Enterprising efforts
The WiN Hub (Wheaton Innovates Hub), a center for student-generated social innovation and entrepreneurial activity, hosted its first Student Business Showcase on Friday, May 5, in the Balfour-Hood atrium. Fourteen student entrepreneurs registered for the event and presented businesses that offered a range of wares and services—from rose water and bath salts (Amanda Banegas ’17, above) to phone cases with no-slip straps. Among those present were: Dami Olubusi ’19, who is working with her mother long-distance to design custom-made African clothing; Joshua LeBlanc ’18, a business and management major, who creates rap music with positive messages; and two graduating seniors, Sara Petrangelo and Ian Opaluch, who together have created their own branding and marketing company, drawing upon their Wheaton education and their internships at MassChallenge in Boston; and several students who have turned their passion for art and crafting into business enterprises. “We came up with the idea to host a Student Business Showcase as a way to get student-run businesses in front of the Wheaton community and to provide students with a way to market their goods and services and make connections.” said Carolyn Hart, coordinator of entrepreneurship programs. Another showcase is planned for the fall semester.
