Spectrum to help student entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life
Justin Policarpio, left, is McMaster's new manager of student entrepreneurship. Spectrum will kick of its programming this week with an event at TwelvEighty pub.
Do you want to be your own boss?
If so, you’re about to get a boost from a new University entrepreneurship program.
Spectrum will help student entrepreneurs recruit team members, attract funds and connect with mentors.
The program will officially open Sept. 10 with a talk by engineering alumnus Matt Gardner, co-founder of Videostream.
The tech startup’s product wirelessly sends full HD video from your computer to your TV, and is used by more than 400,000 people.
“It all started in 7th grade,” Gardner says. “I realized that pop at Costco was half the price that it was in our school’s vending machine — so I filled my locker.”
Gardner continued to start small businesses throughout his time at McMaster, and after getting into software, says a tech startup “just made sense.”
In addition to alumni speakers like Gardner, Spectrum will also host an event with past participants of The Next 36, as well as how-to sessions on specific aspects of entrepreneurism.
In March, Spectrum will host a student startup competition, during which it plans to award $50,000 as well as in-kind resources.
The program’s kickoff event is scheduled for Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. at TwelvEighty Bar and Grill.
