What Makes Us Different?
We have many thoughts and attitudes that make us different…and EXCEPTIONAL. We believe management guru Tom Peters who said the old business model is planning and the new business model is DOING. In Design Thinking, there is not one RIGHT WAY to do things and there are no perfect solutions. At the School of Business Design, we get an idea, experiment with it, refine it, then we implement it. WHATEVER IT IS.
We are always in motion and always thinking ‘what else’? We embrace failure, because we believe that it’s better to fail often so we can succeed earlier.
We practice what we preach. We are COLLABORATORS, working with support organizations in our community, our state, and our nation. We have partnered with other institutions of higher education (Evergreen State College, Babson College, University of Washington) to offer a world class curriculum.
We are INTRAPRENEURS working within an institution to bring innovative ideas to the marketplace. We are learners, with diverse backgrounds and fascinating experiences. We have a passion to share and to experience new moments.
We also believe that Teaching means Reaching. To us, this means that education is most effective when a student has interest and learning is easier with direct experience. That’s why we have created learning communities and experiential classrooms. We don’t believe there are experts in entrepreneurship, so we are not the Sage on the Stage, but instead have become the Guide on the Side. In our classes, you won't Sit and Get, but get out and DO IT!
- From Counseling to Coaching
- From Teaching to Facilitating
- From Training to Experiencing.
These are just a few ideas that make us different.
There are five key points that capture the essence of the SBD
- HANDS-ON: The best way to learn about business is from an entrepreneurial perspective, because of the hands-on, real-world, practical nature of the curriculum. Therefore, this program appeals both to the person starting their own business and the person looking to become a valued employee at their existing company.
- INTERDISCIPLINARY: The school focuses on business innovation and design by teaching interdisciplinary systems thinking, with courses that combine the humanities, engineering, art and business. Increasingly, business success will be determined by the innovation behind a company's product or service and culture.
- INTEGRATED AND COLLABORATIVE: Students get hands-on experience with the entire business lifecycle by starting, operating and closing a business with their classmates. We teach our students that business problems are never solved from the perspective of just one discipline (e.g., accounting, management.)
- CONVENIENT: Entrepreneurship and business classes are offered day, evening and on-line, making our programs convenient.
- RELEVANT: In a capstone course modeled after the UW Business School's Business and Economic Development Center, students will put their knowledge to work by providing consulting services to existing business owners in Snohomish County.
Check out The SBD Model
