Trine student takes prize at entrepreneurial event

A Trine University mechanical engineering major received top honors at an Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) event for an idea he presented to launch an entrepreneurial club at the university.

Matthew Martin of Eureka, Illinois, received $500 in seed funding for the organization at the state entrepreneurial ecosystem strategy seminar on Oct. 25 in Fort Wayne.

In addition to Martin, Amy Miller and Melissa Lafferty of the Trine University Career Center and John Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Wade Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, attended the event.  

The seminar included IEDC representatives and members of county Chambers of Commerce, regional entrepreneurship support organizations and educators.

Following a keynote address and an overview of the IEDC’s entrepreneurial ecosystem strategy, upcoming initiatives and the ConnectIND portal, those in attendance divided into small groups to develop and pitch a community-based project that fills a local ecosystem gap.

Martin said he always has had an interest in entrepreneurship, so the event was a “perfect opportunity.”

All-Star Entrepreneurs

He came up with the idea for a new organization called the All-Star Entrepreneurs, an entrepreneurial club at Trine for students to learn more and receive resources in starting their own business. The rest of the Trine group helped him develop the idea for presentation.

Martin then presented the idea, one of six pitched to those in attendance, with the audience selecting the winner.

“Presenting the idea was exciting and a learning experience,” Martin said. “The crowd was all like-minded entrepreneurs, so the opportunity to pitch my idea in front of them was a great learning experience. They were all super helpful with feedback and extremely willing to help in whatever way they could.”

“I was extremely excited and honored when I heard the news my idea won. It has been an idea of mine for a while to get this going, so to see other people support and fund my idea was motivating.”

Martin hopes to start the club, which will now be known as The Entrepreneurs Committee at Trine, within the next few weeks.

“Entrepreneurship is something I have a lot of heart in, and I hope I can bring together students who feel the same way,” he said. “I plan to have this committee support Trine students, benefit the town of Angola, and grow its individuals.”