The Shoemaker Scholars program brings together 10 Indiana University Bloomington students from a variety of academic disciplines. They encourage other students to explore their own entrepreneurial and innovative interests, and they oversee the StartupIU website that connects students with university-based startups. John and Donna Shoemaker funded the program, which awards annual scholarships to its members. Travis J. Brown launched and directs the program.
Hunter Hawley, a junior from Cloverport, Kentucky, majors in entrepreneurship and corporate innovation in the Kelley School of Business. This will be his first semester as a Shoemaker Scholar. Hunter was kind enough to answer questions for the Crimson Catalyst.
Crimson Catalyst: How did you learn about the Shoemaker Scholars program?
Hunter Hawley: By participating in the Ideation and Creation Entrepreneurs Club at IU, I was around the Shoemaker Innovation Center often throughout my freshman and sophomore years. Eventually I became curious about what the Shoemaker Scholars did, and I asked around.
CC: What impact do Shoemaker Scholars have?
HH: I believe that the largest impact comes from the coordination of the service providers around campus.
CC: What is a common misconception students have about entrepreneurship and innovation?
HH: That to be an entrepreneur or an innovator, you have to take giant risks. In reality, the best entrepreneurs and innovators are great risk mitigators, not risk takers.
CC: How do you share insights with others, as an ambassador?
HH: As a Shoemaker Scholar, you really should have a pulse on the entrepreneurship community at IU and in the surrounding area. If you have knowledge of what’s going on, sharing opportunities is the easy part.
CC: What are your own entrepreneurial endeavors?
HH: I run a startup called Blueprint Stats that records, analyzes and shares data for basketball teams, coaches and players. In addition to the industry’s basic “video and stats” product offering, we maximize the impact of our data by offering specialized training programs for teams and individual athletes.
CC: What do you enjoy most as a Shoemaker Scholar?
HH: Entrepreneurship and innovation in general can easily start to feel like a lonely endeavor, but with groups like the Shoemaker Scholars, it doesn’t have to be that way. I am proud that we place people with a diversity of ideas together to support one another in their journey to change the world. IU students are doing incredible things, and we shine light on them.
More information about the Shoemaker Scholars program is available at the following websites:
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