A Valentine’s weekend in LA
When our San Francisco program handed us a free weekend, twelve students didn’t think twice: we rented a house on the outskirts of LA and made our way south. We kicked things off the right way, a night out at a Mexican restaurant, all twelve of us squeezed around a table, food was delicious, people were laughing, and crisp margaritas kept coming. Later, we walked the stars on Hollywood Boulevard (I stopped on Céline Dion’s, obviously), before heading home to a surprisingly legendary Uno tournament soundtracked by our professor’s assistant playing DJ. I learned a new Uno rule that night, do not talk on red! And somehow, that was one of the funniest things I’ve ever witnessed. The next morning was Valentine’s Day, we woke up early for a walk through the empty outskirts streets. Dozens of sidewalk stands were already selling flowers and chocolate-covered strawberries in the February morning calm. We made a quick matcha-and-coffee stop before Ubering downtown, where I bought a six-dollar Cars t-shirt that I am not ashamed to say I love. We visited the Apple Store – the one with the cloudy sky and moldings ceiling – and, like true Americans, stopped at Shake Shack for a burger. We pushed through a packed food market, walked all the way to Japantown (no regrets: the matcha ice cream was outstanding), and ended the day sprinting to Venice Beach just in time to catch the sunset. Pink and orange flooded the sky and the water, laying in waves across the long white sand beach. Worth every step. Day three: Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, where I can confidently report I have never seen so many groomed small dogs in my life. We looped back to Hollywood Boulevard for more star hunting, then headed up to Griffith Observatory, and yes, we did the famous Hollywood Sign “hike.” As true Swiss citizens, it was more of a pleasant stroll. Watching fully geared-up Americans psyching themselves up to “climb” it was, genuinely funny though. We were rewarded with yet another breathtaking sunset – LA really does do those well – before heading home. On our last day, LA made the decision easy for us: the rain was pouring and a flood warning had rolled in. So we did what any sensible group of girls would do: we went to the cinema. We watched Wuthering Heights, and I’ll just say that by the end, the tears flooding from our eyes were giving the weather outside some serious competition. Catherine and Heathcliff really did a number on us. Nothing a trip to the mall and a plate of pasta from Olive Garden couldn’t fix, though. Fully restored, we headed to the airport and flew back to San Francisco, ready to keep exploring Silicon Valley. Selya
Regulations apply to the use, not the users
An unexpected lesson at the San Francisco Planning Department 11 February 2026 – We spend the first semester of our last year of bachelor’s degree doing what engineers and economists do: sizing things, optimising things, checking whether the numbers close or it is sustainable or not. So, when our International Innovation Management team was assigned Avientus – a Zürich startup building an autonomous VTOL drones – we assumed the hard part of our US market entry research would be technical. Battery budgets, detect-and-avoid, FAA Part 108 and its five population-density categories, which I can now recite like a poem. Then we sat down with the San Francisco Planning Department, and someone said a sentence that quietly dismantled our mental model: Regulations apply to the use, not the users. Not “your drone”, not “your company, the use. Whether Avientus is a brilliant Swiss engineering team or a small team of passionate people, from a land-use standpoint, almost irrelevant. What matters is that an autonomous ground station is a piece of logistics infrastructure, and infrastructure gets judged by on question: what does it do to the people who live next to it and what is there to benefit for them? That is a question no one asked us in most of our year in engineering. What followed is an eye-opening experience and discussion of the trip. San Francisco, we learned, is culturally wide open to innovation and politically extremely careful about it – a city that genuinely excited by the new technology and has also been burned by often enough to read the fine print. The DoorDash backlash came up as a cautionary tale. Public scrutiny, we were told, is not a soft risk you manage with a press release; it sits at the same level of importance as technical feasibility. The practical consequences arrived fast. Autonomous drone stations have no standardised approval framework in San Francisco yet – each case is evaluated on its own merits. No fast tracks exist. Industrial districts are more realistic entry point, and residential area would be discouraged. And the recommendation that stuck with the team: lead with the medical use case. Urgent hospital logistics is far easier to defend at a public image hearing the “faster parts delivery”, because the public benefit explains itself. We left with a concrete suggestion: send a clear, formal proposal, possibly addressed directly to the Mayor’s office. We came to San Francisco to find out whether Avientus’s drone could legally fly in California. We left understanding that the harder question is whether the people underneath it wants it there – and that answering that question well is engineering too, just with different units. – Tra Mi Nguyen, Industrial Systems Engineering 🙂
Team SideLight
11 February 2025, Team SideLight enthusiastically embarked on its first day of outreach.We meticulously scheduled meetings with several bike retailers to discover the latest market innovations.At the same time, we connected with specialized rental companies to understand their needs and explore potential collaborations.These exchanges enabled us to identify professionals’ expectations and enrich our strategic vision.Buoyed by these initial interactions, our future efforts will focus on forging sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships.This first step marks the beginning of a promising journey for SideLight in the dynamic world of cycling.
