Nonlinear approached the session with more than just theoretical content  -  it delivered insight rooted in deep startup experience, blending proven frameworks with practical guidance tailored to the academic context.

Avijit Dutta, Founder of Nonlinear, led the session by reframing how faculty should see their role in the innovation landscape. Rather than being passive instructors, faculty were encouraged to act as innovation facilitators  -  capable of building safe-to-fail environments, nurturing curiosity, and coaching students through uncertainty. Through examples drawn from incubators, accelerators, and university programs, the session helped participants see how entrepreneurship can be effectively embedded within traditional academic settings.

Faculty were introduced to nonlinear learning models  -  including design sprints, lean startup cycles, and agile feedback loops  -  and how these can replace linear, syllabus-bound teaching structures with more experiential, problem-led formats. The emphasis was on enabling students to learn by building, failing, reflecting, and iterating  -  just like real-world entrepreneurs.

To ensure institutional adoption, Nonlinear shared a custom framework for designing EDPs, along with sample course structures, modular activities, and a curated set of prompts and quizzes. These resources allowed faculty to take immediate steps toward designing or refining entrepreneurship programs within their own institutions.