Opportunity Discovery Training

“Ideas don’t hit you like a ton of bricks,” Dr. Karen Bishop cautions Louisville entrepreneurs.

From Feb. 6 - March 6, a group of these entrepreneurs gathered at the Federal Reserve Bank St. Louis' Louisville Branch to attend a series of two-hour sessions called "Opportunity Discovery Training."

The mission of the ongoing series is to help entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs identify areas of knowledge and skill unique to their personal and professional goals, while matching those attributes to what the marketplace needs.

Bishop, an assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship at the University of Louisville, conducted the sessions. Bishop is a consultant with extensive experience in strategic, financial and marketing issues. She specializes in new venture creation, advanced behavior and team dynamics.

“This is all about discovering what you’re really interested in, what you might be good at and what you enjoy doing,” Bishop said.

Opportunity Discovery

The training provides a focused thought process that allows the discovery of opportunities (ideas) that can help Louisville entrepreneurs achieve their personal venture goals. The critical focus of the training revolves around first accessing the entrepreneur’s unique individual knowledge and experience and then systematically connecting that knowledge to the environment.

Increased Knowledge of Entrepreneurship through Research

Bishop says that the Opportunity Discovery process was developed by University of Louisville researchers through the rigorous application of scientific methodologies and multiple theories. Through the course, participants learn what research has been conducted and also contribute to ongoing research in the Louisville area.

“This has been an exciting process because it has stimulated our thinking about a number of possible businesses that we can start,” said workshop participant Blair Mackenzie, an adjunct professor at the Louisville campus of the National College of Business and Technology.

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