INNOVATION STARTS HERE.
Annual Report 2017-2018
27
STUDENT BUSINESSES OPERATING FROM THE 707 HUB
1
COLLABORATED WITH ALL
11
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES DURING THE 2017-2018 ACADEMIC YEAR
WE TURNED ONE! Which means there is no better gift to give than a ‘paper’ copy of our latest annual report to celebrate and mark the milestone. We pinch ourselves everyday because we work with the best of Marquette – the fearless leaders, spirited dreamers, and gamechangers on campus. Some of our highlights and favorite memories include: • A graduate student, who launched a paint and sip business,was selected to participate in the inaugural “Pop-Up MKE”program and won first place in the Self Employment in the Arts business pitch competition. • A student created the first 2-in-1 bit, allowing users to install and remove 2 different size/style fasteners with the same bit. Sales expanded to 31 states and 14 countries. • A mobile app designed by Marquette students, had more than 550 downloads in the first month after launching. The app builds community and connections by utilizing meal swipes to get to know someone new on campus. • Students took creativity and prototyping to a new level, there was over 1,800 hours of 3D printing usage at the 707 Hub. • A record 34 students participated in the Commons Skills Accelerator, continuing our long-running partnership. • And in our free time, we worked hard to share stories of the 707 Hub. We even recorded a few podcasts on innovation! As always, we are committed to keeping the space open, accessible, and free for everyone on campus because we know that an entrepreneurial and innovative mindset unleashes a world of possibilities.
– The 707 Hub Team
403
DEDICATED MENTORSHIP HOURS WITH MENTORS-IN-RESIDENCE AND LOCAL EXPERTS
8,532
SWIPES FROM STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF INTO THE 707 HUB
2
PURSUIT OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
THE DORM FUND Launched in 2015, The Dorm Fund is a Marquette student-run venture capital firm that invests exclusively in undergraduate start-ups and provides seed funding to help cultivate a culture of innovation on campus. The investment team comprises Student Associates (right) from different disciplines who are passionate about inspiring students to innovate. Associates have invested in custom rompers for superfans, an aerial drone to help aid in emergency situations, and a training program focused on studentathletes’ mental health, among others.
18
INVESTMENTS TO DATE
707 HUB BOOTCAMP The Marquette University 707 Hub Bootcamp is a 5-week program designed to help students, faculty, staff and community members take their business or impact idea to the next level. Participants receive 1:1 mentorship from local experts and get connected to business resources.
OFFICE HOURS WITH EXPERTS Tom and Mary Avery, 707 Hub Mentors-in-Residence offer weekly 1:1 meetings to guide, coach and provide perspective and connections to entrepreneurs at Marquette. The 707 Hub also provides monthly opportunities to get additional feedback from experts. Lawyers, product sourcing, digital marketing and social media experts are among some of the different professionals that offer advice on a regular basis.
POP-UP WORKSHOPS
40 3
POP-UP WORKSHOPS
Professors across campus are taking advantage of the 707 Hub creativity, entrepreneurship, and social innovation resources by incorporating guest lectures on these topics into their curriculum. Fall semester was focused on the basics of starting a business and resources available to campus to help ideas grow. Spring semester we focused on unlocking, nurturing and strengthening the creativity that lies within us.
New this year, two tracks were created for students to apply – traditional business and social innovation & impact ideas.
Mike Rohde was the keynote speaker and sketchnoted the entire pitch event.
BREWED IDEAS CHALLENGE Brewed Ideas Challenge is a seed funding competition that is open to current Marquette students and hosted by the 707 Hub, in partnership with Brady Corporation. New this year, students could participate in a 4-week crash course called Brewed Ideas Bootcamp to help them validate their idea before applying for the Brewed Ideas Challenge. Eleven finalists pitched their ideas before a panel of judges and guests on Friday, April 27, and competed for prize money totaling $21,000. All eleven teams received mentorship support from Brady Corporation leading up to the competition.
24
APPLICATIONS
11
FINALISTS
15
BREWED IDEAS CHALLENGE IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF BRADY CORPORATION
MENTORED BY MAJORS REPRESENTED
12
BRADY EMPLOYEES
4
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
FORCE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE The 707 Hub embarked on a major collaboration with John and Tashia Morgridge, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and other Wisconsin companies to elevate social innovation in the state. The Force for Positive Change event, hosted at Marquette on March 22, celebrated social entrepreneurs making a difference, in Wisconsin, by Wisconsin, and for Wisconsin.
150+ APPLICATIONS
FROM
50
WI
CITIES
12
WINNERS $138,500
BOOST SUPPORTING
40+
ORGANIZATIONS MAKING A SOCIAL IMPACT
Through the Boost program, local, earlystage social innovators and under-resourced entrepreneurs learn business fundamentals, improve their strategic thinking, and articulate a plan that demonstrates impact, growth, and longterm financial sustainability, all for free. We play a critical role, behind the scenes, helping many well-known Milwaukee entrepreneurs and social innovators launch their ideas. We always have a waiting list of organizations wanting to participate and take their impact to the next level.
