More than 20 creative business ideas from students are expected to be on display today at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
The Cultural Entrepreneurship Fair, free and open to the public, is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. today in the Kirby Ballroom at UMD.
Several of the ideas are in the initial stages of being launched in Duluth. UMD's cultural entrepreneurship program, begun in 2013, combines the traditional lessons of business schools with creative thinking that is cultivated in the arts. Professor Aparna Katre said the fair allows her students to showcase their ideas while taking steps toward making them a reality.
"We're preparing students to be entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs working within nonprofit, private and public sector institutions," Katre said.
The projects on display during the fair include:
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- OUTDoorsWear, where transgender and gender-variant people can find clothes that comfortably fit.
- Connect2Me, which connects undergraduate students to the local hiring community in a more personable way by matching their passions, visions and work ethic.
- UMD Alive, an all-encompassing gateway into the events happening around the community.
- Repurpose the Bottle, which reduces environmental waste and creates a thriving arts community by making art from glass bottles.
- Get them Outdoors, which provides an outdoor-like study area to improve students' health, well being and academic performance.
- Save Our Students, a platform that facilitates effective transition of students to independence.
