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Local Colleges Attend Inaugural Student Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Summit in Worcester

People chatting in circle

Last month at WorcLab, Worcester’s premier business incubator and coworking space, the city hosted the inaugural Student Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Summit (SEES) to bring the startup community together on Saturday, March 25.  Organizations and local businesses set up tables to share their resources with budding student entrepreneurs. The event brought nearly 25 students together from various colleges in the Worcester area including Holy Cross, WPI, WSU, Clark, Assumption, and UMass. Students had the opportunity to learn directly from local business owners, pitch their businesses and explore resources. SEES provided an excellent platform for students to gain practical knowledge and insights from the successful entrepreneurs next door. 

The event kicked off with food and networking on the 7th floor of the Printer’s Building on Portland Street in downtown Worcester. During the summit, students interacted with business owners from a diverse range of industries including biotech, gaming, and maker spaces. They learned about the challenges that these entrepreneurs faced when starting and growing their businesses, the strategies they used to overcome these obstacles and the many resources available to them in Worcester.  Continue reading “Local Colleges Attend Inaugural Student Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Summit in Worcester”
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HC Launch Student Group Host Local Serial Entrepreneur

two men sitting at the front of class

This year, HC Launch has been connecting with the local Worcester startup community.  Recently, the club visited MultiScale Systems, Geisel Software, and is planning a visit to Redemption Rock Brewery later this spring. As with many startups though, one of the companies we were working with only had a desk at a coworking space.  This, we decided, wasn’t suitable for a site visit so we pivoted!

On Monday, March 20th, the HC Launch student group hosted local serial entrepreneur, Jonathan Lincoln. Rob Murner, director of the Ciocca Center and entrepreneur in residence, started the conversation and students were able to learn from Jonathan’s three ventures: Continue reading “HC Launch Student Group Host Local Serial Entrepreneur”
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Business Social on the Hoval Celebration

Students with Professor

There is a growing number of students on the hill pursuing business. This year the Ciocca Center awarded 82 Certificates, up from 64 last spring.  To celebrate this milestone, and the retirement of Prof. David Chu, the campus community was invited to the inaugural Business Social on the Hoval held on Monday, May 2 from 1-3pm.

Business Certificate Program graduates were invited to pick up their hard copy certificates and graduation pins.  Underclassmen interested in learning more about the program were encouraged to chat with Ciocca Center staff for more information and to register for a Business Certificate Program.

Faculty and students took this opportunity to meet up with other Business Certificate Program students, recharge before finals and say goodbye to Prof. Chu before retirement at the end of the academic year.

Everyone enjoyed delicious food truck fare with Mrs. Moriconi’s Ice Cream and Say Cheese!  A number of students lined up to get their professional headshots taken, and others mixed with peer Business Certificate Program students under the tents.  It was a celebratory afternoon and we look forward to doing it again next spring!
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Pothos Project Expands

PowWow Worcester mural

The fall 2021 Pothos Project was another collaboration with the Sustainability Office at the College.  The second iteration of the program boasts one faculty member, two teacher’s assistants, four Worcester businesses, six alumni, and 18 students!

New this time around was a career session held by three alumni at Mercer, a consulting firm focused on healthcare, to help students explore opportunities, understand the application process and recruiting timelines.

In addition, students were partnered with local Worcester businesses including TidePool Bookstore, Glazy Susan Donuts, K Sense Co., and the Holy Cross Athletics Office.

Esmeralda Garcia ’24 shares her experience with the Pothos Project on the Sustainability Blog.