COVID-19 Challenge Accepted
This July, University of Rochester students were challenged to solve pandemic-related problems in just 10 days. Arranged by a variety of departments throughout UR, Matthew Cook of the River Campus Libraries highlights how participants worked with community partners and shared their final plans to address pandemic-impacted operations.
COVID-19 Challenge Accepted
One of the most devastating aspects of COVID-19 is its ubiquity. Everyone who is not battling the virus itself is living in its shadow. That omnipresent threat has wreaked havoc on almost every aspect of everyday life.
For example, slowing the coronavirus’s spread has required businesses and organizations to adopt crippling, if not ruinous, physical distancing practices. And Rochester’s professional community has not been immune to this adversity. In typical fashion, the University of Rochester embraced the problem as an opportunity for innovation. The problem became the COVID-19 Challenge.
A collaboration between the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship, Barbara J. Burger iZone, Grand Challenges Scholars Program, Greene Center for Career Education and Connections, and Rochester Center for Community Leadership, the challenge was created to give students the opportunity to build competencies and gain valuable experience while fighting the effects that the pandemic is having on the City of Rochester.
THE CHALLENGE
Working in teams, students have 10 days to develop ways to address an actual problem faced by one of four community partners.
THE PRIZE
$1500 to first place
$500 to the runner-up
Deniz Cengiz ʼ21, a Karp Library Fellow at iZone, explained that at the outset, they were preparing for a competition that would include one community partner and as many as 10 teams. Then they opened registration, and it blew up.
“I think we had about 150 applications,” says Cengiz, who served as the community partner liaison. “We had PhD students from the Medical Center. We had all levels of undergrads. We had incoming freshmen who hadn’t even been to Rochester yet. We really weren’t expecting this many students, and realized we had to add more partners.”
When the dust settled, there were around 42 teams—about 10 for each community partner, who had specific problems students had to address. And it quickly became clear that the community partners were as enthusiastic about and engaged in this challenge as the students.
“They were incredibly involved,” says Cengiz of the partners. “I would say they gave 20 to 25 hours of their time over the 10-day period. They deserve a lot of credit.”
Students used the 20-plus hours given by the partners on problem-solving communication. That communication included email correspondence and “office hours,” which served as dedicated time for teams to get more information about the organization, more details about the organization’s problem, and to talk through some initial ideas for solutions.
In the end, there may have only been two official winners, but it’s clear there were no losers. Even the teams who didn’t come out on top were grateful for having the close working experience with their respective organizations. The partners equally enjoyed collaborating with the students. Cengiz shared that feedback on the challenge was “overwhelmingly positive.”
“Basically, everybody wants to keep working together,” says Cengiz.
The challenge ended with a “pitch day,” where all the teams gave presentations to their respective organizations. Each organization then chose a finalist from their group, who would pitch to all the partners at once. Finally, the partners choose the top two from the final four. Those teams were…
THE WINNER
Team Duo
Team members: Casey Ryu ʼ21 and Ilene Kang ʼ21
Community partner: 540WMain, Inc.
PROBLEM
540WMain needed to completely reimagine their normally in-person Gentrification Conference for a virtual space, in a way that would retain their audience, create discussion and connection opportunities, and deliver engaging content. This year’s theme was to be “Resisting Gentrification: Then & Now.”
SOLUTION
Lean into the theme. Team Duo proposed extending the conference from one to two days. The extra day allowed the conference to focus entire days on concepts of “Then” and “Now” by walking through four topic areas—investment and policy, demystifying inner cities, landlord and renter relationships, and health and gentrification (pre- and post-COVID). The result was a mix of talks and activities with virtual and in-person options.
ACTIVITY EXAMPLE
Redesign a gentrified city using Legos (in-person) or take a virtual Google Street View-Tour through gentrified areas—then and now.
TALK EXAMPLE
Health issues exacerbated by COVID-19 in communities of color.
POST-CHALLENGE REFLECTIONS
“This was a great way—even virtually, from across the country—that a bunch of students could come together and try and develop ideas for these different partner organizations,” says Ryu.
Ryu and Kang are now officially part of the planning committee for the conference, which has been rescheduled for April 9 and 10, 2021.