The sunrise at the Golden Gate
On February the 20th, a small subset of our team wake up early in order to witness the sunrise above the Golden Gate. I had brought with me my camera, which I intended to use to take pictures of the sunrise, however its battery sadly died just before the sun would start to show up. Still, I ended up taking pictures with my phone and I can confidently say this is the best view of the city you can experience there. Truly a must-do activity on San Francisco !
A ride with Waymo
During our innovation trip to the United States , we had the chance to experience something you can only find here – a fully autonomous ride with Waymo. In San Francisco, it’s surprisingly easy to book a Waymo. You just download the app, set your destination, and wait for your car to arrive – with no driver inside. These self-driving vehicles are now a common sight in the city, and locals barely react when they see one pass by. It’s part of their everyday life. What’s most impressive is how safe and smooth the ride feels. The car follows traffic rules perfectly, navigates busy streets, and constantly communicates what it sees through the screen inside. As passengers, we felt completely at ease – Waymo drives better than most humans! This kind of innovation is still unthinkable in most other countries. Seeing it in action in a real urban environment made it clear how far the U.S. has gone in embracing cutting-edge technologies. For us as innovation students, it was a powerful reminder that the future isn’t coming – it’s already here.
A Day at Stanford !
On February 21st, our group of twelve students set out early from the hostel, energized for a full day exploring Stanford University. The morning began with a guided visit to the iconic Stanford Memorial Church—a stunning architectural gem at the heart of the campus. With its vibrant mosaics, peaceful atmosphere, and rich history, the church offered a unique glimpse into Stanford’s cultural and spiritual heritage. In the afternoon, we shifted gears and visited Stanford’s Central Energy Facility, – an impressive example of innovation and sustainability in action. Designed to greatly reduce the campus’s carbon footprint while improving the quality of the service provided, the facility showcases how cutting-edge engineering can support large-scale energy efficiency. After some shopping at the campus stores, we made a quick stop at Apple Park to round off an inspiring day.
Figma
On February 13th, 2025, our group had the chance to visit Figma’s headquarters in San Francisco. Some of us, especially those studying Media Engineering, were particularly excited, Figma is a tool we use almost daily. The visit began with a tour of their vibrant, colorful offices, led by a designer on the team. The space felt like a perfect reflection of Figma’s brand : creative, playful, and thoughtfully designed. After the tour, we sat down for a conversation with three Figma employees : one from the development team, one focused on brand identity, and our tour guide from the design team. They shared insights into their work and the culture at Figma, and answered our many questions. One of the highlights was learning about Figma Slides, their new feature designed for creating presentations. They explained that many users were already building slides in Figma, so they decided to fully embrace that use case. They also shared how much fun the team is having experimenting with the feature, testing new ideas, iterating quickly, and seeing what sticks. It was an inspiring visit, especially for those of us passionate about design and media. Seeing how Figma builds its product and its culture, made us appreciate the tool we love using even more.
Swissnex: Promoting Swiss Excellence
At Pier 17 of the Port of San Francisco, a small yet striking detail catches the eye: a flag of Switzerland atop a building. A prominent CFF clock dispels any doubts that we’ve stumbled upon a piece of Switzerland right here in San Francisco. Adjacent to the Consulate General of Switzerland lies Swissnex, an initiative launched by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. It is part of the country’s global network managed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Swissnex works closely with a wide range of partners in international research and innovation, connecting its partners to thriving innovation ecosystems around the globe while advising them on emerging trends and opportunities in science, education, and innovation. Additionally, it promotes the visibility of Swiss higher education institutions, research organizations, startups, and other innovative partner companies. Furthermore, it inspires new ideas through the promotion of knowledge exchange between these entities. We were honored to meet their team and take a tour of their office. During our visit, they enthusiastically shared a list of Swiss startups that they have partnered with and supported. You may recognize some familiar names among them.
Farm to Table @ Swissnex
On the Thursday of our first week in San Francisco, our host, Swissnex, offered us the opportunity to participate in an evening conference and networking event. From major innovation players from Nestlé to inspiring speeches from small entrepreneurs, a wide range of speakers gave us a very interesting insight into innovation management in San Francisco, as well as the overall future prospects for Food Tech. This conference also gave us a glimpse of the uses of speaking at this type of event. Speeches of ten minutes maximum, which simply give an outline of the subject being discussed, without putting the audience to sleep. A Q&A session is then proposed, before moving on to the networking part, which allows everyone to go and discuss with the speakers in order to go deeper into each subject. Finally, Swissnex provided us with the space and materials to present the three start-ups we worked on during the week. This led us to challenge the launch of our products on the American market, by discussing with the many people present. Thanks to the direct and honest feedback they gave us, we were able to make our work even more precise and clear the next day, during the final presentations of our work.