging shared goals to enrich zero-waste and plastic-free experiences. Together, they discovered opportunities for students, offering hands-on learning while supporting the business’s community outreach efforts.
Bess Press
The team introduced the innovative "Bess Bucks" system idea, encouraging customers to return gently used books in exchange for store credits. This aligns beautifully with Bess Press’s mission of creating cherished books with a lasting impact.
Empowering Students Through Real-World Experience
The course aims to bridge academic learning and professional life by encouraging students to tackle sustainability challenges collaboratively. This experience boosts their confidence, empowering them to transition into the “real world” as professionals equipped to share their unique ideas and create meaningful community impact.
As students navigated business visits and classroom discussions, their growth was evident. They became more confident in articulating their ideas, expanding their “why,” and embracing the complexity of turning ideas into action.
Guest speakers—industry experts and sustainability leaders—played a pivotal role in this transformation. By sharing their projects, life journeys, and challenges, these leaders offered students valuable insights into the realities of sustainability and entrepreneurship. Students applied class concepts in real time, working alongside businesses and honing skills critical to solving today’s complex problems.
Looking Ahead
The program’s long-term vision is to establish a robust pathway to entrepreneurship, bridging the gap between academics and professional life. Students have the opportunity to become creators or interns, receiving stipends to further develop their ideas while gaining essential professional skills.
Next semester, building on this first course foundation, ENV490 Sustainability Entrepreneurship II will allow students to master design thinking and further explore sustainable challenges close to their hearts. This student-led course encourages ownership and deeper engagement, fostering creative solutions with real-world impact.
Gratitude for Our Partners
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the industry experts and sustainable leaders who generously shared their time, insights, and experiences. By opening their hearts and candidly discussing their challenges and successes, they allowed students to understand the rewards of navigating the complex field of sustainability.
Their contributions have made ENV490 a transformative experience, empowering students to develop entrepreneurial mindsets, solve problems with courage, and strengthen their connection to community-driven change.
'Īnana Innovators Program - MBDA-OBD-2022-2007301, PI Dr. Helen Turner
