Thank you Kim and Brian Rist '77, Manning School of Business, for supporting the DifferenceMaker Program with a generous contribution and the establishment of the Rist DifferenceMaker Institute.
DifferenceMakerTM is a campus-wide program that engages UMass Lowell students in creative problem solving, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Teams by the Numbers
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$7 M Raised By Teams
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40 Companies Formed By Teams
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14 Teams Patents Filed or Issued
Attend the 2023 Preliminary Pitch-off!
Come support the participating DifferenceMaker Teams and learn about their innovative and creative ideas!
The top ten finalist teams will advance to the 2023 $50,000 Idea Challenge
- Date: April 4
- Time: 5- 6 p.m.
- Location: O'Leary Library, Mezzanine
Register to attend the DifferenceMaker 2023 Preliminary Pitch-off!
Attend 11th annual $50,000 Idea Challenge!
Watch the ten finalist teams pitch their entrepreneurial ideas to guest judges for a chance to win thousands in funding!
- Date: April 13
- Time: 5-8:30 p.m.
- Location: University Crossing, Moloney Hall
Register to attend the 2023 DifferenceMaker $50,000 Idea Challenge
Are you a DifferenceMaker?
Do you have an idea? Do you see a problem you want to solve? Do you want to make a difference in your community, or in the world? Do you want to join a team and work with other students? Sound like you?
Real-Life DifferenceMakers
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DifferenceMakersDEXTER is aiming to help reduce the costs financially and environmentally to fruit farms by improving the efficiency of spraying pesticides on farms, and to helping to reduce the financial strain that comes with dumping the pesticides over their crops.
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DifferenceMakersLowell Sprouts is an organization that utilizes school gardens as a way to educate middle school children about the importance of sustainable, organic agriculture. Lowell Sprouts entered the DifferenceMaker Idea Challenge and won first place in the “Sustainable Environment” category, a $3,500 award.