Correction appended.
The Brown Entrepreneurship Program launched a new website this fall to build the entrepreneurship community at Brown and help form relationships between start-up companies and students.
Browninnovation.org, spearheaded by Aaron Clayton-Dunn '13, is a resource for students as well as local and alumni entrepreneurs. The "Student Venture" section of the site allows students to share projects and recruit helpers. The "Internship and Jobs" section displays available positions offered by start-up companies.
"Start-ups don't usually have resources to find people and reach out to them," Clayton-Dunn said.
Clayton-Dunn added that he wants the site to show students that entrepreneurship is a feasible career path, he said.
The best way to learn about creating a startup is to work for one, said Shahid Mallick '14, co-president of the entrepreneurship program. "There is an ever-growing need to connect with entrepreneurs," he added.
While affiliated with the Brown Entrepreneurship Program, browninnovation.org is an independent site, Mallick said.
Clayton-Dunn's site differs from BRUnet.com, a networking site for students and alums, because it connects students with each other as well as with local entrepreneurs, Mallick said.
Clayton-Dunn's site also facilitates personal relationships, while the entrepreneurship program's website lists events but "isn't effective at connecting person to person," said Elizabeth Weber '14, the program's co-president. "The site will really develop a hub of entrepreneurship community," Weber said.
Dylan Field '13 co-founded CourseKick, a new application for Brown students that integrates the course registration process with social media. He has used Clayton-Dunn's site to publicize open positions for the venture. Field has also used computer science department listserves to publicize Coursekick, but he said browninnovation.org provides a directory for all students at Brown, not just CS students.
Currently the site is focused on cornering the Brown market and connecting students before expanding to local entrepreneurs, Mallick said.
Clayton-Dunn said he hopes to make the site searchable with an improved design by next fall.
"I really want to see it expand to New England and other universities," Mallick said. "The site has a lot of potential. It could become big across the country."
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the "Internships and Jobs" section of Browninnovation.org displays positions offered by local and alumni start-ups. In fact, any start-up company can display available positions and the site is not limited to local entrepreneurs. The article also incorrectly stated that the new website provides a database of entrepreneurs' profiles. In fact, there is no directory of people on the site. The same article incorrectly stated that the website may be embedded onto the Brown Entrepreneurship Program's website. In fact, the new website will not be embedded on the program's website. The Herald regrets the errors.
