Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship in Los Angeles
Key Information
Information
Application Deadline: 30/05/23 at 9:00 am
Opportunity type: Employability trips, Extra-curricular opportunities
Ref: 10007686
Dates
Departure Date: 01/09/23
Return Date: 06/09/23
Costs
£1200: the estimated cost for travel and accommodation (excluding DMU Global funding). Students will also be required to pay for: UK and in-country transfers (£75), visits, food and drink, visa (if applicable)
Funding
DMU Global Bursary: £400
Booking
Accommodation: Shared rooms in a hostel/hotel in Santa Monica booked by DMU
Travel: Flights booked by DMU (students travel as a group)
Contact
General Enquiries: Global Mobility Office - dmuglobal@dmu.ac.uk
Trip Lead: Simon Baines - sbaines@dmu.ac.uk
How to pay
Payment details: Students will be required to pay £800 as a contribution towards the cost of travel and accommodation (if included) after being offered a place on the trip. The DMU Global bursary will be deducted directly from the overall cost of the booking.
Eligibility
All undergraduate students that will be in their second or third year of study in the 2023-24 academic year are eligible to participate on this opportunity. In particular, we are looking for students with a demonstrable interest in freelancing and self-employment, or you may have a business idea that you would like to launch or grow.
There are a maximum of 25 places available, with a minimum of 10 participants required for this opportunity to take place. Students are recommended to check the eligibility criteria before applying.
About
Trip description
The purpose of this trip to Los Angeles is for students to learn about self-employment, freelancing, start-ups and entrepreneurship in Los Angeles. The trip will include site visits to businesses, Q&A’s with DMU alumni, business networking opportunities and interactive group activities.
By hearing first-hand from fellow students, as well as entrepreneurs, business founders and DMU alumni, and engaging in interactive group activities, students will develop a range of transferable skills including confidence, teamwork, communication and networking as well as gaining knowledge of the concepts of self-employment and freelancing.
As part of this trip there is the plan to visit at least one Higher Education Institution to learn about their approach to supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups. Details of the visit are yet to be confirmed, but in the past, visits have taken place to universities such as Loyola Marymount University and Graziado Business School. Previous trips to Los Angeles have seen students visit the Viterbi Start-up Garage at the University of Southern California which is unique incubator for early-stage technology start-ups.
There will also be a visit Le Kretz Innovation Campus, a renowned centre for sustainability, where students will tour the Cleantech Incubator, visiting the prototyping facilities and meet entrepreneurs in the collaborative work and office space. If possible, there will also be a visit to Ernst Everything, a brand design agency who work for clients including Nike to hear about their work how the company’s brand was formed, and engage in a Q&A session with the directors.
On previous visits, students have been inspired by entrepreneurial alumni working in a range of roles in Los Angeles, and we hope to connect with these alumni – and more, on this trip.
Learning objectives
Participating in a DMU Global opportunity can help you develop a range of employability skills and competencies that enhance your studies. Through participation in this trip to Los Angeles we expect that students will:
All students will be required to participate in a short series of workshops before and after the trip that focus on the development of a range of skills related to the topic of entrepreneurship.
Cultural activities
There are plenty of things to do in Los Angeles for nearly anyone, even if you’re not interested in the movie business. There will be free time in the itinerary for you to take a stroll along the iconic Malibu Beach or to visit Santa Monica and its famous pier.
Los Angeles has an almost endless list of cultural attractions, but recommendations include a hike the Hollywood Hills to see the Hollywood sign, and visiting the Hollywood Hall of Fame.