College of Charleston
IN-49: Innovation C

Housed in the School of Business' Center for Entrepreneurship and a collaboration with the Office of Economic Development, Impact X provides learning experiences for business, computer science and liberal arts students to engage in technology-focused entrepreneurship using lean-startup methodology and the Scrum framework.

The program's mission is to provide an experiential and transformational learning opportunity for students that are eager to engage in technological, entrepreneurial and creative activities.

All student teams in the Impact X program create startups that adopt a for-business model, while also making a difference. Teams include one business major, one computer science major and one liberal arts major. Previous winning projects include a community discussion mobile app, a socially responsible investment mobile app, and an app that aims to bring transparency into the real estate industry by addressing climate change. All Impact X students take ENTR 320 New Venture Modeling. Students are cross-trained (i.e. “Navy Seals training”) in creative design, business, and technology to provide them with the tools to form sustainability-focused startups. No prior technical skills or teams are required, and diverse backgrounds are encouraged.

In these classes, you will:
- Lead change by forming startups that make a profit, while solving social and/or environmental problems as identified by the SDGs
- Practice pitching in both controlled and professional environments
- Learn to use and leverage the technologies that spawned innovations such as Instagram, Uber and Spotify
- Move from passive learning to consequential learning
- Be mentored by successful business leaders including Stuart Williams, our Social and Environmental Entrepreneur-in-residence

Due to the popularity of the program, there are now three student cohorts per semester. This allows for more innovative ideas to be explored and acts as a catalyst for students to practice experiential learning.