Students will be introduced to how polymer innovations have transformed their lives, from their food to clothing to technologies. Specifically, they will be introduced to modern polymer start-ups and use the course knowledge as inspiration to pitch their own idea. Moreover, the students will learn about how characterization methods typically taught in the context of small molecules can be extended for polymeric systems. Everything will be taught with active learning in mind — students will analyze data to interpret results and understand how characterization techniques can be used to support (or disprove) hypotheses. Example of characterization topics include NMR, UV-Vis, GIXD, and TGA. The course will end with the students having the opportunity to design and 3D print an object. We refer to this portion of the course as "dry lab," which complements the lectures, asynchronous assignments, and group work. Beyond technical skills, students will develop science communication skills through pitch challenges and exercises in rewriting an abstract for the general public. This course is recommended for Year 1 graduate students in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering.