What are entrepreneurial and creative endeavors?

Students learn to set their own course by having experiences in early stage start-ups, advancing ideas to solve real world problems, or create artistic, written or performance-based projects. 

DifferenceMakers By the Numbers

  • $5M
    raised by teams
  • 40
    companies formed by teams
  • 11
    Number of teams patents filed or issued

Meet the DifferenceMakers

DifferenceMaker-Team-Security-Top
Security Top '16
DifferenceMakers

Security Top is a reusable bottle cap designed for the purpose of increasing the prevention of contaminates entering a bottled beverage.

Our goal is to protect people from contaminated drinks.
Read More About Security Top 
DifferenceMaker-Team-OmniSense
OmniSense '16
DifferenceMakers

OmniSense is performance tracking for athletes, giving users a low cost option of tracking lifting metrics.

I’m a fitness trainer and want to stop my clients from getting hurt when lifting.
Read More About OmniSense 
Mina Lam, a junior business administration major, handing out buttons and stickers for the UMass Lowell Japanese Student Association (UMLJSA).
UMass Lowell Japanese Student Association (UML JSA)
DifferenceMakers

UMass Lowell Japanese Student Association (UML JSA) is a student organization that aspires to promote greater awareness of Japanese culture throughout the University of Massachusetts Lowell community.

UML JSA immerses students in Japanese culture.
Read More About UMass Lowell Japanese Student Association (UML JSA) 
DifferenceMaker-SmartEater-Team
SmartEater '16
DifferenceMakers

SmartEater is an Automated Diet Monitoring (ADM) System designed to help people manage their dietary behavior.

SmartEater helps people manage their diet behaviors.
Read More About SmartEater 
Sammy Santana poses in front a board describing his project to create an educational nonprofit called “Shared Vision/Vision House” at the UMass Lowell Difference Maker Idea Challenge.
Sammy Santana '24
Liberal Arts

With an unbridled passion for learning, Sammy Santana is pursuing his numerous interests through the BLA program.

The best thing I've experienced at UMass Lowell is finding myself through ... every class I've taken.
Read More About Sammy Santana