GigTank Week One Recap

Hello, everyone! This is Cintia from the student GigTank.

My first week in this beautiful city of Chattanooga, TN has been fabulous. Thanks for your hospitality, Chattanoogans! The weather is wonderful. The landscape is breathtaking, and entertainment is everywhere!

We started our week with a hearty breakfast and an introduction from each student. Each of us is different in our backgrounds, but we are excited about the future and the new technologies that are to come.

The first morning we worked through discussions about our skills, areas of interest, possible applications, problems we may face, ideas for the future, and strength finding, to name a few. It turns out, we all found out a lot about what we can do in the near future and what we can do to make people’s lives better!

Throughout the week, we had meetings, presentations, research time, dinners, and finally on Friday, we had our first idea pitch.

Friday morning we were excited, yet also nervous, about our first pitch. Many thought-provoking ideas came about for the 1Gbps ultra-high speed Internet, and by the end of the afternoon, Ustin, a fellow GigTank student, had won the best pitch of the day. He was rewarded with the opportunity to exit the tank and begin building a team. Congratulations, Ustin!

Being in an environment where ideas for the future, entrepreneurship, innovation, and new technological ideas are stimulated is a great experience for me. This is the part of the business world we do not get taught at school. A good background is without a doubt very important for the future, but it is also imperative to have good ideas. Right now, we are experiencing a new way to see the future where everything will become possible!

I am encouraged by the approval from the population we have received concerning new, somewhat futuristic, ideas. On Saturday as we were recognized at the Chattanooga Futbol Club soccer match, I could see hope for us to bring innovation and progress to this town. This makes me feel like I can actually do something important for the people.

Finally, I think that teamwork is encouraged. You can do a good job by yourself, but it is the interaction between different areas that make your idea come true. It is the synergy that makes the difference!