With all the great innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) programs on campus at Carolina, how do you know which ones are the right fit for you? What resources do each program provide? And how can they help you make your ideas work?
Innovate Carolina is taking a tour of the many I&E programs available at UNC. This week, we visit the BLUE community at Carmichael Residence Hall to explore how students benefit from this first of its kind, innovation-themed learning program.
What is the BLUE community, who does it serve and how can people get involved? The mission of the BLUE community is to inspire students to shape an innovative and collaborative residential community. That means using physical and virtual tools to engage in self-discovery, build diverse connections and accelerate ideas to reality. BLUE program residents live in Carmichael Residence Hall on the same hall and are required to participate in all BLUE affiliated programming. The BLUE innovation space has also become the hub and entry point for early-stage programming and operates in partnership with programs like the Carolina Challenge, CarolinaTHINK and others. All students on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus are welcome to join events at the BLUE innovation space and workshops held in the BLUE makerspace. Beyond working in the space and attending sponsored events, individuals with experience in topics related to entrepreneurship, innovation and making can also volunteer to become mentors for BLUE students and/or express interest in participating as a speaker in one of BLUE’s workshops or panels. Contact Aspyn Fulcher at Aspyn_Fulcher@kenan-flagler.unc.edu for more information.
What are the biggest benefits that students at UNC get by participating in BLUE? Living in BLUE gives students an immersive experience in an entrepreneurial and creative environment that blurs the lines of living, creating, working and making. This replicates a Silicon Valley experience in the context of a college campus. BLUE students live mere steps away from a 3,000 sq. ft. collaboration and makerspace equipped with more than 20 3D printers, an embroidery machine, laser cutters and more. In addition to weekly skill-building workshops on topics like design thinking, systems thinking, effective pitches, 3D printing and 3D modeling, students also have daily opportunities to interact, brainstorm and bond with other entrepreneurs to establish a supportive network. This collaboration allows them to build stronger, more viable businesses and helps them develop personally and professionally alongside innovative peers.
How does BLUE make a positive human, economic or social impact in the world – whether at UNC or beyond? One of BLUE’s core values is a cycle of generosity, which is a culture of giving back for the greater good. In practice, this means approaching our co-curricular programming through the lenses of design thinking and systems thinking to imagine, design, prototype and test physical products that are informed by and aimed at improving the world. Examples of this are solving challenges like sustainability, biomedical devices, etc. Additionally, our make-a-thon, launching in February 2019, will have a theme that challenges participants to suggest solutions that solve the presented issue through the lense of a campus, community and/or world impact.
"I wanted to be surrounded by other passionate students that are thinking about innovation. I like that I’ve made great friends, the programs are engaging and the location is perfect. We get to network with interesting interdisciplinary people across campus."
What’s something new about BLUE, and what should people expect to see from it in the future? While BLUE itself is only one year old, the program made large strides in its first year. This positions it to be the ideal gathering place in central campus for early-stage entrepreneurs and makers. People should expect to see the culture and community strengthen and develop as its membership continues to grow. Also on the horizon in February 2019 is a plan for UNC’s first entrepreneurial make-a-thon competition, hosted at and powered by BLUE. This competition will bring UNC’s most talented and passionate entrepreneurs and makers from across campus together to compete for cash and material prizes. Participants will have the opportunity to meet like-minded students and potential business partners. They’ll also gain access to expert mentors that will help them develop their product, business model and pitch for the final judging session.
What’s the most surprising thing people should know about BLUE? Many people are surprised to learn that BLUE is open to everyone at UNC. In addition to professional staff from Carolina Housing, Applied Science and Kenan-Flagler Business School, BLUE also has its own entrepreneurial coach (EC) who lives on campus and hosts weekly office hours with students to help accelerate their venture ideas. The EC is an experienced entrepreneur, alum of the Kenan-Flagler Business School MBA program, Launch Chapel Hill alum and current practicing entrepreneur. This level of experience makes the EC uniquely qualified to help students connect to all the resources Chapel Hill has to offer.
Can you share a success story of a UNC student or faculty member who is participating in BLUE? BLUE was the first and only residence life program to exceed capacity this year. This shows that the program is on the right track. Students from last year’s BLUE program went on to successfully complete summer internships at financial services, tech and data analytics firms. These included Dell, Amazon and two universities, so the program looks forward to seeing how those experiences inform their ventures this year.
Learn more about BLUE at its next event, the Design Thinking Workshop, on Sept. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. You can also check out more information on the BLUE website or UNC Housing’s BLUE website.
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