On August 22, 2024, World Entrepreneurs Day, TiE Bangalore and Atria University signed an MoU to launch the Atria School of Sustainable Entrepreneurship. The school’s objective is to advance sustainable business practices by equipping future entrepreneurs with vital skills and knowledge.
TiE Bangalore also launched the TGS2024 GreenFlame of Entrepreneurship Global Campaign. This initiative is set to engage the global entrepreneurial community, secure 100,000+ pledges to drive meaningful action toward a sustainable future among youth.
The MoU was signed by Shri Madan Padaki, Chair of TGS2024 and President of TiE Bangalore, and Shri Dr. Rajeevan Madhavan Nair, Vice Chancellor of Atria University and former Secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India.
The Atria School of Sustainable Entrepreneurship supported by TiE Bangalore (ASSET) will offer a comprehensive suite of educational programs, including workshops, certification courses, diploma programs, and a four-year degree. These offerings will cover crucial areas such as NetZero, Circular Economy, Asset Tokenization, and Responsible AI, while also focusing on Design Thinking, Rapid Prototyping, and Market Validation.
The degree program will also include 8 additional sprints concentrating on entrepreneurship, such as Ideation to Design, Validation & Viability, Market Sizing, and Business Model Innovation, with mentoring support from Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EiRs). TiE mentors and angel investors will guide and shape startup projects, provide monthly talks/ masterclass by successful entrepreneurs, and offer internships in TiE startups.
Atria University will also provide a dedicated co-working space, Beyonder Studio, which will host sustainability-focused startups recommended by TiE. These startups will benefit from open access to academic sprints, interaction with CoE practitioners and faculty, and collaboration with Atria University students across various majors.
Madan Padaki, President TiE Bangalore and Trustee, TiE Global said, the 20th-century industrial revolution borrowed from the future to pay for the present. We must break this pattern and find ways to achieve sustainable economic growth uncoupled from environmental degradation. This is where sustainable entrepreneurship comes into play. By combining traditional business acumen with a deep understanding of environmental and social issues, sustainable entrepreneurs aim to create solutions that address global challenges while generating profit.
Dr. Rajeevan Madhavan Nair said, we are seeing a fundamental shift in how we view economic opportunities. Global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss aren’t just problems to solve – they are opportunities for innovation and new business models.
