Pandemic pivots: How Northwestern student startup teams are experiencing real-world entrepreneurship
See their work Wednesday, May 20, at our virtual launch event
The 38 students enrolled in NUvention Web+Media, Northwestern University’s flagship entrepreneurship course are having experiences like no other students who’ve taken this class previously.
Their midpoint pitches in March were converted to online streaming, the second half of the course is being taught via Zoom, and the students have had learn how to collaborate effectively when members are scattered around the world.
But the biggest challenge for many of the seven teams has been to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic — modifying their business ideas to make them viable in a world that’s very different than when they started work in January.
Want to see how they’re doing? You are invited to attend our virtual launch event — a Zoom-based trade show. Each team will host people on Zoom for 15-minute conversations and demos from 2–4:30pm (Central time) on Wednesday, May 20. Each team has a signup form to get an invite to their sessions — details below.
As usual, the teams include undergraduate and master’s students from throughout Northwestern, including the Kellogg School of Management, the Medill School of Journalism, the School of Communication and the McCormick School of Engineering. Here are the teams and what they’re working on:
PicKey
Concept: Get help making shopping decisions by collecting images from websites and polling your friends.
Coordinates: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
How it’s evolved: The team initially focused on shopping for clothes, but now sees more opportunities in other areas such as home decor and what TV shows to watch.
Sign up to attend launch event: Submit your email at the website link above.
Trumpet
Concept: Help musicians publicize their live online concerts and music fans find them.
Coordinates: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
How it’s evolved: The team initially sought to help managers of live music venues manage the booking process. With music venues shut down because of the pandemic, the students pivoted to building a service for musicians to share their online gigs on a directory for music fans.
Sign up to attend launch event: Click “Get launch event details” at https://trumpetchicago.carrd.co/
Loyal-to-Locals
Concept: A loyalty program for local restaurants that provide their own delivery service, helping people support their favorite nearby eateries and reducing their reliance on expensive online delivery services.
Coordinates: Website | Facebook
How it’s evolved: The team originally built a service for groups trying to make a decision on where to go out to eat. With in-person dining shut down, the students pivoted to help restaurants and customers support meal delivery.
Sign up to attend launch event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7O41xtSciYPwTfIavR2SV2TcJF-3ckwb2cN7jxzepKHlqsg/viewform
Bene
Concept: Digitize, save and tell stories with photos, documents and other artifacts.
Coordinates: Website | Facebook | Instagram
How it’s evolved: Before the pandemic, the team was building an app that provided travelers with medical information such as brand names of over-the-counter medications in different countries. With overseas travel constrained for the forseeable future, the team is now focused on preserving travel and other kinds of memories.
Sign up to attend launch event: https://kellogg.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3OgYR87XyEPuded
HomeCare
Concept: Task management and communications between families and home health-care workers.
Coordinates: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
How it’s evolved: Not as much as some of the others — but the need for coordinating the work of home health care workers is more urgent.
Sign up to attend launch event: Click “Register” at https://launchhomecare.carrd.co/
WeFit
Concept: Stay fit by setting up fitness challenges with your friends.
Coordinates: Website | Facebook | Instagram
How it’s evolved: The concept hasn’t changed much but the need has grown with gyms and organized fitness programs shut down.
Sign up to attend launch event: Click “RSVP” at https://wefitapp.carrd.co/
Tendon
Concept: Software enabling independent physical therapists to manage their patients’ home exercises.
Coordinates: Website | Instagram
How it’s evolved: The concept has remained consistent, but the need for the service has grown as in-person therapy visits have declined.
Sign up to attend launch event: Click “I’m interested” at https://tendonpt.carrd.co/
