NYU alumnus Damon Kornhauser thinks there's a problem in the way children are taught to approach the problem-solving process. "Around age 8-10, they learn the goal of school is to get the right answer, not the best answer," he said. Kornhauser, who graduated from NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2002, is entering the NYU Entrepreneurs Challenge this year to focus on bringing children back to the "best answer" mindset. His idea for a product is tentatively called "Think Bowl"— a scaled-down version of "think tank"— and is intended to be a platform for children to express their ideas and solve problems. The aim is to create a community setting for children from across the globe to work with a group of like-minded kids to find practical solutions to challenges at hand. One example: Having kids design their ideal neighborhood. "Cities typically are not designed for the oldest and youngest 10 years," Kornhauser said. At first, Kornhauser intended the product to be a classroom-style workshop, but that idea is currently in flux, he said. He's also working to determine if the Think Bowl should be a social or commercial product or a combination of the two. Kornhauser works in organizational development and has a background in hospitality, but this year's challenge marks the first time he's trying to developed a product-based service. At the challenge, he said he took away some good advice from speaker and serial entrepreneur Bob Dorf, who drilled into attendees of Sunday's bootcamp event the need to get out of the building and interact directly with consumers. "I want to start from the ground up and make sure there's a need and a market," Kornhauser said, adding he has a team scattered around the world collaborating on the project. Kornhauser said the need for Think Bowl comes out of corporate research that has identified two crucial skills for success in the next century — the ability to creatively problem solve and collaborate across cultural differences. He intends Think Bowl to be a way for children to learn those abilities and enjoy themselves in the process. "The first word we're using is 'fun'" Kornhauser said.
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