Inaugural EPIC Hunt Student Quest Held at AUA

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On January 31, 2020, the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) of the American University of Armenia (AUA) started the new academic semester by organizing the first-ever EPIC Hunt, Student Quest 1.0. Students with various backgrounds from AUA and other universities participated in this exciting entrepreneurship challenge designed as a quest in the AUA campus. The objective of the event was to familiarize students with EPIC initiatives, entrepreneurship, the entrepreneurial mindset – all in a fun, exciting, game-like atmosphere where they could also win prizes.

The inaugural EPIC Hunt had 15 participating teams, who were challenged to guess the final insightful quote from a world-famous Armenian entrepreneur. Within a set time limit the participants had to find hints and answer questions located throughout the AUA campus. This game tested their logical reasoning, ability to work in teams with strangers, and effective time management skills. “The very first clue we found was to have fun and enjoy the process. I am grateful to EPIC, for making us stretch our imagination and creativity. It was a blast,” shared Mariam Simonyan (BAB ’23).

EPIC’s Operations Manager Arpine Manukyan highlighted: “With the EPIC Hunt, we tried to convey to our students what being an entrepreneur feels like, to show that creating a venture means solving puzzles and problems, always trying to be first, failing at times and finally succeeding to be truly rewarded.”

This unique quest helped the students become familiar with Armenia’s startup ecosystem and take a closer look at the atmosphere in which EPIC operates: the balanced mixture of fun and hard work.

“When you think that others are doing better and faster, you work harder to catch up with them. And in that way, you not only reach them but also surpass them. Overestimating others and underestimating yourself makes you work harder, which leads to success,” noted one of the winners, Gayane Adamyan (BAB ’20).

All of the teams showed great enthusiasm and were eager to find the hidden quote. After an afternoon of uncovering clues, problem-solving, and creative thinking, three lucky students, Adamyan, Simonyan, and Ani Manukyan (BAB ’23), became the winners of this entrepreneurial quest. Two other teams of young “entrepreneurs” also succeeded and won second and third places of the EPIC Hunt. By the way, the secret quote was, “If you want to change the world you don’t need to open a factory. You just need to open a laptop.” from entrepreneur and investor Alexis Ohanian.

The Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is a platform of the American University of Armenia (AUA) for promoting entrepreneurial education, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and startup venture incubation. EPIC provides an ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs consisting of first-class facilities and collaborative workspace, programs and events, and a network of mentors, advisors, and investors. EPIC fosters the understanding and application of entrepreneurship in students and faculty at AUA to craft high-impact multidisciplinary ventures.