“I was immediately impressed by their thoughtful questions and attention to detail,” said Calvin Eaton, founder and director of 540WMain, Inc. “It was clear their enthusiasm was genuine and that they had an interest in working with 540 beyond the scope of the challenge. Their professionalism and creativity truly made them stand out.”
THE RUNNER UP
Team BriKarSoo
Team members: Brian Perez ʼ22, Karlin Li ʼ22, and Soomin Park ʼ23
Community partner: Westside Farmers Market
PROBLEM
Adhering to COVID-19 guidelines has resulted in the loss of many fun aspects of the market (live music, the children’s tent, bike repair, etc.) that usually draw crowds, creating an imminent need for ways to bring in new customers and encourage regular customers to return. There’s also a great need for additional volunteers.
SOLUTION
A multi-pronged approach that raises awareness of the market’s existence, educates potential visitors on how the market is functioning safely, and inspires engagement.
EDUCATION EXAMPLE
A video that creates the customer experience to provide a preview of what being at the market will be like.
ENGAGEMENT EXAMPLE
Various activities, including raffles and guessing competitions (think, jelly bean counting).
POST-CHALLENGE REFLECTIONS
“It was really fun to come up with an original idea that would help people in the Rochester community,” said Karlin.
“It was great working with them,” says Lauren Caruso. “They contacted possible partners and made connections we wouldn’t have. They also gave us some great ideas; we are implementing several of them to make our market better.”
For more information on the COVID-19 Challenge, contact Deniz Cengiz at dcengiz@u.rochester.edu. If you would like to hear more about the proposal for 540WMain contact, Casey Ryu at cryu@u.rochester.edu, and for the Westside Farmers Market proposal, contact Karlin Li at kli27@u.rochester.edu.
Matthew Cook is the senior communications officer for the libraries and collections at the University of Rochester. He is also the writer and editor for the libraries’ monthly newsletter, Tower Talk.
Finally, We Have Reached Our Nexus!
Newly launched, Nexus i90 is an on-ramp to the digital highway, connecting a host of small business resources across the Finger Lakes Region. Dr. Lomax Campbell has been instrumental in the creation of the platform, and here he shares his thoughts on how it will work.
Read Dr. Campbell’s full post on what users can expect from Nexus i90 here.
Finally, We Have Reached Our Nexus!
By Dr. Lomax R. Campbell (re-published with permission from the author; originally published on Nexus i90)
Small business travelers and fellow resource partners, welcome to the official blog spot for Nexus i90 Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Solutions! Nexus i90 is your on-ramp to the digital highway, connecting a host of small business resources across the Finger Lakes Region. Powered by SourceLink®, the platform was launched to make support resources more accessible and easier to use so small businesses in our community can enjoy equitable growth and inclusiveness as Rochester ventures along the road to economic recovery.
What’s in a Name?
Everything! The naming of a thing can speak to where it has historically been, where it currently is, or where it aspires to be. These solutions have been so named because Rochester is literally the nexus (i.e., at the center; the connecting point) of Buffalo and Syracuse along Interstate 90—the longest interstate in the nation. This positioning presents tremendous economic development opportunities for small businesses seeking to launch, sustain, expand, and matter to the multicultural communities that make up these regions. It is in this spirit that we endeavor to be a catalyst for sustainable community-based economic development and inter-municipal policy alignment.
How We Do Things ’Round Here
Fueled by deep levels of collaboration between the City of Rochester – Mayor’s Office of Community Wealth Building, Rochester Institute of Technology’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, Rochester Economic Development Corporation, and the Business Insight Center at the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, our work across the Finger Lakes is driven by our Guiding Principles.
Small Businesses for the Win
Nexus i90 is publicly available to entrepreneurs/small businesses, resource partners, and the diverse community stakeholders vested in the viability and success of “the underdog” (i.e., small businesses). We hope you all will take advantage of this phenomenal suite of solutions, including:
- A Resource Navigator
- An Events Calendar
- A Blog
- A Hotline (soon)
- Tons of information about starting, growing, and funding small businesses
- A data system for tracking and measuring the success of our network
Resources that help businesses build better business models, determine which activities increase their return on investment, put them on the map, and help them navigate government contracting are but a few examples of the many supports provided by our network. You can see a more impressive list on our About page.
