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 Photo
AFED: Autonomous Foot Exercising Device
DifferenceMakers

AFED solves foot pain while also correcting posture.

AFED solves foot pain while also correcting posture.
Read More About AFED: Autonomous Foot Exercising Device 
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 
Stephen Wahome and Nicholas Bedard present JamFuze onstage at DifferenceMaker
JamFuze
DifferenceMakers

JamFuze is a tool that helps both artists and producers to find each other and become more connected for potential success.

At JamFuze, we eliminate the cost associated with finding an artist or producer, focusing funds on venues, beats, and lyrical potential.
Read More About JamFuze 
 Pat Cusanelli, Shane Lavoie and Jack Nealon onstage with Steve Tello, Holly Butler and their “Contribution to a Healthier Lifestyle” category award that comes with a $4,500 prize they will use to expand Mass Heartbeat
Mass Heartbeat
DifferenceMakers

Mass Heartbeat is an organization focused on screening children and young adults for heart conditions and anomalies to ensure they seek treatment before any undiscovered issues occur.

We’ve been on an eight-year journey since the three of us lost a dear friend due to sudden cardiac arrest.
Read More About Mass Heartbeat 
DifferenceMaker-Team-Happy-Heart-Cart-HS
Happy Heart Cart '16
DifferenceMakers

Happy Heart Cart is a program that provides advanced therapeutic and holistic practices to improve patient stays in adult hospitals

We want adult patient hospital stays to be as enjoyable as possible.
Read More About Happy Heart Cart