What a Day at Demo Day!

As the Director of EPIC Lab, the entrepreneurship center at ITAM -a leading private university in Mexico- I have had the great opportunity to closely follow the Martin Trust Center’s Delta v program for the last six years. During this time, I have witnessed ITAM students participate in Delta v and I have played countless videos from Demo Day to Mexican entrepreneurs to convey to them the power of storytelling. Through these interactions, I thought I knew what a Demo Day was about. This year, a group of ITAM students and I were invited for the first time to attend Demo Day and, to put it simply, it was nothing like I had imagined…

The energy is palpable even as one begins to search for the Kresge Auditorium. The streets around MIT are packed with signs and posters with inspiring entrepreneurial quotes and upcoming startup events, making evident that the entrepreneurship field is taken seriously across the entire university. As one approaches the auditorium, one stumbles upon an enormous crowd of people waiting to meet the next generation of world-changing MIT startups.

By the time my students and I entered the auditorium, enthusiasm already permeated the crowded room. Before the event started, the big screen at the center of the stage displayed acknowledgments from the Martin Trust Center (MTC) to its Board Members, donors, and team, making it clear that in order to pull-off such an impressive event, MTC’s amazing team and its stakeholders had to be deeply involved.

While sitting in the audience, I was astounded by the solutions offered by teams on the stage as well as the significant progress made by each in just 12 weeks. The progress is a testament to the impact that coaching, mentoring, and an educational accelerator can have on aspiring world changers. I was also surprised by how each team leverages MIT/MTC’s resources and takes advantage of all the available opportunities.

On top of this, I was delighted to see the diversity within the teams. With students from different nationalities and backgrounds presenting their startups, I could not help but think that where diversity meets, excellence thrives. The diversity was also shown on the ideas presented. From filling in the gaps of the Brazilian healthcare system to developing an app that manages chronic gut disorder symptoms, the participants proposed daring and novel solutions to today’s challenges.

One of my favorite pitches was the one delivered by Newsha and Mariana, cofounders of Biobot Analytics and part of Delta v 2017 cohort. Their presentation was flawless: deep but funny, motivational but realistic, and inspiring to female entrepreneurs.

One of the most touching moments of the night was listening to the reaction of ITAM students. What impressed them the most was the passion, confidence and persistence the MIT teams exhibited while presenting and defending their ideas. This not only inspired them to continue working on their own projects but reinforced what we try to teach them at home: entrepreneurs encompass all the attributes necessary to become real agents of change.

As I flew back to Mexico, I reflected on the impact the MTC and Bill Aulet’s leadership have had on my own views on entrepreneurship. Just as it happened to ITAM students, I came back inspired with new ideas and highly motivated to continue to promote disciplined entrepreneurship in my country.

I want to thank the Martin Trust Center team and especially Bill Aulet for welcoming the international community to live the incredible experience of Demo Day! I hope I can celebrate entrepreneurship with you again next year and the years after!