University of New Mexico Entrepreneurs (UNME), a student group dedicated to entrepreneurship, has two high-profile entrepreneurial figures scheduled to speak this fall.

The group, which hosts a variety of events, speakers, tours, and workshops, In collaboration with UNM Innovation Academy and the UNM Business Plan Competition, will feature Drew Tulchin, Chief Financial Officer of Meow Wolf (Oct. 5); and Gary Oppedahl, director of Economic Development for the City of Albuquerque (Oct. 26), this fall.

Additionally, in partnership with the UNM Business Plan Competition, UNME hosts entrepreneurship “bootcamps:” hands-on workshops on various aspects of the startup process. The group hosts the Create Your Own Job Fair in early-November, an exposition of resources for entrepreneurs such as financing and mentoring. The group is in the preliminary stages of launching a startup.

Now in its second year, the cross-disciplinary group caters to the “entrepreneurially-minded” across UNM and the City of Albuquerque. This includes those interested in starting an organization of their own (“entrepreneurs”), developing new initiatives within an existing organization (“intrapreneurs”), or doing freelance work (“solopreneurs”). The group is composed of students from the business and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) departments and is seeking to strengthen its relationships with these departments.

UNME

In addition, the group is seeking to establish relationships with the Communications and Journalism, Humanities, Social Sciences, Architecture, and Education departments. The group’s goal is to help “foster a culture of communication and collaboration for the next generation of entrepreneurs in the City of Albuquerque,” said President Michael Sanchez. “We have an exciting year ahead of us and we want to involve all of UNM.”

Michael Sanchez is a senior UNM business student and was recently featured on KKOB’s Jeffrey Candelaria Show. UNME Vice President and veteran entrepreneur Kyle Guin is launching his second business, an innovative mobile app. Vice President Gabriel Baduqui is a UNM MS ISA candidate and president of the UNM chapter of Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA). The group’s faculty advisor is Stacy Sacco, Entrepreneurial Studies professor, director of the UNM Small Business Institute, and entrepreneur.

Interested students can learn more about the group. UNME hosts a Welcome & Pizza meeting on Friday, Sept. 15 at 2 p.m. at FreeRange Spaces. Officer elections will be held Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Student Union Building Isleta Room.

For more information, email Gabriel Baduqui at gbaduqui@unm.edu.