Yearly Archives: 2017

ShareUMSL Accelerate provides many entrepreneurship courses, a world-class entrepreneurship certificate and fosters innovation and entrepreneurship through the Entrepreneur in Residence program. Jake Schmidt, Founder at Fidgetly, is one of the students who enrolled in the EiR program and regularly meets our successful mentors for guidance and help. Tamas Javor: Jake, please tell me a little bit about yourself and your entrepreneurial endeavors. Jake: I started my entrepreneurial journey when I was in 4th grade going to Costco buying candy bars in bulk and then selling them to my fellow classmates.  From there I started a lawn care business with two […]

Fidgetly – The Smart Fidget Spinner

 in Entrepreneur in Residence / Innovate by
ShareLast year, I came up with an idea for a tech startup to help retention rates at Universities. I conducted some initial research and decided this is a venture I need to pursue. The only problem was I didn’t know where to start. This is understandable considering I have no tech experience, never started my own business, and never worked with a startup. I am 20-year-old Finance student at the University of Missouri – St. Louis, where do I start? I heard about Entrepreneur in Residence in the spring of 2017 and how it helps the UMSL community take ideas […]

How I Became a CEO

 in Entrepreneur in Residence / Innovate by
ShareGeneration Z: lazy, self-absorbed, tech-obsessed, and unequipped for the workplace… OK Generation Z, cue the well-deserved eyeroll. You can probably recite these negative associations to your age group in your sleep. While these are unfair generalizations, they’re still real barriers you’ll need to overcome as you enter the workforce. The good news? Despite all the harsh judgements, you do have a number of soft skills that make you uniquely positioned to prove the critics wrong. So now is the time to learn to use them. Remember, you grew up during the Great Recession, and while you may not have realized […]

Generation Z, These Skills Will Earn You Jobs After College

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ShareA college education is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately for entrepreneurs, attending a four-year university also carries some significant drawbacks. The latest data on student loan debt from Debt.org tells a grim story for new graduates: The average debt at graduation is now more than $37,172 per student. Related: Does a College Degree Still Matter? For anyone entering the job market, a college degree is simply the price of admission. Entrepreneurs, however, need more than a piece of paper; they need relevant, hands-on skills they can use to succeed in the real world. For new and established founders, getting the most […]

3 Real-World Tactics Entrepreneurs Should Take Advantage of During (and ...

 in EC@UMSL / Educate / Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship Certificate / Useful Tips by
ShareMost of us can conjure up an image of “the boring professor” droning on and on in front of dozing students. While the centuries-old lecture format can be an efficient way to transfer knowledge, it doesn’t necessarily further learning. In fact, studies have shown that students’ attention tends to drift after the first 10 minutes of a lecture. On the other hand, students gain a lasting understanding when they’re asked to actively teach or use concepts, explains Harvard University’s Eric Mazur. Furthermore, when given the chance to practice what they’ve learned, students’ retention rate averages 75 percent, up from the […]

3 Ways to Use Experiential Learning to Boost Your Career

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ShareEntrepreneur in Residence (EIR) is a program, powered by UMSL Accelerate, that gives all University of Missouri – St. Louis students, faculty, and community members the opportunity to receive mentorship from professionals in the field on how to turn ideas from mind to market. This program is open to individuals of all majors and backgrounds. It doesn’t matter if you are pursuing a science, nursing or business degree. As long as you have an idea with a desire to turn it into the next best thing, you are eligible to take advantage of this program! Over time, it has been […]

Why EIR at UMSL?

 in Entrepreneur in Residence / Innovate by
ShareA future filled with automated robots inspires both optimism and anxiety. According to a 2017 study by the Pew Research Center, the vast majority of Americans surveyed said they were worried about the consequences of widespread artificial intelligence. Up to 85 percent of survey respondents said they even favored limiting the use of workplace robots to only hazardous duties. Another 62 percent said they’d be willing to pay extra to interact with a human customer service representative rather than a chatbot. Related: Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Good Entrepreneur? Hint: It’s Not Something You’re Born With. […]

Worried About Surviving in an Automated World? These Are the ...

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ShareA future filled with automated robots inspires both optimism and anxiety. According to a 2017 study by the Pew Research Center, the vast majority of Americans are worried about the consequences of widespread artificial intelligence. Up to 85 percent of survey respondents are in favor of limiting the use of workplace robots to only hazardous duties. Another 62 percent would be willing to pay extra to interact with a human customer service representative rather than a chatbot. This research is important for entrepreneurs striving to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution. So much of the focus surrounding the future of […]

These Skills Will Save You When Your Job Is Automated

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ShareConceptually, what it means to work has completely changed, thanks to increased mobility, ever-increasing digitization, and the gig economy. Within this exciting emerging world, entrepreneurship has taken a front-row seat in the lexicon of even the very young. The concept of the gold watch at the end of a 35-year employment stint has been shelved in favor of exciting possibilities that require calculated risk-taking and a passion to learn. At the same time, higher education is experiencing a similar disruption. Studies indicate that while around half of college campus students fit within the traditional age framework of 17 to 21, […]

What My Entrepreneurial Career of 20-Plus Years Taught Me ...

 in UMSL Accelerate Staff / UMSL Alumni Entrepreneurs / Useful Tips by
ShareWhy should UMSL students come to Ameren Accelerator Demo Day? On Thursday, October 26, 2017 from 12pm to 5pm at Touhill, the this one of a kind event will offer students the chance to see some of the latest advancements in clean energy tech! What is Demo Day? Well, the Ameren Accelerator, seven companies were selected to participate in an intensive program to accelerate their clean tech product. At Demo Day, the seven companies will be showcasing their exciting accomplishments. The companies are /blossom, Hyperion Sensors, Omega Grid, Rebate Bus, SensrTrx, Switched Source and WIFIPLUG. Their products range from e-commerce instant utility […]

Ameren Accelerator Demo Day- Experience the Excitement

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ShareEntrepreneur enthusiast Yaniv Dudaie grew up with interests in soccer, travel, business, and a love for different cultures. As a child, he wanted to own a hotel in Italy with a pizzeria attached to it. Now that he is college bound, Yaniv wants to learn how to develop and grow companies so his childhood dream could still come true. What will his next dream vision look like? He was born in Mexico, Grew up in Israel, and currently goes to school in St. Louis. Asides from his heavy involvement at UMSL Accelerate, his triple major in Finance, Logistics, and International […]

The Dream Catcher

 in Ameren Accelerator Internship / Entrepreneurship Courses / Entrepreneurship Faculty / UMSL Accelerate by
ShareLeaving the last meeting for the day, Nino thought about his time spent working this close in the entrepreneurial environment and doing real business-related work outside of school which, as he found out, is challenging. It’s no piece of cake; there are seldom any textbook answers this time. He looks forward to absorbing as much as possible during the program so he can equip himself with this experience for the rest of his life. But it first begins at UMSL Accelerate and his go-ahead spirit. Nino Obanor grew up in Belgrade, Serbia, and then moved to the U.S. to start […]

Rise of the Go-Ahead Spirit

 in Ameren Accelerator / UMSL Accelerate / UMSL Accelerate Staff by
ShareWe have #UMSLPride in being one of the newer departments started on campus. How do you respond to the needs of people who need access to resources to help achieve their goal? You give those people what they want. For any students taking one of our awesome entrepreneurship courses, or just thinking about whether your business ideas if feasible, now is the best time to go for your next step. Entrepreneurship and academia are building a bridge to connect with each other because, although they may be on completely different industry spectrums in terms of structure, they both actually fall […]

Dream Goal Left You a Voicemail, “Stop Waiting”

 in "Powered By" / Supplements / UMSL Alumni / UMSL Alumni Entrepreneurs by
ShareUMSL’s first-ever dedicated College of Business Administration building is officially open for business! The building was funded by various corporate donors from different industries around the St. Louis region. One of those companies, Ameren, contributed to provide a dedicated student area at AB Hall. Asides from this contribution, Ameren is continuing its work with UMSL Accelerate for the long-term Ameren Accelerator that runs a cohort tailored to technology startups focused on shaping the future of renewable energy. So, what exactly is all the excitement about? For one thing, business students no longer need to feel like their resources are scattered […]

Cheers to New Business

 in "Powered By" / Ameren Accelerator / Collaborate / UMSL Accelerate by
Share Atop a breezy afternoon in Budapest, Tamas Javor was taking a walk down the street with his grandfather. He told his grandson that he would give him a quarter for every car he could name (make and model) on that street. A few blocks later, his grandfather quit the bet; Tamas, only 5 years old at the time, was already becoming too expensive. He loved cars and numbers, and knew, even at a young age, that finance would be in his future. He went on to attend the prestigious Corvinus University of Budapest, the top finance and economics institution […]

Driving Entrepreneurship

 in EC@UMSL / UMSL Accelerate / UMSL Accelerate Staff / UMSL Alumni by
ShareBusiness mentors, tech-savvy resources, partner connections; sounds like every entrepreneurs dream, right? This fantasy is coming to life in Saint Louis thanks to the new UMSL Accelerate partnership forged with Ameren Accelerator. Partner leaders heading this initiative, who also happen to be UMSL alumni, invited students, faculty, the community (and the press!) for the big reveal on March 31 at the Cortex Innovation Center. Partner leaders are Ameren, University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL Accelerate), and Capital Innovators. The Ameren Accelerator is an innovative partnership that will empower energy technology startup companies with resources and capital to thrive in the industry. […]

Flashback: The Ameren Accelerator Launch

 in "Powered By" / Ameren Accelerator / Collaborate by
ShareFor entrepreneurs my age or older, there was really only one way to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation: The Hard Way. Knowing what to do and what not to do in a startup was an expensive process of trial and error, in real-time, in the real world, with real investors and real customers. If we were lucky, we might have picked up a mentor along the way who could provide occasional perspective and advice but, other than that, we were all pretty much on our own. Fast-forward a decade and a dozen or so startups later to 2016. A group […]

UMSL’s Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurship Courses

 in Educate / Entrepreneurship Courses / Entrepreneurship Faculty / Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship Certificate by
ShareRemember when we announced the pooling of money and resources into one spot that was meant to help develop companies and their products toward better energy? This awesome idea came in collaboration with Ameren and Capital Innovators. Fast-forward four months later, and Ameren has announced the seven-startup companies chosen to take on the cohort this season. This decision came after screening more than 200 companies from 31 countries that applied for the program.   The event was a raging success; you could smell the excitement in the air. Students, faculty, professionals, inventors, and investors, all in one room talking about […]

New Pathways to Energy

 in "Powered By" / Ameren Accelerator / Collaborate / UMSL Accelerate by
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Share By Shante Gordon Last year was the birth of UMSL initiative to better students understanding of owning a business, provide real life experience, and further their career in the entrepreneurship world. Entrepreneurial Scholars and Interns Program introduces students from different degree programs to entrepreneurial principles and practices that’ll creates a network of connections centered on entrepreneurship. We got a chance to catch up with a couple of the students lucky enough to win the internship, and see where they are now because of the internship. Meagan Burwell, one of the students lucky enough to win the scholarship, heard about […]

Collegepreneurs in Action

 in Entrepreneurial Scholars and Interns Program / Supplements by
Share There are so many steps involved in starting a business and it’s easy to get a little lost along the way. Everyone makes mistakes, but when it comes to your startup, even seemingly harmless oversights could cost you a lot in the long run. So what are the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs should avoid? 1. Don’t be Afraid to Fail The biggest mistake you can make is to be afraid of failure! Failure is key to your success and jumping into your fear is very positive for your future business. How you pick up after failure and learn from your […]

11 Common Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make

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Share   This year, the smart minds at UMSL wanted a kind of program where students could gain the entrepreneurial knowledge and experience needed to run their own business, but strategically through entrepreneurship courses, start-up experience, and mentorship. So then came the birth of the Entrepreneurial Scholars and Interns Program (ESIP). Last year, ESIP launched to introduce students from different degree programs to entrepreneurial principles and practices that’ll creates a network of connections centered on entrepreneurship. Winners of this contest will receive 3 to 4 approved entrepreneurial-related courses and engage in a 10-week, paid summer internship. We got a chance […]

Turning Dreams Into Scholarships

 in Entrepreneurial Scholars and Interns Program / Innovate / UM System by
ShareEven if you’re on the wonderful journey to becoming a business owner, chances are you might have to return to the daily grind from time to time. That doesn’t mean you still can’t include your entrepreneurial skills and experiences on your resume. So it’s best to know these best kept resume secrets specifically made for entrepreneurs. 1. A Few Seconds, and it’s Over According to Monster, recruiters spend about six seconds scanning your resume before making a decision. This means if you don’t grab their attention within the first few seconds of them looking at your resume, it will likely […]

13 Best Kept Resume Skills

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Share Being a young entrepreneur in college has its own perils and advantages. On the one hand, you’ll get to follow your innermost desires. Entrepreneurs are the type to create something wonderful out of uncertainty, where others tend to shy away from. On the other hand, it’s not an easy road and usually a quite confusing one. Especially without the proper guidance. However, there are some DOs and DON’Ts to success that’ll keep you on the right track. Just check it out for yourself! 1. DO Take Giant Humongous Creative Risks The word entrepreneur is almost synonymous with risk taker […]

6 Entrepreneur Do’s and Dont’s

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Share As a college student, it goes without saying you’re busy, don’t have a lot of free time, and if you’re anything like myself, rips my hair out and curls into a ball every mention of a research paper. As a college entrepreneur, it’s like 60 times worse. How is one supposed to find time to do homework, research papers, and run a profitable business? Don’t worry, UMSL Accelerate understands the struggle. That’s why we put together these 7 time management apps that will surely make your life as a college entrepreneur easier. Trello Trello is an organization sidekick used […]

7 Time Management Apps Every Entrepreneur Needs

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ShareRyan Allis and Aaron Houghton met at an entrepreneurship club while attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Within three days of meeting, the two had the idea for their company iContact that helps small businesses manage their e-mail marketing. iContact now has 63,000 customers and generated $26.5 million in revenue last year. With the creation of entrepreneurship clubs, colleges and universities across the country are becoming small business development incubators. Today college students are part of a critical generation that will further economic recovery. The foundational role of startups in this economy makes an entrepreneurship club an […]

The Best Club on Campus: EC At UMSL

 in EC@UMSL / Innovate by
Share   If you’ve ever pitched your startup to investors, you know how hard it is (and if not, you soon will). Investors are looking for unicorns – companies they believe will become profitable and sustainable in the long-term. Most pitches to Venture Capitalists fail. This happens because investors aren’t just investing in ideas. They’re investing in the person (or people) behind that great idea. To increase your funding chances, it helps to get inside the minds of your potential investors. This post will help you do just that. 1. Market Size This is where most investors will start. How […]

5 Things Investors Look For in Startups

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Share(From left to right: Mohammad Aljamaan, Rajabu Obede, Nino Obanor, Yaniv Dudaie)By Shante Gordon  By now, it’s no secret! Five to seven lucky companies, young entrepreneurs like yourself, will be handpicked by the Ameren Accelerator team for a chance at 100k in funding for their start up plus perks. With orientation and results on exactly which companies are going to be participating, only a little over a month away, we wanted to ask some of the business savvy students who applied how their company will help the future of clean energy, what do they wish to gain from some of […]

My Dormmate Is An Entrepreneur -The Ameren Accelerator Interns

 in Ameren Accelerator / Ameren Accelerator Internship / Innovate / UMSL Accelerate  tagged Accelerator / Ameren / Applicants / Entrepreneur / UMSL by
ShareDo you have all the college essentials? Binders, schedules, a snack from The Nosh to eat in between classes? Well what about your business essentials? See, when it comes to starting your own business, there are some crucial steps you need to take before you can scale your brand to the top. The more you know about starting a business, the more power you have to form an organization that develops into a lasting source of income and satisfaction. For help with the beginning stages of operating a business, the following checklist is a great place to start. Choosing and […]

How to Run a Business as a College Student

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ShareThis is us… With a more recent start to our club and only 2 physical meetings, you would think the Entrepreneurship Club at the University of Missouri – St. Louis is naive, possibly callow, or maybe even amateur.  The truth is, the EC@UMSL is none of the above.  It may be young but there is a respected and knowledgeable team that leads the club and can deliver valuable knowledge to anyone that has an idea for a business that could use some direction, an existing business that needs some fine tuning, or just if the thought that being your own […]

EC@UMSL- Giving You the Tools to Be Your Own Boss!

 in EC@UMSL / Innovate by
ShareAt this point, I think we can all name at least one business that skyrocketed to success and was launched out of a dormitory or while the founder was still in college. There’s the infamous tale of FedEx’s beginnings when founder Frederick W. Smith wrote a term paper at Yale University detailing  how the shipping industry would change due to changing informational needs and advances in technology – Inogen, a mobile medical device company founded by former University of CA, Santa Barbara student Allison Perry who recruited two of her classmates, Brenton Taylor and Byron Myers, to join her team. […]

What the Heck is an EIN Number?

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ShareDuring a chilly winter evening at cortex’s weekly Venture Cafe, a couple of my buddies and I decided to attend a workshop that happened to start around the same time we were looking through the schedule. It was a session that gave me the first insight into what the startup culture of St. Louis is shaping up to be. Fast forward from that session, I also managed to land an interesting internship that, to say has given me great hands-on experience, is an understatement.  This is a short story about my discovery of ROW VIGOR, and a personal account on […]

Row your Stress Away: ROW VIGOR Comes to UMSL

 in Collaborate / UMSL Accelerate by
ShareBusiness mentors, tech-savvy resources, partner connections; sounds like every entrepreneurs dream, right? This fantasy is coming to life in Saint Louis thanks to the new UMSL Accelerate partnership forged with Ameren Accelerator. Partner leaders heading this initiative, who also happen to be UMSL alumni, invited students, faculty, the community (and the press!) for the big reveal on March 31 at the Cortex Innovation Center. Partner leaders are Ameren, UM System, University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL Accelerate) and Capital Innovators. The Ameren Accelerator is an innovative partnership that will empower energy technology startup companies with resources and capital to thrive in […]

Driving Energy Startups: Ameren Accelerator

 in "Powered By" / Ameren Accelerator / Collaborate by
ShareThe University of Missouri System organized a two-day event called the UM System Entrepreneurial Educator Summit (EES) for the first time earlier this February. I was invited to serve dual role: to advocate for more resources on behalf of my fellow students with entrepreneurial aspirations and to articulate the successes and the future of UMSL|Accelerate. Sara Cochran, Entrepreneurial Program Manager at the UM System was responsible for the event. She provided clear details, schedules and instructions beforehand, which included an announcement that the opening session would include a panel of leaders from our four campuses! Chancellor Hank Foley of MU, […]

First ever UM System Entrepreneurial Summit

 in Educate / UM System by
ShareAn UMSL education has helped form many successful entrepreneurs through the years, not only in St. Louis, but also around the world. Diego Rodríguez, a 2008 UMSL graduate, is one of these successful entrepreneurs who turned a fun hobby into a growing enterprise. He is the co- founder of Cervecería Barbarian, a brewery that distributes craft beer globally and a pub chain, headquartered in Lima, Peru. Last week, I had the privilege to interview Diego about his entrepreneurial journey and the advice he has for UMSL students who want to cultivate their ideas into the next best thing. Tamás: Could […]

From UMSL, To a Brewing Entrepreneur in Lima, Peru

 in UMSL Alumni / UMSL Alumni Entrepreneurs by
ShareAs a proud member of the UMSL Accelerate “Entrepreneur Family,” I can tell you all of us here have our arms wide open and say “Welcome Home” to the University of Missouri- St. Louis’s innovation and entrepreneurship resource. Our family serves students, faculty, and the community anywhere from helping those with little experience in entrepreneurship develop an idea to a Fortune 500 company gain a competitive advantage through innovation. We are passionate about what we do and invite all those who feel the same about innovation and entrepreneurship to join our family, become successful, and change the world. Visit our website, email us, or […]

Welcome to the UMSL Entrepreneur Family

 in About UMSL Accelerate by