Mid-way through this year’s virtual camp, I can say with confidence, that intentional social emotional learning activities and providing time and practice for intentional skill development, continues to set the foundation for a successful Nalukai experience.

And so the Founders instead entered into a Zoom room, where they were greeted by our enthusiastic facilitation team who had spent months revising our curriculum for the online format. Joining the facilitators were eight alumni team leaders who had agreed to help us establish the culture of Nalukai. According to our 112 alumni from the last five years, this ethos has been one of collaboration, intense learning, teamwork, deep trust, and kindness.

Even though Nalukai is an intense ten-day social entrepreneurial camp, where students learn important skills in entrepreneurship, tech, design and marketing, our founders take away more than just these lessons.

Creating strong marketing material to grow a business takes more than simply putting together words, shapes and colors, and it takes more than just a simple aesthetic to convey a story.

Having an aligned passion drives determination and fosters a drive to create solutions that will change the world.

Sydney Wiecking leading an interactive leadership workshop

"Authenticity in speaking and expressing yourself comes from a place of knowing yourself.”

Creating and testing ideas is risky. But in Nalukai’s incubator, students are safe to pitch an idea, accept feedback and develop their dream.

Don’t lose track of your vision and keep in mind that relationships are key.

On Friday, teams delivered their pitches to venture capitalist May Samali, a Senior Associate at the Urban Innovation Fund.

Spencer Lanoue (Buffer "wonderkind" and ideation/product management guru) discusses the MVP, a foundational aspect of the Lean Startup method.

“Lead with fluidity and directionality.” -Sydney Wiecking

When asked the question, “What is an experience or reflection that impacted you?” campers drew on the past four days to form a tapestry of shared experiences centralized around the theme of connecting through hardship. 

This is what entrepreneurship means to us.

What started as a casual stroll through the grassy hills directly above the HPA Energy Lab ended with everyone on all fours in the thick...

It’s only upon reflection after hearing such a pitch that you see how it accomplishes the four essential tasks, seamlessly weaving its points into an authentic, and authentically thrilling, narrative.