Create your own path. Be the driver of your future career. Combine your passion for creativity or desire to create change with your work in the classroom. Inspire others with your creative work or solutions to real world problems.

What are entrepreneurial and creative endeavors?

Students learn to set their own course by having experiences in early stage start-ups, advancing ideas to solve real world problems, or create artistic, written or performance-based projects. 

DifferenceMakers By the Numbers

  • $5M
    raised by teams
  • 40
    companies formed by teams
  • 11
    Number of teams patents filed or issued

Meet the DifferenceMakers

UMass Lowell Image
Low Income Community Homework Center '15
DifferenceMakers

Low Income Community Homework Center plans to improve test scores and the graduation rate of high school students.

We grew up in Lawrence and know the hardships. We want to make a difference to those struggling high school students.
Read More About Low Income Community Homework Center 
Rachel Harrington, Taylor Mellen, and William Bizilj present ECG For Me on stage
ECG For Me
DifferenceMakers

ECG For Me is dedicated to stopping the harsh and fatal effects of an unexpected cardiac event with an integration software for a wearable device that detects underlying heart conditions before they are expected to occur.

Putting the confidence and safety back into sports and activity, that is what ECG For Me stands for.
Read More About ECG For Me 
Justin Marcouillier looking at a face mask, Siddhant Iyer posing with the blue Rist Campus Wide DifferenceMaker trophy, and Pranav Ramaswamy holding a prototype of the N95 face mask with the TrueFIT technology.
TrueFIT, Rist Campuswide DifferenceMaker
DifferenceMakers

The TrueFIT design can be used to help employees in various industries, like construction, healthcare, and more.

The TrueFIT design can be used to help employees in various industries, like construction, healthcare, and more.
Read More About TrueFIT, Rist Campuswide DifferenceMaker 
Tommy Vi posing for the camera with a pitcher with milk for the camera.
Tommy Vi’s Gelato, Honorable Mention
DifferenceMakers

After an increase of violence and hate crimes on the Asian-American community, Tommy Vi created a fusion of Asian flavors with Italian machinery and technique to create a new version of gelato in hopes of brining people together.

“My gelato will bring people together.”
Read More About Tommy Vi’s Gelato, Honorable Mention 
UMass Lowell Image
Healthy Habits '13
DifferenceMakers

At the DifferenceMaker Idea Challenge, Healthy Habits won first place in the category “Significant Social Impact,” and was awarded $3,500 to further implement their idea.

Healthy Habits teaches fitness and well-being to young children so they do not grow up to be unhealthy, overweight or obese.
Read More About Healthy Habits