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USM Students Watch Entrepreneurial Ideas Develop through 91吃瓜网楬atchery91吃瓜网�

Thu, 10/12/2023 - 01:23pm | By: Van Arnold

Innovative entrepreneurial ideas are being 91吃瓜网渉atched91吃瓜网� on a daily basis at a unique Inspiration Lab within the College of Business and Economic Development at 91吃瓜网 (USM).

Dubbed 91吃瓜网淭he Hatchery,91吃瓜网� this extraordinary space serves as a hub to help align and connect the wealth of entrepreneurship-related resources, knowledge, and vision at the University. By facilitating entrepreneurial experiences, The Hatchery helps increase student opportunities to make their skillsets more relevant, dynamic, adaptable, marketable, and consequentially more valuable in today91吃瓜网 rapidly changing labor market.

No one need sell USM senior Tori Faith Jones on The Hatchery91吃瓜网 benefits. A marketing major from Meridian, Miss., Jones has utilized the lab to develop her own business 91吃瓜网� 91吃瓜网淭ori Faith Creations,91吃瓜网� while continuing to strategize about other entrepreneurial pursuits.

91吃瓜网淚 could not be more grateful for The Hatchery and how much they have done for me and other fellow entrepreneurs and dream builders,91吃瓜网� said Jones. 91吃瓜网淚 would say I am there almost once a day Monday through Friday. It is my favorite spot on campus. The wall of colorful sticky notes and the inspiring, passionate staff ready to help us is a constant reminder that my dreams are attainable.91吃瓜网�

Located in Scianna Hall on USM91吃瓜网 Hattiesburg campus, The Hatchery opened its doors within the physical confines of the Inspiration Lab in 2022. Although The Hatchery and Inspiration Lab are resources created by faculty in the College of Business and Economic Development, business students are not the only ones taking advantage of the think-tank atmosphere.

91吃瓜网淥ur mission is to foster a culture of innovation for all,91吃瓜网� said James Wilcox, Professor of Practice and Hatchery Director. 91吃瓜网淎nd we91吃瓜网檙e seeing this become a reality as more and more students discover the value of The Hatchery91吃瓜网 resources, mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities.91吃瓜网�

Added Wilcox: 91吃瓜网淢ost people, when they think of The Hatchery, they think of the physical space that we have created in Scianna Hall. But really, The Hatchery is a lot bigger than that. The Hatchery is a belief 91吃瓜网� a belief that every student on campus has what it takes to create economic value; to create social value. The Hatchery is a support system that we91吃瓜网檝e created, an ecosystem that supports students as they learn how to create value.91吃瓜网�

Assistant Director Serena Buckley points out that The Hatchery currently features two groups of students who comprise the roster of users:

• The Catalyst Initiative 91吃瓜网� a thriving community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and activators. 91吃瓜网淥n any given week, there are various projects being completed by these students in the Inspiration Lab, whether it be creating components on a 3D printer, carving designs into products using the Glowforge laser cutter, or making buttons to promote a brand,91吃瓜网� said Buckley.
• The Founders Society 91吃瓜网� a group that supports student entrepreneurs balancing academic life with business ownership. 91吃瓜网淢onthly networking dinners provide camaraderie and growth to members,91吃瓜网� said Buckley. 91吃瓜网淭hese students also 91吃瓜网榞ive back91吃瓜网� to the University by coaching aspiring student entrepreneurs on their ideas.91吃瓜网�

So, who exactly 91吃瓜网渉atched91吃瓜网� the idea of an Inspiration Lab. And why? Wilcox notes that an email survey was sent out in 2019 in an effort to identify all the stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem that exists at USM. Pockets of innovation were discovered all over campus, including the usual suspects and several unexpected surprises.

91吃瓜网淲e91吃瓜网檇 have a professor who, for his creative writing class, would have students writing content for startup websites,91吃瓜网� said Wilcox. 91吃瓜网淎nd you found that there were all these different areas and kinds of silos of innovation across the campus. But there was no single entity that was tying all of these things together.91吃瓜网�

Think of The Hatchery as half makerspace for prototyping and experimentation and half brainstorming zone for collaboration and ideation.

