The Badge

The problem the Badge is solving is the challenge of finding the right person at a networking event.

The Badge is a name tag that reveals the user's business experience and current business problem he or she is tackling. It is intended to encourage people around the user to start a conversation around the business problem the user is tackling. Ideally, a room full of people wearing and using the Badge will allow them to easily find individuals with the right business experience to strategize about their respective business problem.

In the following images, you can see a few different versions of the Badge.

The Badge was informed by several pieces of information.

The first piece of information is an interview with a managing director of Dreamit Ventures. During this interview I learned that experienced entrepreneurs do not necessarily self-identify as mentors even though they may have the appropriate experience to provide strategic advice to novice entrepreneurs.

Another key piece of data is the peer mentoring I've observed at Novotorium and Good Company Ventures. From observing these peer mentoring session, I learned that the group of novice entrepreneurs sitting around the table were able to strategize and think through other entrepreneur's businesses. Each entrepreneur sitting around the table has various levels of experience and expertise, but they were able to think through their peer's business.

The Badge is finally informed by the name tags I experienced using at TedxPhilly. These name tags were designed as a social ice-breaker. The name tag showed other people the wearer's interests. For example, I wrote down that I like whiskey. The conversations that ensued always began with a discussion regarding whiskey. I believe a similar technique for name tags can be used to direct initial conversations at a business networking event around an entrepreneur's business. Specifically, I think strategies can be discussed and learning will take place.


I've also made a second iteration of the Badge.


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