The College of Business Administration’s newly acquired space in the lower level of the Von der Ahe Building is home to the new Business Innovation Zone (BIZ). Located next door to M-School headquarters, the BIZ brings LMU students from all disciplines together to work on business ideas in a space designed to encourage collaboration, co-creation and design thinking.
An incubator for innovation and new ideas, the BIZ provides students with the space, tools and resources to launch proposed business startups. Students have the opportunity to build their knowledge, skills and abilities in business strategy development, app development, rapid prototyping and addressing problems in complex systems.
“Entrepreneurship and innovation are a top priority for the college and the university so having this dedicated space on campus allows our students to share ideas, develop their creative instincts and build impactful new businesses,” said David Choi, Conrad N. Hilton Chair of Entrepreneurship.
Though students from all disciplines are welcome, the college predicts those majoring in entrepreneurship, marketing, information systems and business analytics (ISBA), engineering and computer science will likely be most interested in utilizing the space and its many resources.
State-of the-art features of the BIZ include a centralized design thinking space for breakout groups, workshops, presentations and conferences to collaborate on new business initiatives. Four offices, or “launch pads,” will serve as business headquarters during a company’s early stages and a space for office hours with experts and entrepreneurs. The BIZ will also feature a maker space to put the latest technologies into students’ hands, including prototyping tools, 3D printers, design software and raw building materials.
“The BIZ is a place where disciplines intersect, bright minds collide and creative energy gets unleashed,” said Dayle Smith, dean of LMU College of Business Administration. “The possibilities are endless, and we’re excited to see what our students can do.”
If you are interested in joining other supporters of our student-run businesses, please contact Roberta Kuhlman, CBA senior director of development, at Roberta.Kuhlman@lmu.edu.
