B2 - Horizon

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  Home ui/ux

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  AI bot ui/ux

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  Challenges ui/ux

Project Inspiration

Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, yet many struggle to adopt digital tools, especially in rural and underserved areas. Our team was inspired to bridge this gap by creating a mentorship model that leverages the skills of motivated college students to empower small business owners. We envisioned a solution where mentorship is accessible, scalable, and leads to measurable digital transformation.

What We Learned

Through this project, we deepened our understanding of mentorship dynamics, recognizing the importance of tailoring digital skills to specific industry needs. Additionally, we explored AI’s potential to facilitate matching between mentors and mentees, ensuring small business owners receive relevant, timely guidance. We also learned how gamification can play a vital role in engagement, keeping both mentors and mentees motivated throughout the journey.

Building the Project

1. Student-Based Mentorship Pods: We structured mentorship in pods, with groups of college students guiding small business owners on digital tools and strategies.
2. AI-Powered Matching: We used AI to match mentors with small business owners based on industry, skill needs, and location, ensuring an efficient and effective pairing process.
3. Gamification & Skill Labs: To keep mentees engaged, we designed weekly challenges and skill labs where business owners work with students and even experienced researchers to apply digital skills in real-world scenarios.
4. Recognition & Incentives: We incorporated certification and recognition programs to incentivize top-performing mentors and highlight successful small businesses.

Challenges We Faced

One of our biggest challenges was standardizing measurable outcomes across diverse industries while ensuring flexibility. We also needed to ensure that our model would be sustainable and engaging, balancing affordability for small businesses with valuable rewards for student mentors. Integrating these elements into a cohesive framework required iteration, feedback, and creative problem-solving.

Conclusion

Through this mentorship model, we aim to drive digital adoption in small businesses by making mentorship accessible, practical, and rewarding for all parties involved. We believe this solution can foster growth and digital readiness in small businesses, helping them thrive in an increasingly digital world.

Built With

• app.pitch
• figma
• google-slides