Innovation at FallX 2019

Student-Run Business Addresses the Digital Refugee Crisis

This past weekend, Marquette’s Student-Run Business program (SRB) joined Milwaukee’s Fall X 2019, a regional technology conference, to showcase some of its student ventures and to engage in an innovation challenge. Over 25 highly talented students from Marquette University participated in the showcase of student ventures on October 4th, and the innovation challenge on October 5th.

The innovation challenge focused on the emerging Digital Refugee Crisis. As assistant director of the SRB program, Carlos Chacon, explains, “The rise of artificial intelligence and other technologies are drastically disrupting the workforce. Specifically in Wisconsin, one in every four jobs are at risk of being displaced as industries continue to implement new technologies”. Students were tasked with developing a business solution that could help address this issue in Wisconsin.

For five hours, students collectively worked in three teams to diagnose the problem further and ideate on potential solutions. They were coached by a panel of judges made up of Marquette faculty, staff, and friends of the program. The judges represented a variety of fields spanning from a human rights lawyer to a former silicon valley CEO.

Student teams presented their ideas to the panel of judges who assessed the feasibility, creativity, and sustainability of their business solutions. Student solutions included the Digital Refugee Opportunity Program, a 501c(3) that would bring displaced workers together, allowing them to utilize community empowerment and professional services to re-skill and find new work. Another solution was an application company called Skillup, that would utilize algorithms to match individual workers’ skills to job opportunities. Rather than focusing on occupations as a qualification for work, this application would drill down more specifically to what skills an individual’s former occupation required, matching those skills directly with other positions. The final team’s creative solution focused on redeveloping existing real estate to form sustainable, eco-friendly communities that could not only provide jobs to displaced workers, but in and of themselves act as potential conduits for new businesses.

“These types of questions that force students to think collaboratively, problem solve collectively, and address a timely issue provide impactful ways for students to learn and grow,” Chacon mentions. “I think next year we will find ways to challenge them, and engage even more students form across all of Marquette’s campus, further.”

The College of Business Administration, and the Student-Run Business program, would like to thank all of the students, staff, faculty, and friends of the college who participated in this innovation challenge.

For more information about Marquette’s Student-Run Business program contact Carlos Chacon at carlos.chaconcupello@marquette.edu.

For interest in opportunities to engage with entrepreneurial-minded, multi-disciplinary talent from the College of Business Administration, contact John Knapp, Director of External Relations, at john.m.knapp@marquette.edu.