Students will launch the Food Truck Entrepreneur Challenge by investigating the real needs of potential customers in their school community. Through structured interviews, observation, and empathy mapping, students will gather firsthand evidence to understand user preferences, constraints, and pain points before defining their business concept.

Students will synthesize their real user interview data into clear, evidence-based problem statements that define the specific community need their food truck will address. Through pattern finding, mathematical reasoning, peer critique, and revision, students will craft a focused “How Might We” statement grounded in authentic user insights that will guide ideation in the next phase.

Students will generate a wide range of food truck solution concepts grounded in real user needs, apply structured ideation strategies to push beyond obvious ideas, and use mathematical reasoning to compare and select top concepts before moving into prototyping.

Students will build and refine low- to higher-fidelity food truck prototypes that integrate spatial design and financial modeling, test them with real users, and document iteration decisions grounded in user feedback and mathematical evidence.

Students will validate their refined food truck prototypes with new users, analyze final financial and design data, and present a polished investor pitch at the Food Truck Expo that traces their design journey from user research to break-even analysis and iteration.