Allie Davenport wants to help others improve their mental health and well-being. This is the principle behind her company, StarMind, a self-development brand whose first product, The Guide, is a mindset journal that introduces self-development principles through integrative QR codes, daily logs, and reflective activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe concept of self-development and mental health has hit home for me for a long time,\u201d Davenport says of the inspiration behind StarMind. \u201cI wanted to create a product that can help others get introduced to the self-development world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davenport\u2019s concept was the winner of this year\u2019s Get Seeded Demo Day, held April 19. In its second year, Demo Day is the culminating event of UConn\u2019s Get Seeded program.<\/p>\n
\u201cDemo Day started in 2021 as a way to celebrate our entrepreneurial ecosystem and leverage our Get Seeded program at the end of the academic year,\u201d explains Jennifer Mathieu, executive director of the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI).<\/p>\n
Get Seeded holds a series of pitch nights throughout the academic year. These events give student entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their innovative ideas, with the chance to earn seed funding. At Demo Day, five teams who pitched at one of the pitch nights are invited back to present to a panel of alumni judges in a competition to earn additional seed funding.<\/p>\n
Demo Day also offers students a chance to assess their personal growth as they refine their concepts and develop their entrepreneurial skills, says David Noble, director of the Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity for students to showcase the progress they\u2019ve made since they were first awarded money from Get Seeded,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a chance to stand in front of people and show that they are doing as opposed to talking about things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davenport, who is also part of the pilot cohort of the Werth Innovative Leadership Development Program\u2019s Freshmen Female Founders, says that seeing her progress has given her a confidence boost.<\/p>\n
\u201cI participated in a pitch night for the Freshmen Female Founders, the Get Seeded pitch night, and Demo Day,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s cool to see how far I\u2019ve come in a year, refining my pitch, sharpening my communication skills, and gaining a level of confidence. My ideas are valuable, and I have a seat at the table.\u201d<\/p>\n
The alumni judges play a key role in the Demo Day experience, offering insights, feedback, and support. This type of mentorship is critical, says Mathieu.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not believe that an entrepreneur can be successful without a team of advisors and, most importantly, mentors who have helped them along their journey,\u201d she says. \u201cI believe that mentorship at the very early stage of entrepreneurship, especially in programs like Get Seeded, is imperative.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noble agrees. \u201cThe Werth Institute and CCEI provide access to many different types of mentors,\u201d he says. \u201cThose relationships change over time, but they are absolutely the most important aspect of student entrepreneurship.\u201d<\/p>\n
Natalie Lacroix and Eva Quigley\u2014who won Demo Day in 2021 with their product, Reach Bar, a nutritional and protein bar\u2014say they felt well supported as student entrepreneurs at UConn.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough the Werth Institute, CCEI, and the learning community program, everybody at UConn just wants you to succeed,\u201d says Quigley.<\/p>\n
\u201cUConn was the perfect ground for us to just dive right in, give us that safety net, where we could explore and figure out new things,\u201d Lacroix says. \u201cIt\u2019s given us all these resources and the perfect opportunity to grow and build and prepare us for a great future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s so imperative to invest in the future of our entrepreneurs both at UConn and beyond,\u201d says Mathieu. \u201cIf you are interested in providing support both with time and with resources, I can\u2019t think of a better way than with Get Seeded: Demo Day.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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