Assignment 20A - Growing Your Social Capital

1. Domain expert: In contacting corporation heads that specialize in this same venture, it was interesting to see how they, too, were able to see the deficiency present in modern classrooms and took it upon themselves to capitalize off of it. The person I had the pleasure of speaking to over the phone about this venture reflected my own excitement surrounding the prospect of implementing advanced technology in classrooms, and even referred me to other leaders within this industry to further discuss this market venture.
2. Market expert: I was able to reach out to organization heads of Her Campus and other groups that have the same market as me. Specifically, the person I was able to talk to via phone was very eager about my business idea and even added the suggestion of expanding beyond UF and to other public universities around the country. She also gave me tips on how to market this idea to students around campus, such as using promotional advertisements and social media efforts.
3. Supplier: The person I contacted for this 'slot' was someone who currently works at a company that specializes in producing the VR headsets and biometric technology I would like to implement within our classrooms. I found this person via LinkedIn, and I was able to get their contact information through the site's personal messaging feature. In our discussion, we were able to conclude price estimates, how likely it would be for UF to implement the technology, and how exactly the technology would be incorporated into the room structure. They were able to even provide me with contacts in other corporations that do the same job, which was very kind of them.

REFLECT

This experience shaped how I will participate in future networking events by striving to be more open and willing to speak to industry leaders. It helps to have the confidence to efficiently convey one's messages in order to get opportunities and knowledge you would not have had access to before. This experience didn't differ from my networking experiences in the past because I've been able to break away from my shy persona and talk to executives because I understand the importance of acquiring knowledge to the best of my abilities. Had I kept to myself and not gone out of my way to speak to these giants, I would not have the level of awareness that I possess now.