Kalina Duncheva

My Winter Term: TuckLAB Entrepreneurship and Some Icy Statues

This is my first winter term at Dartmouth, and I have really enjoyed my term!

It's true that it gets cold in Hanover–today it was negative 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit). However, it was also sunny and very pretty–a perfect day to take a walk to Pine Park. All you need to do to prepare for the cold New Hampshire weather is to dress warmly. The first week or two was an adjustment, when snowed and was negative twenty degrees (around zero Fahrenheit).

However, soon enough I loved the winter season. When it goes up to zero degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit), I realized that I can even walk around with your jacket unzipped! Beautiful initiatives like the Frost Lights (see header image) or the Winter Carnival can even make the cold exciting.

Ice statues for the Winter Carnival

My winter term was quite busy because I signed up for TuckLAB Entrepreneurship. TuckLAB is a program created in collaboration by Tuck School of Business (the Dartmouth graduate school for business) and the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship.

This term, TuckLAB was scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday for two weekends and then for several Sundays. Tuck professors taught us different concepts important to entrepreneurship; we learned about business analytics, marketing, social entrepreneurship, financing, and business strategy. We got to talk to Tuck and Dartmouth alumni, who gave us feedback on our startup ideas.

We also participated in a startup challenge–we formed teams, developed a startup idea and pitched our ideas to judges for "funding." Each round, entrepreneurs from across the Upper Valley were our judges. In the end, the team that wins will receive funding from the Magnuson Center and take its idea to the Dartmouth startup incubator. 

My team had to discuss the future of our startup Porta Scope over dinner at Tuck (looks very fancy, doesn't it?)

Overall, I've really enjoyed the winter term and all it has to offer!