Create your own path. Be the driver of your future career. Combine your passion for creativity or desire to create change with your work in the classroom. Inspire others with your creative work or solutions to real world problems.

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 
Team Quick Release Window Bars talking with a professor about their DifferenceMaker idea.
Quick Release Window Bars
DifferenceMakers

An affordable device that integrates with permanently mounted security window bars, allowing removal in an emergency.

Quick Release Window Bars is developing an affordable device to integrates with permanently mounted security window bars, allowing for removal in an emergency.
Read More About Quick Release Window Bars 
Smriti Kumar, Alejandro Luna Juarez, Tina Thuy Nguyen Hoana, and Amy Nguyen smiling for a group photo.
Digital Life, Significant Social Impact
DifferenceMakers

The goal of Digital Life is to develop an affordable solution for those in need.

The goal of Digital Life is to develop an affordable solution for those in need.
Read More About Digital Life, Significant Social Impact 
UMass Lowell Image
Healthy Habits '13
DifferenceMakers

At the DifferenceMaker Idea Challenge, Healthy Habits won first place in the category “Significant Social Impact,” and was awarded $3,500 to further implement their idea.

Healthy Habits teaches fitness and well-being to young children so they do not grow up to be unhealthy, overweight or obese.
Read More About Healthy Habits 
UMass Lowell Photo
MyGrow Fabrix
DifferenceMakers

MyGrow Fabrix is an environmentally friendly solution when growing crops.

MyGrow Fabrix is an environmentally friendly solution when growing crops.
Read More About MyGrow Fabrix