The Hurt Hub@Davidson convenes innovators and entrepreneurs in the Davidson College community and the Greater Charlotte region to catalyze innovative solutions to critical problems through high-impact experiential learning and educational programming in a safe environment, an inclusive coworking space, a robust mentor network, access to startup capital, and innovation consulting.
Above, the inaugural cohort of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program, a key educational offering through our partnership with the Town of Davidson, Amplify Davidson, kicked off this year in May. The Ice House Entrepreneurship Program is designed to inspire and engage participants in the fundamental aspects of an entrepreneurial mindset as an essential life skill.
21 unique entrepreneurship and innovation-focused classes, workshops, and programs.
84 Startups and Small Businesses Supported
5 Town of Davidson businesses served with innovative business consulting through Amplify Davidson
“I registered for the Building a Lean Startup class as a way to broaden and sharpen my innovation skills as a product manager, but I left with motivation and direction to actually build and test a new product of my own…I never thought I'd actually go down this route, but now I am so inspired by the opportunity that I'm taking the next steps to partner with experts in the space to build a real prototype and continue to test it in market.”
Our Gig-Hub program has proven to be a cornerstone in connecting talented Davidson students and commercial ventures in our community, especially startups and small businesses. The Gig-Hub program provides students who want to develop their professional skills with project-based micro-internships, known as gigs, that immediately translate into skills that employers desire. In 2023, we introduced a new program – NEXT Level – specifically designed for first-generation Sophomores to expand their professional skills through gigs, mentorship, and educational workshops in partnership with the Matthews Center for Career Development. We also connected business owners in the Town of Davidson Gig-Hub student consultants as part of the Amplify Davidson program.
“I can't imagine my Davidson experience without the Hurt Hub. [The Hurt Hub team’s] generosity and support through the years were paramount to so much of my growth… I couldn't be happier with my current role and work at Lucid Bots. The opportunity is everything I could've wanted in my first role and so, so much more!”
Students and young alums competed in our 4 competitions this year – Try It Fund, Avinger Impact Fund, Nisbet Venture Fund, and the R. Craig and Sheila Yoder Applied Research Fellowship. Our finalists and winners had ideas ranging from sticker manufacturing to blockchain and AI apps, to producing albums, to two-sided marketplaces for photographers, lock boxes for pharmaceuticals, and much more! We are grateful for the generous support from the Charlie Hinnant ’72 Fund, the Avinger Impact Fund established in honor of Robert L. Avinger, Jr. ’60 and Professor of Economics from 1967-80, Marian Nisbet and Chip Nisbet ’86, Davidson alums, and other community sponsors for making this possible.
“As a graduating senior, the most valuable part of my Davidson College experience has been the Hurt Hub. The entrepreneurial education, access to mentors, and access to capital has allowed me to build a startup that I will be working on full time after graduation.”
Since the founding of the current Digital Learning team in April 2022, we have engaged with over 246,900 learners from over 186 countries across the world, providing access to open education for ALL. Over 90% of learners accessed the courses at no cost.
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