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.
Stephen J. Conway, a senior from Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, majors in informatics with a business cognate in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering. He has been a Shoemaker Scholar for two semesters.
“By returning to campus, I hope to assist student-entrepreneurs in their endeavors by providing the resources they need,” Conway said. “During the novel coronavirus pandemic, many might find that starting a new venture is difficult, and as a Shoemaker Scholar, it’s my responsibility to assist the IU community.”
Crimson Catalyst: What is the biggest impact Shoemaker Scholars have?
Stephen J. Conway: It’s the ability to provide students from across a variety of disciplines with the necessary toolset to explore and participate in activities involving entrepreneurship. This allows the idea of entrepreneurship to be more broadly interpreted, and allows students outside of the business school to explore and innovate in their fields where they otherwise would not. Shoemaker Scholars empower such a school of thought by connecting students with the necessary tools that they need to explore their ideas and pursue their vision.
CC: How did you learn about the Shoemakers Scholars program?
SJC: From an entrepreneurial organization called Ideation and Creation Entrepreneurs, or the ICE Club.
CC: What do you enjoy most about being a Shoemaker Scholar?
SJC: I enjoy interacting with entrepreneurs who have attended or are attending IU as well as gaining personal insight into successful practices of starting a business and maintaining ongoing success.
CC: What is a common misconception students have about entrepreneurship and innovation?
SJC: One of the largest misconceptions about entrepreneurship is that it is mainly applicable to the field of business. Innovation can be pursued across a variety of fields — arts, history, music, fashion and so on. The primary goal of entrepreneurship is not necessarily to create the next billion-dollar idea, but to create a product that will resonate with a targeted group on some level.
CC: How do you share insights with others as an ambassador?
SJC: Through participation in student-led entrepreneurial projects, communicating with the IU entrepreneurship community at the ICE and CEO clubs, and facilitating events across various schools on campus.
CC: What are your own entrepreneurial endeavors?
SJC: Currently, I am working on a medical charting system called NeuroNursing targeted at dementia patients. It employs predictive analytics to visualize the patient’s decline, and the goal is to produce better health and financial outcomes for all the parties involved in the patient’s treatment. I am also employed as an IT and marketing intern at The Canopy apartment complex in Bloomington. Its aim is to develop the world’s first self-sustaining, eco-friendly apartment complex and to demonstrate that eco-friendly practices can be profitable.
More information about the Shoemaker Scholars program is available at the following websites:
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