Innovating for Business Opportunities Where Ideas Never Sleep

New York City is an assault on the senses – overwhelming, loud, a home to almost 9 million people. While some would describe this combination as big, bold and brash, it is a strangely welcoming city. 

At every corner there is a feeling of incredible opportunity and abundant evidence of a long history of entrepreneurship. Backed by the belief that failure drives important lessons, a desire to discover and innovate, and a strong venture capital funding network, it is little wonder that New York is one of the main cities outside Silicon Valley that is named consistently as one of the best start-up locations in the US. 

The main objective of the US Study Tour is to learn how to create opportunities in business with a commercial impact. Twenty Bachelor of Commerce (and combined degree) students were selected to participate in the two week program at NYU, Stern Business School’s start-up lab. 

Informed by design thinking principles, the unit offered students practical and theoretical insights into identifying opportunities, research skills to build an understanding of customer needs, pitching skills to sell an idea and cross-cultural skills via insights into business in the US. 

With a profound interest in start-ups, the opportunity to carry out the methodologies behind the development of a product was immersive. Upon listening to presentations by key figures within the start-up space and having the privilege to hold personal conversations with co-founders and investors, I gained invaluable insights that enriched my perspectives on potential career opportunities. - Daniel Tran 

Luke Williams, Founder of NYU Innovation Labs & CEO of Meta Idea Labs

The program broadened my horizons on what it means to be an entrepreneur and innovative. Hearing the thoughts of so many founders and individuals in this space made me realise you don’t have to wait around until you have an amazing idea. Some of the best advice I heard was to just jump in, because it is okay to fail. - Cameron Gonzalez 

                           

Hosted by Professor Cynthia Franklin, the program at NYU Stern Business school incorporates a unique and outstanding line-up of academic insights, startup panellists who speak genuinely about their lived experience, investors who provide reflections on what they look for in start-ups and pitch experts who challenge students to think about how to 'spin' a story and engage an audience.  

Student Tom Serrone described the US Study Tour as a "first-class learning experience" that allowed him to "witness and interact with the start-up economy in New York whilst also thinking about design thinking and disruption."

This first-class learning experience also proved to be of practical value, with Marketing student Chelsey Jayadiwangsa believing her ability "to apply design thinking tools to reimagine problems and ideate customer-centric solutions" will be carried into her future professional endeavours. 

In addition to learning about innovation and entrepreneurship, students are exposed to career and personal brand building tips, networking events and activities and business insights through site visits to Boston Consulting Group (Digital Ventures) in Sydney and NY, the American National History Museum, cultural consultancy and trend spotters Sparks & Honey, and a network event hosted by the North American Alumni Association. 

"The alumni event was a great chance to mingle with former University of Sydney students and really get a feel for how this university stretches our opportunities," said student James Scott. "As someone who is eager to work in New York at some point in my career, it was very refreshing to see so many people making the leap and giving me a lot of confidence in making this big move myself within the future.”"

The opportunity to listen to the experiences of entrepreneurs and the exposure to the dynamics of New York City provided "invaluable knowledge, amazing memories, newfound confidence and excitement for the future," said third year Commerce Law student Rowena Young. 

"I ended up having incredibly genuine and fun conversations with people who imparted all sorts of wisdom. Living, eating and breathing with my group members was also a new experience that taught me patience and the power of collaboration. My only regret? The program was over before I could grab my third slice of artichoke pizza."

US Study Tour 2019

A Guide to Spending Summer in San Francisco’s Winter

Prior to completing the Industry Placement Program, I had never travelled outside New South Wales on my own before. So why did I even consider going to the other side of the globe? For me, IPP was the right balance of academic, work and travel… the perfect opportunity to spend a summer in winter.

Applying for IPP

In my first year, I had spent my summer break working full-time and eventually regretting a chance to do something different. When I had considered how I’d use my next break, I decided it was best to take a unit and, from my research, I found the Local Industry Placement Program (IPP). I was sold having attended the Info Session, as I realised the uniqueness of the cultural immersion offered by travelling to the US! As an equity student, hearing about the scholarships available made me realise that travelling would be realistic. In order to stand out amongst the competitive crowd, I had attended different sessions offered by the Careers and Employability Office and utilised their resources on Canvas to tailor my application.

