NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center
The Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center is a nonprofit organization backed by Nasdaq that supports entrepreneurs through free education, mentorship, and resources. Its mission is to increase access and opportunity in entrepreneurship, especially for underrepresented founders, by helping businesses grow and scale.
My Role
Design Research & Strategy Consultant
Project
Stanford d.school Group of 3
The Partnership with the d.school
Timeline
Fall 2025 - 4 weeks
Tools Used
Figma, Figjam
Context
As part of Design 121: Human Values in Design, Stanford’s d.school partnered with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center on a four-week project focused on improving founder-facing programs. Working in a team of three, I conducted user interviews, synthesized research into key insights, validated concepts through live prototype testing with founders, and presented our final recommendations to Nasdaq leadership.
Part 1
Defining Our Unique User Group & User Interviews
Part 1 involved five Zoom interviews—three female founders, a NASDAQ rep, and one male participant for balanced insights. I was present for all interviews, with a teammate joining each session; one of us conducted the interview while the other took detailed notes. Each interview lasted 45–60 minutes.
Our Interviewees
Part 2
User Synthesis & Insights
Using our interview data, we leveraged FigJam to organize ideas, identify themes, and uncover tensions across users.
Link to FigJam page
Tensions
We used a 2x2 matrix to compare tensions and pain points across our users. One key tension was the balance between being as competitive as possible to advance your company while also helping others who were once in your shoes. Another was maintaining core values, as growth often brings external pressures to prioritize profit and success over the principles that define the business.
Another key tension emerged between the supportive environment of the NASDAQ Center, where founders are encouraged and guided, and the competitive, 'dog-eat-dog' reality of the broader business world.
This chart highlights the tension between the supportive NASDAQ environment and the real world. While a safe space is crucial for development, we observed that no clear transition exists for founders moving into the competitive business landscape.
Part 3
Ideation & Testing
Midway through the project, we held 'Prototype Experience Day' at the d.school, where 40 founders tested our prototypes. Preparing for this, we created three different prototype ideas. I will focus on the one I developed individually. These prototypes were designed to test insights, not serve as final products.