REV-UP MKE Rev-Up MKE was back for another year. This neighborhood shark-tank style pitch competition is geared towards entrepreneurs who want to launch their business in a Near West Side storefront. Since the start of the program, 14 finalists have pitched their businesses in front of judges and the community and three businesses are officially launching in the neighborhood: Pete’s Pops, Lisa Kaye Catering, and Hands in Harmony.
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CULTURE OF INCLUSION
WOMEN’S INNOVATION NETWORK (WIN) WIN is designed to support women, and others currently underrepresented in innovation and entrepreneurship through events that inspire, develop and connect.
300
HIDDEN FIGURES EVENT
NEW VISITORS TO THE 707 HUB
WIN hosted a screening of Hidden Figures, followed by a panel of women discussing their experiences in male-dominated professions, including current NASA engineer, MU faculty member and MU Alum.
A diverse group from the Marquette community participated in “Paint and Sip” events lead by a Marquette student entrepreneur.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WIN hosted workshops for women and underrepresented groups about the effective use of LinkedIn and networking strategies. A Mocktail Party also allowed students to practice networking skills.
COLLABORATED ON EVENTS
67
17
STUDENTS TO NATIONAL CONFERENCES
WOMEN IN STEM SUMMIT The Women in STEM Summit held April 23, connected Marquette students with MU alumni, local high school students and industry professionals in STEM fields. The event also featured the Women of Water (WoW).
THE WOMEN COLLEAGUES PROGRAM (WCP) Leaders in STEM fields at Johnson Controls and Marquette participated in the inaugural WCP cohort. There were discussions led by national thought leaders, networking, and participation in STEM pipeline programming for high school and college students. WCP invited JCI and MU community to join in the “Becoming Workplace Allies” presentations.
500+
TRAINED IN DIVERSITY INCLUSION 6
FORMATION OF MINDS AND HEARTS
707 HUB STUDENT AMBASSADORS The 707 Hub Student Ambassadors are an integral part of the 707 Hub team. This year’s ambassadors, Nic Schmidt and Kristen Sale, served as liaisons between the 707 Hub and student body, working to spread innovation across campus. One of their most popular events, the Friday student lunches draw people together from across campus to build community. This year, in addition to planning the 1-year celebration, they proposed a plan to splash color on the walls of the 707 Hub using student artists. Stop by the 707 Hub to see these immortalized pieces that truly represent the intersection of innovation and creativity.
INTROS & INNOVATORS Hosted in partnership with Marquette University Business Career Services, this event provides an opportunity for students to meet and build relationships with Milwaukee’s fastest growing startups and nonprofits. Each organization “pitched” to students outlining available project work, internships and full-time positions. The event concluded with a networking reception.
COFFEE & CONVERSATION Each month an entrepreneur or social innovator visits the 707 Hub to share their story of starting their business. Students, faculty and staff come together to engage with the entrepreneur and have the chance to ask questions and network over coffee. This opportunity allows the campus community to make connections and learn from someone that has been though the ups and downs of starting a business. 7
CONSUMED 2lbs 8oz COFFEE
OUTDOOR INNOVATION SPACE
WE ARE TAKING INNOVATION TO A NEW PLACE ON CAMPUS – OUTSIDE! This fall, the 707 Hub will open the Henke Terrace, a new outdoor innovation space designed for students, by students. This space is adjacent to the 707 Hub and will expand the creative, collaborative spaces available on campus. The design process for this new space was led by students in Linda Menck’s Visual Communication class. They used the design thinking process, which is a methodology used to tackle complex problems, in this case: what should the outdoor innovation space look like? By understanding human needs, reframing the problem in human centric ways, and creating many ideas through brainstorming and ideation, the students adopted a hands-on, creative approach to prototyping and testing their ideas. This process empowered the students to develop creative confidence and allowed the 707 Hub to really understand elements to include in the new Henke Terrace. Curious to see the final result, mark your calendar for the October 5th grand opening of the space.
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STUDENT INNOVATORS The 707 Hub is home to many student businesses and social ventures on campus. It is the go-to place to get an idea off the ground. We provide everything from free space to funding, and creative support services, including logo design.
Sophisticated Coffee Roasters
9
SUPPORTED
75+ 1,856
STUDENTS WITH
&
11
HOURS OF 3D PRINTING
LOGOS DESIGNED
10
QUO TES The 707 Hub is a one-of-a-kind atmosphere and has become a large part of my Marquette experience. They have not only shown me how I can use my
creativity
in an entrepreneurial scene, but also helped bring my ideas to life. I love spending time in the 707 Hub bouncing off ideas with other students and taking part in their creations. I’ve never left uninspired.
The 707 Hub is a great place to network with other people with similar entrepreneurial interests. For me, it has been my
"home-base"
throughout my time starting ItusOne/Skilline and subsequently Euphrates Consulting. The 707 Hub staff are always willing to provide feedback and connect you with the right people. The space is also a great place to meet mentors, partners, and clients.
– Davis M.
– Olivia M.
Collaborating
The staff at the 707 Hub have encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and pursue my
true purpose
with the 707 Hub has allowed me to create a truly unique project-based, experiential course designed to challenge students to be curious, think, design, create, and explore the creative and innovative culture of Marquette and Milwaukee.
– Linda M.
in life as a business owner and an artist! Overall the 707 Hub has taken my business to a new level and I will never be the same because of it!
– Lauren G.
@707hub