My IPP experience

I was hired as a Policy Intern at Livable City, a non-profit organisation aiming to improve San Francisco’s liveability. I was nervous as I had limited experience in data analytics and no understanding of the local neighbourhood’s conditions. However, my co-workers were friendly and always wanted to know more about Australia. The comforting work environment and office cat (Puff Puff) made me feel as though I could easily ask questions about my projects.

The office cat, Puff Puff

Upon completion of my placement, I had exceeded expectations by completing two different projects! To finish off my 5 weeks, I presented in front of the organisation on my findings, what I had learnt and my own perspective on San Francisco city.

My final work day: The team wanted me to sit on a bike since they knew I didn’t know how to ride one

Highlight of the trip: my own San Francisco tour!

The most important thing I learnt while travelling was to research how to manage my time. The first few days of having no sim card, not understanding where I was living or even having the bare necessities to live in my apartment were difficult. At that moment, I had promised to spend the following weekends exploring San Francisco sites, travelling across the bays and to show my family I was making an effort. My proudest moment was when I successfully pulled off a full day of visiting Fisherman’s Wharf, In N’ Out, the Maritime National Museum, Lombard Street, the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, the Golden Cookie Factory, the Cable Car Museum and the Grace Cathedral! This gave me the confidence to spend the following weekends visiting other popular destinations and making time for the assessments in-between. The best part of the trip was reporting my adventures back to my colleagues and taking their advice on where I should go next.

Now it’s your turn to apply! 

Completing this program has been transformative on how I approach university and work in Sydney. I have learnt to balance my professional, academic and personal goals through organisation techniques adopted in America. This has been possible due to the amazing team in the Careers and Employability Office dedicating so much effort in finding me a suitable placement. I have grown into a student capable of travelling across cities on her own, with a mature outlook on the workplace.

The rooftop of our apartment, located near Twitter Headquarters

Despite any concerns you may have, there is nothing to lose by sending in an application. My experience continues to live on as I stay connected with fellow peers, as well as my co-workers at Livable City. Submit your IPP application for your journey of a lifetime!

Written by Catherine Nguyen

US Placement Program: Arriving in LA

Even though it wasn’t my first time visiting Los Angeles, the US Placement Program has given me an invaluable insight into the city. For me, the opportunity to work in a foreign city while at the University of Sydney is unparalleled. Not only has it given me greater professional experience working in a globalised environment, I’ve also been thrust into situations where I can grow and develop myself as a person. While it might have been difficult to leave my family and friends, I am nevertheless excited for the bonding and camaraderie I will develop living in an unfamiliar environment with 19 other students.

One of the first things I learnt was that travelling by yourself is never easy. Even though I had just got off a 14-hour flight, my brain was going into overload as I tried to process my new surroundings. Having made the decision to not buy the grossly overpriced phone plans at the airport, not having access to social media was the least of my worries as catching the Uber had just gotten so much more difficult. After finally being saved by the LAX free Wi-Fi and managing to claim the best bed in the apartment, I realised I had no food, no water, and most importantly, no internet.

Having no idea where to go and no one around to ask for directions, I decided to take a leap of faith and venture down the first street I saw. Even though I was on the verge of collapsing from hunger, walking down the streets of Santa Monica made me realise why Los Angeles is referred to as the ‘City of Angels’. The wide boulevard, the blissful sunshine, and the tall, dancing palm trees created a picturesque view that seemed like something you’d find on a postcard or one of Snoop Dogg’s music videos. If I did die from starvation and become an angel, maybe I’d like to live here too.

As I am writing this now, it is already the fourth week of work. Having ticked over the half way mark, I’ve already had many phenomenal experiences such as climbing up Mount Hollywood in the dark, riding electronic scooters at nearly 30km/hr down the streets of Santa Monica, and not feeling guilty about eating burgers because it’s America. But amongst such precious memories, my first day is one I will never forget.

