With seemingly infinite course options and the concern of your family’s budget in mind, convincing your family that the European Innovation Academy is the right choice may be challenging. 

Since the European Innovation Academy is one of the most complex and life-changing programs around, we would like to help you prepare your pitch deck and get ready to blow their minds!

Here are some trusty tips to help you convince your parents to fund your EIA trip.

how to convince your parents to invest EIA

From Student to Master

Tell your parents it is not a semester or even the whole summer. In 20 days, you will come back having launched a startup. During the program, you test your leadership skills, creativity, critical thinking, and your perseverance. In this environment, you get the chance to test out your business idea or join a startup in a risk-free environment. 

The opportunity gives you the chance to dive into the world of startups and leave with an entrepreneurial mindset – something you cannot find at an internship or at any local startup. The EIA value is unmatched – it will certainly test some of the power skills mentioned by the World Economic Forum like “creativity, adaptability, and time management.” All three will be tested and improved during the academy. 

Find a Top-notch Mentor

Discuss the value and rare opportunity of meeting with IP lawyers, pitch coaches, investors, speakers, and mentors from Amazon, Daimler, Microsoft, Google, Uber, and many more. We have some of the most committed and authoritative individuals involved in helping your startup achieve 10x growth. Whether it is the Portuguese President speaking or Google’s Martin Omander, or Kameel Vohra, you have the opportunity to learn from and meet with mentors that transcend your local startup ecosystem.

The Same Mindset: 600 Strong 

Tell your parents you are not going alone. You will join a group of participants from universities all over the world from 60+ countries. It is not uncommon for one time at EIA to incorporate students from four or five different countries. The experience is one that is highly valuable for graduates entering a workforce that sees diversity and multiculturalism as a new superpower, propelling businesses forward. 

Carry new skills into future employment

Get ready to be extraordinary. Tell your family you are about to gain a unique experience that potential employers will certainly take interest in. How many students are getting summer internships? How many are going to Portugal to create and launch a startup in 15 days? The skills needed as an entrepreneur are transferable to any company big or small.

Finding your way to Cascais and Lisbon

Your family will find that your trip to Cascais will be seamless. Firstly, the EIA venue is a comfortable distance from Lisbon airport. The EIA staff will make your integration into the area easy. Not to mention, Portugal is ranked as one of the safest countries on Earth. 

Pack your suitcase

In addition, we provide a variety of accommodation options to choose from before your arrival. Tell your parents to turn their Instagram notifications on to watch you soar to startup glory. More importantly, they can learn about all of the mouth-watering Portuguese treats like Pastel de nata. 

Are you ready for EIA 2020? Click here if you still have some questions in mind!