On Sunday, September 29, 2019 the HC Launch student incubator started off with its semester kickoff event. The application process yielded eight student-led startup teams, with ventures ranging from data security to the cosmetics industry. Paul Wiley ‘20 and Tom Cremins ‘21, managing directors, kicked off the event discussing the direction of the incubator this semester, matched student teams, and led an engaging team building activity.
At the onset of the meeting, Wiley and Cremins laid out the plans and expectations for the student teams this semester. The teams will be meeting once a week to track progress, with the goal of pitching their businesses to a panel of Holy Cross alumni at the end of the semester. The alumni panel of entrepreneurs and business professionals will provide valuable feedback as well as gauge progress moving into the spring semester. After the initial presentation at the kickoff event, participating students were matched with their student businesses to set goals for the semester, as well as weekly objectives to meet in order to stay on track with the development of the idea.
With time at the end of the event for a team building activity to begin utilizing problem solving strategies, students were tasked with the Egg Drop Challenge! Each team had to build a structure out of copy paper, tape, scissors and plastic straws in order to protect a raw egg when dropped from the top level of the campus parking garage! After just thirty-minutes to build, each team took turns dropping their structures with the raw egg. The exercise was largely a success, as every student got used to working with their peers for the semester, and almost every team was able to build a structure capable of protecting the egg.
We look forward to seeing what these teams do this semester. Stay tuned!
