Changes

<span style="color:#000000;">A former president of [httpsA</span>SME&nbsp;<span style="color://www.asme.org/ ASME] #000000;">at Union once said that there was an engineer who advised him to start his own company. The ASME president found this idea rather amusing, and the entire group laughed as he quoted the engineer saying "If you can't find a job, just create your own company, and you'll have one."</span>

<span style="color:#000000;">There is a lot of truth in the statement, but back then this didn't resonate with a group of talented mechanical engineers. Perhaps it wasn't the right group, but it is far more likely that there is a lack of student exposure to entrepreneurship, which I wish to change.</span>

<span style="color:#000000;">Ranging from 3DS to StartUp Institute and Lean Startup Machine, there are plenty of startup programs that hold a promise on improving and fostering interest in entrepreneurship and idea development in Union students. The plan is to bring in one organization each year for a weekend or week-long on-campus program that students can participate in.&nbsp;</span>

<span style="color:#000000;">Words "venture capital" are just as rarely heard on campus as the word "startup." But, how could one start a company without initial capital? The plan is to have a pilot talk on venture capitalists, followed by a workshop, to get students initially informed on the posibilities about funding their startup, and depending on interest, continue to hold annual or monthly talks and workshops on startup businesses and venture capital.</span>

<span style="color:#000000;">''Target date for first speaker event + workshop: June 1, 2014''</span>

<span style="color:#000000;">''Target annual time: Spring Trimester (between April 1 and June 10)''</span>

<span style="color:#000000;">'''UPDATE: '''In spring of 2016 we will be holding a business startup/entrepreneurial bootcamp in conjunction with a local business called Wise Labs. So far over 120 students will be participating in a series of weekly workshops all pertaining to business and startups.</span> [[File:Bootcamp Flyer.jpg]]