Furman Innovation Lab
Designing for Economic Mobility in the Upstate
2 day Design Thinking workshop
Oct 8-9, 2025
Ycenter’s award-winning human-centered design innovation framework
In collaboration with the Furman University’s Center for Innovative Leadership presents a dynamic two-day workshop on
Oct 08–09, 2025
Designed for students, entrepreneurs, and community leaders across the Greenville region, this immersive experience focuses on hands-on innovation and real-world problem-solving. Participants will work individually or in teams to develop innovative solutions that focuses on building Social and Economic Resilience for the community.
SCHEDULE for the 2 day Workshop
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9.00 AM Registration, introduction to the program
9.30 AM Complex problem breakdown using human-centered design
11.30 AM Building a problem statement and design brief
12.00 - 1.00 PM Lunch
1.00 PM Empathy building activity
2.00 PM Researching your problem
3.00 PM Design your brief and getting feedback
4.00 pm Creative Ideation
5.00 PM Reflections and open agenda
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9.00 AM Day 2 registration
9.30 AM Idea building and prototyping
11.00 AM Building Prototype for your Domain using VIBE coding
12.00 - 1.00 PM Lunch
1.00 PM Working in teams to build your final presentation
2.00 PM Final pitches and feedback
3.00 PM Certificates and networking
📍 Location
Furman Innovation Lab
Flywheel Coworking
25 Goldsmith Street
Greenville SC
TOP SKILLS YOU WILL ACQUIRE IN THIS WORKSHOP
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
COMPLEX PROBLEM BREAKDOWN
IDEA TO PROTOTYPING
HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN
ART OF STORYTELLING
USER PERSONA & MARKET RESEARCH
All participants will receive a verified LinkedIn certificate
Upon completing our program, Ycenter will provide participants with a verified certificate that can be showcased as a LinkedIn badge, highlighting your achievement and new skills.
This badge not only enhances your professional profile but also signals to potential employers that you've gained valuable, hands-on experience in innovation, sustainability, design thinking and entrepreneurship. We will also showcase your project on our newly launched global repository of SDGs projects for additional growth and networking opportunities.
Register
From climate action to healthcare, from education to economic mobility, let’s build solutions that impact your community, city and potentially scale beyond borders.
Meet the Program Partners and Experts
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Dhairya Pujara
FOUNDER, CEO, Ycenter
Dhairya Pujara is the Founder, CEO at Ycenter, where he has built programs for Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the last 12 years. At Ycenter, he has built award winning Entrepreneurship and Innovation programs for universities and organizations in 30+ countries across 4 continents. His work has been featured in Philadelphia Business Journal, BBC Radio, Entrepreneur magazine, Times Media group and more. He has been a global public speaker with invitations from the United Nations, World Bank, World Economic Forum, Social Enterprise World Forum, SXSW, TEDx and top universities and Fortune 500 companies. He has worked as Policy Innovator and Advisor for multiple governmental agencies and think tanks around the world. He is a serial entrepreneur, working directly to support job creation, technology innovation ventures and for this work he has received a visa reserved for individuals of extraordinary abilities from the US immigration services.
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Garrett Stern
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP
Garrett Stern is a mission-driven innovator dedicated to forging meaningful connections between universities and their communities to solve real business and social challenges. As Executive Director of the Center for Innovative Leadership at Furman University, he leads initiatives to strengthen leadership, build workforce resilience, and foster innovation culture. He has spoken nationally on these topics, most recently advising leaders on the profound disruptions the fourth industrial revolution and generative AI will bring to education and work.
Earlier in his career, Garrett worked as a farmer, teacher, and community leader in food systems and sustainability. These experiences continue to shape his commitment to human-centered solutions that create lasting impact for individuals and communities alike
Key Partners
Residing in a net-zero, LEED-certified, sustainable showcase home, next to an organic farm in the heart of Furman’s campus, the Shi Institute brings together environmental scientists and economists, urban planners and policy experts, students, faculty, and community members, and sustainability visionaries and elected officials to collaboratively pursue and promote sustainable communities.
This center champions high-impact student experiences and lifelong learning. We offer transformative educational programs, internships, and professional development opportunities that equip students at all stages with the skills, knowledge, and passion to lead in addressing social drivers of health. By nurturing the next generation of leaders, we ensure a continued focus on innovation and excellence in our field.
The Riley Institute empowers emerging and established leaders—across sectors and throughout society—with the knowledge and tools to advance equity and drive social and economic progress in South Carolina and beyond. We work to strengthen public education; promote the power of diversity to help teams, organizations, and communities thrive; and elevate informed, evidence-based approaches to critical public issues. In all it does, the institute is committed to nonpartisanship and a bias-free path to change.
The Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is a nationally awarded institute that develops innovative and entrepreneurially minded leaders who are equipped to transform organizations, our communities, and the world. This mission is carried out through best-in-class experiential learning programs, pitch competitions, new venture accelerators, and thought leadership forums.
The Center for Innovative Leadership is Furman’s hub for serving the educational needs of professionals and organizations. Combining Furman’s world-class academic expertise with leading business experts and coaches, the Center is dedicated to developing strategic leaders, creative problem-solvers and agile innovators who can navigate the complex challenges of today’s world.
Ycenter is a USA based global innovation consulting organization. Ycenter has developed and
implemented programs for universities, governments, Fortune 500 companies and enabled launch and growth of new ventures using a Human-centered design framework for innovation. It has received awards and recognitions ranging from United Nations to Inc magazine and has created impactful projects in 30 countries across 4 continents.
This program is delivered under the umbrella of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - UN SDGS
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
