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Innovators and makers

Innovate Carolina

Carolina innovators are working to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, and students are a driving force behind that mission. Through their ingenuity, they are creating a better future for all North Carolinians by tackling issues with fresh perspectives, designing better products and launching companies that build our economy and create jobs.

Those efforts are led by Innovate Carolina, a cross-campus alliance of people and programs that gives UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty and alumni the knowledge, tools and resources they need to put their new ideas into action today.

  • No. 10ranked university for undergrad entrepreneurship education according to the U.S. News and World Report
  • 100+courses focused on innovation and entrepreneurship
  • 294startups launched by Carolina students since 1958
  • 287student ventures and teams supported by the 1789 student innovation hub since 2014
  • $33.3 millionin annual revenue earned by 1789-supported student ventures in 2022
  • ~470people employed by student-launched ventures supported by 1789 in 2022.

Meet our creators and entrepreneurs

  • Carson Moore, the CEO of Meantime Coffee Company, in front of the coffee bar.

    Thriving on sustainability

    Student-run Meantime Coffee Company is leading the way on sustainable business practices, professional development and community reinvestment.

  • QUVI founders Kush Jain (right) and Harshul Makwana (left) working on their initial water bottle sanitation prototype for the UNC Makeathon.

    Carolina’s Product Management Club

    Not your traditional student organization, the Product Management Club gives student-innovators and entrepreneurs real-world experience with product management, while developing exciting new features for local tech startups.

    Founded in fall 2019, the club aims to build a product culture within UNC-Chapel Hill’s Department of Computer Science and ultimately at the University as a whole. The club attracts students interested in entrepreneurship, user experience design, software engineering at startups and those interested in product management roles.

  • Anna Shuford

    Anna Shuford

    After spending the early days of the pandemic working out in her living room, Anna Shuford channeled her frustrations with virtual workout programs into market research and came up with a solution that improved the experience for everyone.

    Her company, BOOMROOM, is an online fitness platform that helps simplify the process for fitness instructors teaching live virtual workouts. It provides scheduling, booking and payment tools for trainers, plus analytics, direct communication channels with their clients and integration with Spotify.

  • A man points to a board.

    Nehemiah Stewart ’21

    Carolina alumnus and second-year UNC School of Medicine student Nehemiah Stewart is empowering the next generation of leaders through his startup, Level the Playing Field.

    The organization works with faculty, staff, alumni and corporate partners across the nation to recruit minority students from HBCU‘s and other institutions, train them in professional development skills and place them into influential internships at some of the top corporations in the nation.

  • Sherod Crum

    Sherrod Crum

    The Carolina Scholarship attracted senior Sherrod Crum to UNC-Chapel Hill and has helped him focus on his passion for social entrepreneurship that serves underrepresented communities.

    He founded the Black Entrepreneurship Initiative after he saw that there were no Black students participating in the Carolina Challenge, UNC-Chapel Hill’s largest business pitching competition. The organization hosts seminars on grant applications and investor pitches, as well as pop-up shopping events for vendors.

  • A person tries on a prosthetic hand.

    The Helping Hand Project

    For a child born without a hand or fingers, a prosthetic hand can be a lifeline, providing independence and the foundation for them to simply be like any other kid. But those devices typically come with a hefty price tag.

    To alleviate families of that financial burden and still give children a life-altering tool, the Tar Heels behind the Helping Hand Project are designing and constructing customized prosthetic limbs for children free of charge using 3D printers.

Supporting budding innovators

  • 1789 written on a glass window.

    1789

    1789 is Carolina's central hub of innovation. The space combines mentorship and workshops with working space and a collaborative setting to help Tar Heels develop the skills to be entrepreneurs and innovators.

  • People work at Launch Chapel Hill.

    Launch Chapel Hill

    Among the largest economic development programs at Carolina is Launch Chapel Hill. The startup accelerator focuses on mentorship and educational programming and offers tech resources, office space and amenities to innovators and entrepreneurs who need a steady foundation to grow their startups.

  • A graphic of people putting gears together.

    Map the System

    Map the System challenges students to use systems thinking to understand complex social or environmental challenges and articulate their findings in a way that people can understand and learn from. Map the System is part of a larger, global competition that empowers students to uncover knowledge gaps, identify levers of change and present insights that can shape solutions.

  • A group of students pose together for a photo.

    Dreamers who do

    The Innovate Carolina Dreamers-Who-Do Award is meant to expand the minds and real-world experiences of our student entrepreneurs. Each year as students engage in activities made possible by the Dreamers-Who-Do award, they are creating waves of positive change within their communities.

Be a Maker Network

Among the many resources available for Tar Heels to bring new ideas to life are our makerspaces.

The University's four makerspaces — located in Murray Hall, Carmichael Residence Hall, the Hanes Art Center and Kenan Science Library — are designed for the Carolina community to connect with one another to design and create physical objects for education, research, entrepreneurship and recreation. Students can participate in open studios, training sessions and workshops in spaces equipped with emerging technologies like 3D printing and electronics, as well as traditional wood and metalworking shops.

Learn more about the makerspaces
  • Two people looking at a laptop.

    Using computer-assisted design and 3D printing in a Carolina BeAM Makerspace, dental students are creating dentures and other devices that are providing more efficient and affordable care for patients.

    Learn more
  • Levi Tox holding a skateboard.

    Levi Tox, a senior anthropology major, rides his skateboard to his job as a digital fabrication specialist at BeAM, a fact that is impressive even before finding out he made this skateboard — from scratch — at the very place he works.

    Meet Levi Tox
  • Maria holding things she has sewn.

    A maker throughout her entire undergraduate career, Palmtag is using her extensive knowledge of makerspace tools to enrich the creative experience for Tar Heels by leading introductory sewing courses at BeAM.

    Learn more about Maria