If there is one thing everyone has learned over the last 12 months, it’s that we have to take care of each other. The UNM Innovation Academy thinks that means supporting our fellow Lobos who are small business owners and entrepreneurs.
To that end, the Innovation Academy has begun collecting information from UNM-affiliated business owners in hopes of creating a searchable database of Lobo entrepreneurs. The goal is to provide a space for consumers to find what they need and support a small local business at the same time.
“We want to create a database that becomes someone’s first stop when looking for a product or service,” Innovation Academy Director Rob DelCampo said, “but we want those businesses to be from our Lobo community. We want people to think of this database as the best way to find exactly what they need while supporting their fellow Lobos to grow. It isn’t out of the ordinary for enterprising Lobos to have a side hustle, whether its students building websites, a staff member selling crafts on Etsy or even a family-owned business where someone helps out on weekends – they are all part of our pack”
The database and eventual interface are still in the early stages of development, but the Innovation Academy is looking to gather as many Lobo-owned businesses as possible. If you or someone you know owns a business and is affiliated with UNM (student, alumni, faculty, or staff), the Innovation Academy needs your help to make this happen. Please fill out the short form here (https://forms.gle/UagUKbdZiSM2VE6w7), so your business can be added, and we can all keep seeing our UNM entrepreneurial community thrive.
For more information, contact Tiffini Porter at tjp0217@unm.edu.