On World Entrepreneurs Day, TiE Bangalore and Atria University announced a new collaboration to establish the Atria School of Sustainable Entrepreneurship supported by TiE Bangalore (ASSET). This initiative aims to foster sustainable business practices by providing aspiring entrepreneurs with essential skills and knowledge.
Additionally, TiE Bangalore has launched the TGS2024 GreenFlame of Entrepreneurship Global Campaign, designed to mobilize the global entrepreneurial community and secure over 100,000 pledges from youth committed to sustainability.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Shri Madan Padaki, Chair of TGS2024 and President of TiE Bangalore, and Dr. Rajeevan Madhavan Nair, Vice Chancellor of Atria University and former Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The Atria School of Sustainable Entrepreneurship will offer a range of educational programs, including workshops, certification courses, diploma programs, and a four-year degree. The curriculum will address key topics such as NetZero, Circular Economy, Asset Tokenization, and Responsible AI, as well as Design Thinking, Rapid Prototyping, and Market Validation.
The degree program will feature additional modules focused on Entrepreneurship, including Ideation, Validation, Market Sizing, and Business Model Innovation, with guidance from Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and support from TiE mentors and angel investors. Atria University will also provide the Beyonder Studio co-working space for sustainability-oriented startups, offering access to academic resources and collaboration opportunities with students.
Madan Padaki remarked, “The 20th-century industrial revolution borrowed from the future to pay for the present. To break this cycle, we need to achieve sustainable economic growth without harming the environment. Sustainable entrepreneurship blends traditional business skills with an understanding of environmental and social issues to create impactful solutions. This partnership with Atria University marks a significant step towards nurturing innovative and sustainable enterprises.”
Dr. Rajeevan Madhavan Nair highlighted the shift towards viewing global challenges as opportunities for innovation. “Climate change and biodiversity loss are not just problems; they present opportunities for new business models. Partnering with TiE Bangalore aligns with our goal of preparing entrepreneurs who will integrate sustainability into their business practices.”
The TGS2024 GreenFlame campaign will feature a dynamic virtual animation representing the global push for sustainable entrepreneurship. As the campaign advances, TiE chapters worldwide will be featured on a microsite map, with each chapter promoting the initiative through inspiring messages, celebrations of green entrepreneurs, and impact stories on social media.
The campaign aims to gather 100,000 pledges and generate millions of social media impressions, showcasing the entrepreneurial community’s dedication to sustainability. Padaki emphasized, “The TGS2024 GreenFlame of Entrepreneurship is more than just a series of pledges; it represents a global movement to inspire young entrepreneurs to lead with purpose and responsibility.”