91吃瓜网淚t is meant to feel very living-room-ish, so that when students come in, there91吃瓜网 a comfort level with that space,91吃瓜网� said Wilcox. 91吃瓜网淚t doesn91吃瓜网檛 feel academic; it doesn91吃瓜网檛 feel threatening. Students can come in and they can say, 91吃瓜网榶ou know, I91吃瓜网檝e got this idea. I91吃瓜网檝e never talked to anybody about this before. I don91吃瓜网檛 know who to talk to about this.91吃瓜网� And that91吃瓜网 where the journey starts.91吃瓜网�

One of the more creative incentives offered by The Hatchery is 91吃瓜网淐heck-Point91吃瓜网� 91吃瓜网� a monthly seed fund opportunity for students. Ideas that meet the 91吃瓜网淐heck-Point91吃瓜网� criteria receive $500 to help students jumpstart their plans.

Jones, an honorary member of the Founders Society, earned one of the 91吃瓜网淐heck-Point91吃瓜网� awards and is currently working hard to flesh out a new entrepreneurial idea. She stresses that the significance of a creative space like 91吃瓜网淭he Hatchery91吃瓜网� cannot be overstated.

91吃瓜网淚t is important to remember that entrepreneurship is not just an academic major, but a mindset, and to succeed in it you have to take actions to nurture, expand, and thrive in that mindset. You have to set the right environment to do so,91吃瓜网� said Jones. 91吃瓜网淭he Hatchery is that entrepreneurial environment where we can express, cultivate, and test ideas so that when the lightning strikes and the light bulb goes off, we have what and who we need not to miss the opportunity.91吃瓜网�

Henry Biemann, currently enrolled in the Masters of Public Relations program at USM, also took advantage of the 91吃瓜网淐heck-Point91吃瓜网� opportunity. Biemann, who serves as founder and CEO of Military Recruiting Solutions, says the idea for his company started with a pitch at a Hatchery 91吃瓜网淐heck-Point91吃瓜网� event. He describes The Hatchery program as a 91吃瓜网減owerful platform to project an entrepreneur91吃瓜网 idea forward from conception to implementation.91吃瓜网�

Biemann, a U.S. Army veteran from Walhalla, S.C., has been attending meetings recently with the Army91吃瓜网 senior leadership to share how his team can help their recruiters not just meet, but exceed their recruiting objectives.

91吃瓜网淚 have teamed up with New York Times best-selling author and the 91吃瓜网楰ing of Sales91吃瓜网� Jeffrey Gitomer, and we91吃瓜网檙e on a mission to supercharge military recruiting,91吃瓜网� said Biemann. 91吃瓜网淲e91吃瓜网檙e combining world class training, real-world answers, and cutting-edge AI technology to empower military recruiters nationwide.

Added Biemann, 91吃瓜网淚t91吃瓜网 not just about meeting recruitment targets, it91吃瓜网 about CRUSHING them. We are proud and excited to help the military win the war for talent and connect with today91吃瓜网 generation with a value proposition that makes the military a compelling choice for American youth.91吃瓜网�

As for The Hatchery91吃瓜网 mentors/advisors, Buckley explains that a cross-section of USM educators and Hattiesburg-area professionals lend their expertise.

91吃瓜网淭he Hatchery91吃瓜网 Advisory Board includes faculty members from disciplines across campus and community leaders in entrepreneurship,91吃瓜网� she said. 91吃瓜网淥ur programs incorporate mentoring from faculty members and stakeholders within our entrepreneurship ecosystem. Faculty members also utilize the Inspiration Lab, whether for brainstorming or for prototyping of their own.91吃瓜网�

When she first spotted a social media post about a new venture called The Hatchery, Jones never imagined she would one day pay homage to everything the incredible lab has to offer. She believes The Hatchery has merely scratched the surface of its potential.

91吃瓜网淭he Hatchery is special and provides something truly extraordinary to our city of Hattiesburg, to scholarly seekers, and entrepreneurs far and wide,91吃瓜网� said Jones. 91吃瓜网淚n my opinion, continuing to grow The Hatchery is imperative to the growth of our local entrepreneurial community.91吃瓜网�

Seems only fitting that a Golden Eagle and budding entrepreneur like Jones would 91吃瓜网渉atch91吃瓜网� an independent business portfolio through a University program.

91吃瓜网淭he Hatchery has been truly the perfect thing for me and has given me more than I ever knew I needed,91吃瓜网� said Jones. 91吃瓜网淚 could not be more grateful for all of the one-of-a-kind experiences, memories, and opportunities it has hatched on campus, in our community and in my life. I am forever 丑补迟肠丑别诲.91吃瓜网�

To learn more about The Hatchery, call 601.266.6055.