UNH Entrepreneurship Center Newsletter

The ECenter is the co-curricular heart of ideas, innovation, and entrepreneurship at UNH. Our goal is to create the next generation of leaders with an entrepreneurial mind-set who can see opportunities and identify creative solutions others have missed, one idea at a time. Although part of UNH, we are independent of any one college.

September 2022 Newsletter

The Latest Happenings from the ECenter

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.. and the ENERGY IS BACK!

In mid-August we hosted the always impressive Student Summer Showcase which allows the Paid Student Internship at Start-ups Program students and our Summer Seed Grant recipients to share their experiences over the summer (you may view their video profi les here).

And it's been such a fast start of the semester at the ECenter! On day two we hosted the kick-off of our second cohort of Shaw Innovation Explorers, now 15 students strong. They just got back from an impactful and challenging team building weekend in The Forks, ME, a 3+ hour bus ride each way. They experienced a ropes course, white water rafting, shared meals, and a bonfire. The process of learning about each other and bonding is off to a great start.

The first week also saw the kick-off of the Idea & Innovation Society's 5th cohort (sponsored by Service Credit Union).

The 27 first-year Society students are our most diverse and creative group yet. It is clear that we will be profiling some of them in the months and years to come.

Later this month we will be launching the first part of the Patten Sales and Funding Accelerator with sales training for students and young alumni co-founders. We will also offer a Basic Sales Certificate program in partnership with the UNH Sales Club to promote essential sales skills for all students.

We are excited to welcome Pam Shore to the growing ECenter team as Program Manager and DJ Beasley as part-time Marketing Assistant for the semester.

If you want to learn about upcoming events and see the impact they have, please follow us on social media @UNHECenter on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Stay curious.

Ian Grant

Executive Director, ECenter

[email protected]

Meet the 2022 UNH Alumni Entrepreneur

Hall of Fame Inductees

It is with great excitement that we recently announced the identity of the 2022 UNH Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame inductees. Please join us in celebrating these accomplished alumni on October 7th, 2022, at 5:45 pm. The ceremony will be followed by a reception, both hosted at Hamilton Smith Hall.

The 2022 inductees into the Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame are:

Jerome Dubois ’96, VP Shopify Logistics, Co-Founder and Former CEO 6 River Systems, Inc. (6RS)
Fred Forsley ’83, Founder & Owner, The Shipyard Brewing Company
Scott Knightly ’86, Founder & President, EnviroVantage, Inc.
Tonya Knightly ’91, CFO, EnviroVantage, Inc.
Tom Moulton ’77, CEO & President, Sleepnet Corporation

The Hall of Fame is housed within the UNH ECenter and recognizes alumni who have achieved significant entrepreneurial success with ventures as founders, co-founders, or owners, while also giving back to their communities in a meaningful way. With over 10,000 entrepreneurs in UNH’s alumni ranks, it is not surprising that we received a record number of nominations, and the selection process was highly competitive.

Please register HERE to attend the 2022 UNH Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. All welcome, seating limited.

Student Summer Showcase

Left to right: Madison Ridky '25, Gunnar De Young '23, Hannah Lightcap '24G, Johanne Nichols '24,

and Francis Molino '23

The Student Summer Showcase highlights the experience and accomplishments of UNH students enrolled in our two summer programs - the Summer Seed Grant, sponsored by Pierce Atwood, LLP, and the Paid Student Internship at Start-ups Program, financially supported by generous UNH alumni and friends.

Eighteen students from the internship program presented their summer experience, and four Summer Seed Grant recipients showed the audience what #ECenterImpact is all about. The students who presented their summer experiences are listed below.

Paid Student Internship at Start-ups Program:

Summer Seed Grant recipients:

We're thrilled so many ECenter supporters could join us for the occasion! If you missed it, check out the videos by selecting each students' names above.

Meet our 2022-2023 Ebassadors

Please join us in welcoming our 2022-2023 Ebassadors! ECenter student ambassadors (Ebassadors) are the face of the ECenter across the UNH campus. The best way for students to learn about the opportunities available at the ECenter is by hearing about them first-hand from their peers. Our Ebassadors attend events and visit classrooms throughout the semester to share their #ECenterImpact stories around campus!

Ebassador Gunnar De Young ’23, who is entering his 3rd year as an Ebassador, said: "My favorite part of being an Ebassador is when I get to tell people about an ECenter program that will help them achieve one of their academic or professional goals."

Gunnar De Young ’23 (PAUL)

Madison McEachern ’23 (COLSA)

Caroline McCarthy ’24 (PAUL)

Ian Lister ’24 (PAUL)

Matthew Laflamme ’25 (CEPS)

Start-up Update: Bogey Bags

What started as a fun way to express frustration on the golf course is now a high demand product that has sold out six times!

Steven Schnobrich '21 has been a golfer since he was eight years old. After a particularly bad day on the course, Steven and his uncle discussed ways they could express that frustration in a fun and safe way. Their solution was to rig a speed punching bag to a golf cart. The first time they brought it to the course, it caused quite a stir. “People kept asking us about the bag and really seemed to like it,” said Steven. After a few more golf outings garnering the same reaction, they realized they might be onto something.

At the time, Steven was a senior majoring in finance at the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics. He had never been to the ECenter, but he had heard of it. “I reached out and made an appointment with Ian Grant. He guided me through customer research, and I decided we had enough interest to make a prototype of this product for sale,” Steven said.

Steven knew he needed to make a better prototype before he started selling, but he didn’t have the tools or skills to create one. That’s where the UNH Makerspace comes into the story.

According to Steven, “The Makerspace is where the Bogey Bag was born.”

Steven quickly learned how to use the tools and machines to create his product. “I can’t say enough about how the mentors in the Makerspace helped me learn the skills I needed, “ Steven said. He went on to become more involved in the ECenter and its programs and he even received third place in the Paul J. Holloway Prize Competition.

Steven commented, “I recommend that every UNH student go to the ECenter. Do your homework there, have coffee. Once I went, I was hooked. It’s an awesome spot. There’s always a good mix of minds at the ECenter. It’s different from any other space on campus.”

Steven currently works full-time for a finance company in Nashua, NH. His next step in getting the Bogey Bag to eager golfers is to work on the manufacturing process. His company has a waitlist of people who want a Bogey Bag.

This fall, Steven will also attend the ECenter’s new program, the Patten Sales and Funding Accelerator.

Steven expressed, “UNH and the ECenter are the best things that have happened to me.”

Interested in Bogey Bag? Go to www.thebogeybag.com

Welcome DJ and Pam!

We're thrilled to welcome Daijon “DJ” Beasley and Pamela Shore to the ECenter team! DJ joined us early August as the Marketing Assistant and Pam, the team’s new Program Manager, joined us earlier in September.

DJ joins the team with experience in programming, event support, marketing, and graphic design. He is currently a UNH graduate student participating in the Geospatial Science program and he benefited from our programs in the past, such as the Paid Student Internship at Start-ups Program.

A seasoned program manager, Pam has created and managed programs for post-secondary education opportunities for adult and ESOL students. She also is an experienced educator with a history of working with a diverse population of students.

Next time you're at the ECenter, stop by Pam's and DJ’s office to say hi and welcome them!