While ‘getting off the plane’ and ‘checking into my apartment’ seem dull and mundane compared to my other experiences, they nevertheless marked the beginning of a journey. It wasn’t just the beginning to a six-week program conducted by the University of Sydney Business School, it was the kick-start to my marketing career, and it was the beginning of new friendships. It does seem clichéd to say this, but undertaking international study and work initiatives such as the US Placement Program is a choice you cannot go wrong with. Such opportunities are truly once-in-a-lifetime, and I hope many more students can have the same experience I had.

Written by Weize Tong

What happens in Vegas

After only a few weeks here in Los Angeles, it was time to take advantage of the long weekend for Martin Luther King Day and head to Vegas. My colleagues from my internship with M&C Saatchi were full of recommendations, so we headed off to Vegas with high hopes for the weekend.

The canals at the Venetian – the ceiling is actually painted to look like a bright sunny day

The Iconic Caesar’s Palace

The Bellagio – the fountain is spectacular – where’s Danny Ocean

The opulence of Vegas truly has to be seen to be believed. Where else would you see 5 star hotels that recreate Venice, New York, Egypt or Paris. The financing required for resorts with such attention to detail is all the more impressive when you consider that many of these hotels were funded with junk bonds. The New York, NewYork rollercoaster was fairly rickety, and several of us ended up with bruises at the end, but definitely worth the novel experience of weaving in and out of a building.

The New York New York rollercoaster towers over Statue of Liberty.

That night we went to one of Vegas’ megaclubs, Hakkasan, for a Calvin Harris concert. After being pushed, squeezed and trampled, we made it to the front for a truly epic performance.

Waking up in pitch black the next morning, we could be forgiven for thinking it was still night time. Actually, it was 1pm in the afternoon, so we decided to hit up one of the famous hotel buffets for dinner. Satiated with almost 3 hours of bottomless drinks and food for $50 at the Aria hotel, we headed to a Cirque du Soleil show.

Impressive Cirque du Soleil performance, made all the more real by a few falls

Sunday was a trip to the Grand Canyon. Pun intended, it was grand. The photos can’t do justice to it, it truly is an impressive sight.

Before coming to Vegas, I’d expected that I would overhype it. But Vegas exceeded my expectations in every way. The food, the extravagance, the quirkiness, all created an amazing weekend for us. We’ll come crashing back to reality on Tuesday but for now, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Patrick Ward is an undergraduate student at the University of Sydney Business School. He is currently in the United States as part of the Los Angeles Placement Program, offered by the Business School in partnership with the United States Studies Centre.

Return to Los Angeles

Patrick Ward is an undergraduate student at the University of Sydney Business School. He is currently in the United States as part of the Los Angeles Placement Program, offered by the Business School in partnership with the United States Studies Centre.

It’s only been 4 months since I was last in the United States, but this trip couldn’t have come sooner. Ever since being accepted into the program, I’ve been counting down the days until I can return to the self-professed “land of the free, home of the brave”. America has a certain dynamism that makes it one of the most exciting countries for business. Earlier this year, I experienced the academic facets of America and now I relish the opportunity to focus on the business aspects of America.

LA/DC Industry Placement Program Predeparture Session

Although travel is one of the perks of this program, for me, living your life in a different city can be just as interesting. Everything that seemed mundane in Sydney like catching public transport, going to work, or even eating out, is now a new and vibrant experience.

That’s not to say the tourist side of the program won’t be fun. These two weeks before the program will add to my current LA tourist activities, such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Runyon Canyon and the hike to the Hollywood sign.

Hollywood Walk of Fame. Just watch you don’t bump into the throngs of tourists covering the streets of Hollywood. 

The view from Runyon canyon. If you go for jogs enough here, you may just spy a celebrity.

The hike to the Hollywood sign. Not for the faint-hearted, it’s a long trek in the intense LA heat.

Also, like any 90s kid, I had to visit the OC and the iconic Newport Pier. Like many friends who’ve made the trip before me, I was crushed to realise most of the TV show wasn’t even filmed in the OC.

Newport Pier. No sign of Ryan or Marissa

I’ve now been in Los Angeles for a couple of days and getting into the swing of LA life. I know the program is going to present a hefty challenge in terms of managing work, study and social life over this summer, but this opportunity, all clichés aside, really is once-in-a-lifetime.