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

 Pat Cusanelli, Shane Lavoie and Jack Nealon onstage with Steve Tello, Holly Butler and their “Contribution to a Healthier Lifestyle” category award that comes with a $4,500 prize they will use to expand Mass Heartbeat
Mass Heartbeat
DifferenceMakers

Mass Heartbeat is an organization focused on screening children and young adults for heart conditions and anomalies to ensure they seek treatment before any undiscovered issues occur.

We’ve been on an eight-year journey since the three of us lost a dear friend due to sudden cardiac arrest.
Read More About Mass Heartbeat 
Ian Ramsdell and Dan Houlihan present Over Terrain Tactical Scuba Personnel Delivery Service (OTDSEES) at DifferenceMaker
OTDSEES
DifferenceMakers

Over Terrain Tactical Scuba Personnel Delivery Service crafted a solution to New England’s unforgiving terrain by creating a device that would either assist by moving the diver’s gear for them, or even moving the diver into the dive spot that they need to reach.

Disabling disability and creating access for all!
Read More About OTDSEES 
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 
QBell is a mobile application that improves upon the current nursing call bell system.
QBell
DifferenceMakers

QBell is a mobile application that improves upon the current nursing call bell system.

QBell intends to decrease nurse fatigue all the while increasing patient safety and patient satisfaction.
Read More About QBell 
Team CryptoPigeon smiling with their DifferenceMaker idea poster.
CryptoPigeon
DifferenceMakers

Developing an independent messaging service and leveraging a corresponding new cryptocurrency.

CryptoPigeon is developing a messaging service not controlled by any one single entity and leveraging a corresponding new cryptocurrency.
Read More About CryptoPigeon