Long before teaching entrepreneurship, Dr. Charis Asante-Agyei was living it. He founded an undergraduate student council at his university, organized a science camp for kids in Burkina Faso, and launched a tour venture in Korea. Today, he brings that same curious, build-and-test energy to Horn as the instructor of ENTR 356: Creativity and Design Thinking.
Tell us a bit about your responsibilities at Horn.
Currently, my main role involves teaching ENTR 356: Creativity and Design Thinking. I love the course because of how it reignites creativity among students, and provides an outlet for purposeful expression of the problem-solving capacities. It also gives me the awesome opportunity to experiment with different pedagogical approaches.
What is your academic background?
I am a researcher and instructor with training in Information Science and Technology (IST). With IST being an interdisciplinary field, I draw on that training to inform my research on entrepreneurship and design. My current research projects revolve around entrepreneurship among refugees, entrepreneurship as a side hustle, and entrepreneurship on digital labor platforms. I am excited about my future projects which will revolve around the overlaps between creativity, ethics, and entrepreneurship.
What inspired you to pursue a career in entrepreneurship education?
There is certainly familial influence with my dad being a hybrid entrepreneur for most of my childhood. As I imbibed some of those traits, I found myself drawn to research on everyday entrepreneurship and the value of design practices within that. Through this career, I can follow my curiosity, and share insights to further bridge the unnecessary and problematic gap between design and entrepreneurship.
What do you enjoy most about working here?
I have found Horn and UD to be a welcoming and nurturing environment. Here, I feel like I have the permission to innovate freely along with my absolutely wonderful colleagues.
Describe Horn in three words.
Welcoming, innovative, and positive.
Please share a memorable experience or project you've worked on.
In middle school, I designed and built a physical model to simulate the resistance of different building structures to earthquakes. The model featured a hand drill connected via a movable wooden base to a pulley system to support the different wooden structures. I enjoyed working with my supervisor and submitting the project to an international competition. The project ended up winning a gold medal in a physics competition that was held in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2008. While in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I played soccer with some of the other competitors and netted my first ever header.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love playing soccer. One of my favorite rituals is to play soccer with other UD faculty during the week. I also enjoy playing the piano.
What is a fun fact about yourself that most people at Horn may not know?
My go-to fun fact is that I speak Korean with the proficiency of a 10 year old. I spent several years in South Korea as an international student and worked there after completing my graduate degree. Along the way, I picked up just enough Korean to order food and tell a police officer I can’t seem to find my way around.
Whether he’s studying everyday entrepreneurship, experimenting with new ways to teach creativity, or chasing the next big question, Dr. Asante-Agyei reminds us that the best ideas start the same way: get curious, build something, and learn fast.
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurship is the driving force behind entrepreneurship education and innovation at the University of Delaware. Consistently ranked as one of the top entrepreneurship programs in the United States, it was founded and continues to be supported by accomplished entrepreneurs. The program empowers aspiring innovators, equipping them with the skills and resources needed to bring their ideas to life and create positive change in the world.
