Innovation Teams
Feb 28, 2026
Overview
The Bachelor of Innovation (BI) is a unique degree offered by the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). It is a fully accredited alternative to Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees, offering a wide selection of majors ranging from engineering to arts. The BI takes advantage of the major-spanning nature of a degree to create an interdisciplinary environment where students with diverse skills, backgrounds, and interests come together to work with real companies.
The BI is based on the idea that the best way to learn is by doing. Students complete a series of courses working in cross-functional interdisciplinary teams serving as innovation consultants. Teams work closely with clients throughout the semester to identify the goals of the client, develop a scope of work describing a set of concrete deliverables, and ultimately transform ideas into impact. These courses give students the opportunity to develop skills and strategies they can use to be effective members of professional teams after graduation, while simultaneously creating real value.
BFNI
Bahamas Feeding Network International (BFNI) is a not-for-profit dedicated to supporting Bahamian organizations fighting against hunger. To advance their mission, BFNI is expanding fundraising efforts beyond the Bahamas through an online grassroots campaign.
As part of my final BI teams course, I co-led a team of six students providing innovation consulting services to BFNI. Our team was brought in to help BFNI establish the digital infrastructure they need BFNI Website, implementing an embedded donation system and streamlining the website content. We also set up social media accounts and developed recommendations for how BFNI could use the new infrastructure to support their goals.
"If you represent what leadership looks like coming out of this class, you guys are going in a great direction." - Bernard Gay, Chairman of BFNI and CIO at Novolex
AAA Medicaid
AAA Medicaid Consulting is a local Colorado Springs small business dedicated to providing personalized Medicaid consulting services that help citizens get the most out of Medicaid. AAA Medicaid Consulting was seeking investment in order to expand their operations.
I was a member of the BI innovation consulting team that worked with AAA Medicaid to help them grow. Our team's main focus was creating data-backed visual resources that communicated the value of AAA Medicaid's services. We delivered a professionally designed PowerPoint and trifold pamphlet that AAA Medicaid could utilize in meetings with investors and potential clients.
