The third annual UT Entrepreneurship Week begins Feb. 28 and continues through March 6.
UTEWeek brings together every entrepreneurship organization on campus, regardless of major. The event strives to be relevant to anyone interested in being an entrepreneur, regardless of his or her areas of interest. This is especially relevant to students studying liberal arts, says Nick Spiller, College of Liberal Arts student entrepreneur-in-residence.
“Entrepreneurship is a viable path for liberal arts students to leverage as a way to do what they want with their lives,” Spiller says. “UT Entrepreneurship Week is the best place to jumpstart an entrepreneurial journey. It’s a place for students to share startup ideas, learn from experts and grow their ventures.”
Students interested in learning more can start with the UT Austin Startup Job & Internship Fair, which is sponsored by Liberal Arts Career Services. The event kicks UTEWeek off Friday in the Texas Union Ballroom from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“This event is designed to connect startups offering full-time jobs and internships to students and alumni looking for interesting opportunities,” says Robert Vega, director of Liberal Arts Career Services. “The fair also offers students the chance to plug into the Austin startup community and network with successful entrepreneurs for advice and mentorship.”
Nina Ho, a French and advertising sophomore, is one example of a liberal arts student who has found entrepreneurial success.
“I do freelance graphic design, social media management and brand consultancy,” says Ho. “While I appreciate my time in the classroom, I’ve absorbed more technical skills being an entrepreneur through learning by doing.”
Ho is attending UTEWeek. She has also worked with LEA and Startup Meetup to create a blog with more than 150 resources for student entrepreneurs.
Another notable UTEWeek event for COLA students is the Liberal Arts Startup Challenge on March 4. John Arrow, a former UT liberal arts student, will lead a discussion on his first principles of entrepreneurship.
Arrow started Mutual Mobile, a mobile consulting company, with a group of fellow students in 2009. Since then, the company has grown to employ 300+ people and earns more than $26 million in revenue per year.
After the discussion, Arrow will challenge attendees to become entrepreneurs by starting their own companies that day. The concept is to take ‘lemonade stand businesses’ – ventures with products or services contestants can already offer – and make money right away. The student who earns the most revenue by the end of spring break will win a personal mentorship from Arrow.
The two keynote speakers for UTEWeek this year are Rod Canion, co-founder of Compaq Computer, and Michael Dell, founder of Dell Inc. The keynotes will take place on March 5 and 6, respectively. Each address will end with a 15 minute Q&A from the audience.
For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit UTEWeek.com.
Photo credit: Jim Nix / Flickr