In MECA Challenge, Students Solve Real-Life Problems With Innovative Thinking

Time was quickly running out on Friday afternoon. Students hastily worked to put together PowerPoint slide shows and organize their presentations. Along with experienced local entrepreneurs, students were doing something that they may not have yet done in their college careers — solve a real-world problem.

Rockhurst University hosted its first-ever MECA Challenge on Oct. 7. MECA Challenge (Most Entrepreneurial City In America) is a one-day entrepreneurship and innovation competition, challenging groups of students to develop a solution to a real-world problem in a race against a three-hour time-limit.

Adam Arredondo and Jordan EuDaly, the director and community content manager, respectively, for the Center for Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development (CEED) and founders of the MECA Challenge, devote their time to helping community members develop a creative mindset and make Kansas City a better place.

“This event is about building confidence to solve real-world problems,” Arredondo said. "Everyone must be able to solve problems… that is entrepreneurial thinking.”

Risa Stein, Ph.D., Rockhurst professor of psychology, founded student group Innovate at the Rock to promote the incorporation of creative approaches to solving problems in education and was a volunteer for the MECA Challenge Friday.

“It comes down to the mindset inherent in people who innovate,” Stein said of the role that brand of thinking plays in shaping effective leaders. “They are team players who value experiential learning where others might be concerned with failure.”

The skills acquired from similar startup competitions can translate into valuable skills in any number of career paths. Students participating in Friday’s challenge ranged in their disciplines, from business to humanities.

“The engaged learning experience appeals to students’ desire to solve meaningful problems,” said Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., dean of the Helzberg School of Management, which was one of the organizers of Friday’s challenge.

Theresa Gengler, a junior business student at Rockhurst, was excited to take on the challenge.

“I wanted to see how well I could apply what I’ve learned in my most recent business classes to real-world situations,” she said about why she attended the event.

Michael Brummett, a junior nonprofit student and president of Innovate at the Rock, thought highly of the experience.

“Rockhurst hosting the event and aligning itself with creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship made MECA all the more engaging,” he said.

MECA Challenge is just one of the opportunities Rockhurst University students have to learn about innovation. Innovate at the Rock, a student-run organization, hosts OneDayKC every spring and various similar events on campus. MECA Challenges occur frequently throughout the year in the Kansas City area. Local group KC Startup Village also provides opportunities for community involvement.