We’re kicking off 2021 with another episode of Mosaic Stories. We will continue highlighting interesting people doing extraordinary things within the Mosaic ecosystem. Today we are speaking with Jaison Patel, a 3rd year studying Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Entrepreneurial Engineering. He is an active member of Mosaic currently serving as the Executive Director of Origin.

Jaison’s Introduction to Mosaic

Jaison came to Northeastern interested in entrepreneurship and joined Mosaic as a freshman via the Entrepreneurs Club. "My venture entered the Husky Startup Challenge. The venture was focused on a mattress software to help medical professionals sleep better so they would be able to feel their best and therefore give their patients the best care." Jaison pitched his idea at Demo Day and met many people from the Mosaic community and beyond.

Getting Involved with Origin

"Going into the Spring of 2019, I continued with my venture as well as joined Origin." Origin focuses on scientific and tech venture incubation. Through his time working his way up in Origin Jaison has not only learned how to manage people but also how to create the right working environment for his team to thrive.

"I have grown a lot, made a lot of new friends, and continue to connect with old friends."

Jaison continues to be impressed with the sense of community found within Mosaic. One of his big goals upon entering Northeastern was to build a community in the entrepreneurship world and Mosaic has given him that opportunity year after year.

“Another great part of Mosaic is that you get to meet people from across disciplines. And it’s not only centered around entrepreneurship, there are organizations from Mosaic where the people running them are from other majors and colleges. There are so many ways to get involved, whether you are interested in business, design, engineering or so many other things. And we all get to network while we are doing what we are passionate about.”

Tips for Starting a Venture

Jaison also had some advice for anyone thinking about starting a venture. "I've started my own venture with the help of Mosaic. You should just get started. Don't wait for the "right time" there is no right time, just start."

One of the benefits of the Mosaic programs is that we give students the chance to actually develop their startup ideas. Jaison took advantage of the ideation process at the Entrepreneurs Club; he knew he wanted to start a business but needed a little jump start.

The Benefits of Mosaic 

Jaison has experienced lots of different aspects of Mosaic. From his first meeting at the Entrepreneurs Club to now serving as the Executive Director of Origin, he has made lots of friends and learned some important life lessons along the way.

“All the different people I’ve got to meet through Mosaic has been so meaningful because I get to work with and learn alongside those people every day. We go to lots of the same events, work on the same projects and build a real connection. Meeting these likeminded, passionate, driven individuals has certainly enhanced my college experience.”

To learn more about our organizations and how you can get involved, check out our article on Who is Mosaic.

 

Mosaic is filled with interesting, smart people doing some really cool things. That’s why we're launching a new series called “Mosaic Stories.” This is where we chat with current and former members of our organizations about their journeys through building a venture, exploring our Mosaic organizations, and more broadly about their experiences throughout our entrepreneurship ecosystem. First up is Sam Haas, who as a recent graduate, outgoing Mosaic Fellow, and former member of Scout knows quite a bit about Mosaic and all that it has to offer. 

Getting Introduced to Mosaic

Sam was first introduced to Mosaic by friends. “I’d seen a lot of the cool things that were happening at IDEA and Generate” he says. “At first I didn't think that this world was for me. I’m not an entrepreneur, I’m not a business student. But after getting to know these students more, I learned that what they were doing was community based. There was room for students like me to support ventures.” What makes Mosaic a unique place is that while we are focused on leadership and entrepreneurship, we know that it takes more than a CEO to run a startup: there is engineering, design, product management, marketing, and operations, all working together towards a common goal. And that’s exactly how we operate at Mosaic, lots of teams coming together for the shared mission of helping our students pursue their dreams and achieve their goals. 

Finding Scout

 “I wanted to push myself during my last year at Northeastern.” Sam remembered. Through the support of friends and the Mosaic ecosystem Sam learned that there was a place for him in the entrepreneurship world via Scout. “One of the very best things about my time in Scout was how close knit the community was. From everyone on the current team, to alumni to the faculty, I felt that they were all accessible to me. I truly found the home on campus I didn't even know I was looking for.” Scout was an eye-opening experience for Sam; he first joined as a member of the Scout labs team and then became the Community Engagement Director. 

After Graduation

“Coming into senior year I was thinking that I wanted to work in nonprofits or academic research, that's where I had my sights set. But after joining Scout, my horizons were broadened. I knew that community building was where I wanted to be.” 

As luck would have it, Sam would have the opportunity to continue to cultivate those skills right here at Northeastern: he re-joined Mosaic as the 2019-2020 Mosaic Fellow in the Fall of 2019. As the Mosaic Fellow Sam has continued to grow his community building skills and has been able to utilize the design thinking methods that he learned at Scout in order to connect members of the Mosaic organizations and the entire entrepreneurship ecosystem at Northeastern. 

For Sam, Mosaic wasn’t about starting a business, it was about personal development and discovery. Through his experiences at Scout, Sam was able to not only work with real clients to get a taste of the ‘real world’, but he was also able to build a community of passionate, driven peers that he was unable to find in any other part of the university. Mosaic is a place for learning, community and leadership; those things just mean something different to each and every student that joins our organizations. 

To learn more about our organizations and how you can get involved check out our article on “Who is Mosaic.”