A Little Network Lingo
Borrowing a few words from our friends at SourceLink®: A Resource Partner is typically a nonprofit, government or educational organization that offers a service to help someone start or grow a business. These organizations provide value for all different kinds of entrepreneurs, typically for low or no cost.
Frequently, Resource Partners include some for-profit organizations such as incubators, accelerators, coworking spaces and equity providers.
Typically, the network does NOT include for profit resources such as bankers, accountants, lawyers, insurance agents, [and] management consultants. While these resources are an important part of an overall entrepreneurial ecosystem, especially for high-growth companies, they are difficult to “vet” and are perhaps not in line with the low cost/no cost message.
Keeping us Community Centered
Check back with us from time-to-time for future posts. As we get things moving, it is our intent to post regularly. Readers will enjoy insights provided by our regional collaborators, subject matter experts, residential community members, and directly from entrepreneurs/small business owners. We hope to field your requests for blog topics through our Facebook and Twitter pages. Keep in mind we are here to help entrepreneurs, resource partners, small business organizers/advocates, policymakers, and entrepreneurial ecosystem builders navigate the road ahead.
Dr. Lomax R. Campbell is the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Wealth Building at the City of Rochester. He has 17 years of experience in small business, higher education, and government administration. His expertise includes strategic management, ethnic psychology, urban entrepreneurship, technology innovation, economic and workforce development. He holds a Doctor of Management degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus, an Executive MBA degree from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a certificate in Leading Economic Growth from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Welcome Back!
By Ain Center Staff
There is no question that this fall will be complex, but the Ain Center is ready to move forward, and to provide the support and resources necessary to innovation. We are still accomplishing our goals of education and engagement, even though that looks a bit different this semester.
OPERATIONS
For now, Ain Center staff will be working remotely to comply with the University’s de-densification policies. Don’t worry, though – we are available to assist as usual! If you are on campus and stop by our office, you’ll see our contact information, as well as who to contact about each of our programs. Some of us have Calendly links available, but feel free to send an email if you’re unsure of who to connect with. If you aren’t on campus, all of our contact information can be found on the Meet the Staff page of our website, and each of our programs has a contact listed. This may change or be updated throughout the semester, so stay tuned to our e-newsletter and social media channels.
EVENTS
As usual, we are hosting or co-hosting plenty of events to help build entrepreneurial interest and skills. Our Events Calendar is up to date, and will have the latest information for attendees. All of our events will be offered digitally and we plan to share recordings of most of them, so those who aren’t able to attend can still watch and learn.
NEW (& UPDATED) PROGRAMS
In addition to full-scale digitization of our daily operations and existing programs, the Ain Center has also added a few new programs and updated others to keep up with the needs of those we serve. New for fall 2020, we have created Innov8 – an 8-week entrepreneurial training and grant program, open to all UR folks (including faculty and staff!). We’re also excited about our expansion of advising and mentorship opportunities. In the past, we’ve offered Expert-in-Residence office hours. Now, we’ll still be hosting EIR hours, and also adding Community Connectors (folks who can help with networking) and Mentors (experienced entrepreneurs who provide 1:1 guidance with UR students).
Another update is to our monthly lunches for students, faculty, and staff. These used to be separate events, but we want to foster the UR entrepreneurial community during these times of distant learning, so to do so, we’re combining these events into Startup Bytes: A Digital Brown Bag Lunch with Entrepreneurs. Startup Bytes is open to everyone in the UR community and beyond. Also for the greater Rochester community, we’ll be offering workshops aimed to help business owners work through impacts of the pandemic – more info on that to come.
The rest of our programs for this fall can be found throughout our website, and important deadlines and event info are on the Events Calendar.
Life looks a little more pixelated this fall, but that doesn’t change the real impact of entrepreneurship. We’ll see you soon.
Keep up to date by signing up for our e-newsletter. Have questions about this fall, or would like to meet with Ain Center staff about a project you’re working on? Contact AinCFE@rochester.edu and we’ll be in touch.
