Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship Minor & Eco3DGo Venture
UMBC | Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship

To fulfill the Entrepreneurship requirement for GCSP, I pursued a minor in Entrepreneurship at UMBC and co-developed a startup idea called Eco3DGo—a solar-powered, mobile 3D printing lab designed to serve underserved educational institutions lacking access to additive manufacturing tools.

The idea originated from my interest in sustainable technology and equitable engineering access. Many smaller colleges and community institutions do not have the funding or infrastructure to support traditional 3D printing facilities. At the same time, shipping delays and costs make access even harder. Eco3DGo provides an alternative: a mobile, solar-powered unit that brings 3D printing directly to campuses, reducing environmental impact while increasing accessibility.

I began developing this concept during my ENTR courses, where I learned how to build a business model, conduct customer discovery interviews, and create a go-to-market strategy. I worked on the project over the course of Fall 2024 through Spring 2025 and pitched it during multiple feedback sessions, including in class and at entrepreneurship workshops. I dedicated over 30 hours across ideation, prototyping, customer validation, and pitch refinement..

GCSP Reflection

My entrepreneurship experience ties directly to the Grand Challenge of making securing cyberspace economical. This experience gave me the confidence to lead and communicate new ideas clearly, while solving real-world problems through innovative thinking. It also opened the door to interdisciplinary collaboration, including with students in business and sustainability fields.

Program-Wide Learning Objectives

This experience contributes to multiple GCSP learning goals, particularly realistic vision and persistence. It involved developing a feasible and scalable solution while facing the challenges of balancing technical constraints with cost, mobility, and energy requirements. Even though the product is still in development, my work has already influenced how I approach problem-solving across engineering and business contexts.

Core Entrepreneurship Objectives

a. Develop strategies for recognizing opportunities and identifying the tools for quality risk assessment
Through courses such as ENTR 200 and my independent development of Eco3DGo, I learned to conduct market research, assess product-market fit, and evaluate startup risks related to mobility, energy systems, and customer acquisition.

b. Exhibit skills for communicating ideas in a concise and logical way
I created multiple pitch decks and delivered short presentations of Eco3DGo to professors, classmates, and entrepreneurship mentors, refining the core value proposition and business model over time.

c. Work effectively in teams focused on entrepreneurship-related projects
In addition to my solo work on Eco3DGo, I collaborated on group projects in ENTR courses, where we built and presented new venture ideas, combining technical and market insights in a cohesive plan.

d. Apply entrepreneurial thinking to social issues and social problems
Eco3DGo is rooted in solving equity gaps in engineering education by making technology more accessible and affordable to under-resourced institutions through sustainable, mobile solutions.