Stephen J. Conway, a senior from St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, majors in informatics with a business cognate in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering. He has been a Shoemaker Scholar for two semesters.
Crimson Catalyst: How did you learn about the Shoemakers Scholars program?
Stephen J. Conway: From an entrepreneurial organization called Ideation and Creation Entrepreneurs, or the ICE Club.
CC: What do you enjoy most about being a Shoemaker Scholar?
SJC: I enjoy interacting with entrepreneurs who have attended or are attending IU as well as gaining personal insight into successful practices of starting a business and maintaining ongoing success.
CC: What is a common misconception students have about entrepreneurship and innovation?
SJC: One of the largest misconceptions about entrepreneurship is that it is mainly applicable to the field of business. Innovation can be pursued across a variety of fields — arts, history, music, fashion and so on. The primary goal of entrepreneurship is not necessarily to create the next billion-dollar idea, but to create a product that will resonate with a targeted group on some level.
CC: How do you share insights with others as an ambassador?
SJC: Through participation in student-led entrepreneurial projects, communicating with the IU entrepreneurship community at the ICE and CEO clubs, and facilitating events across various schools on campus.
CC: What are your own entrepreneurial endeavors?
SJC: Currently, I am working on a medical charting system called NeuroNursing targeted at dementia patients. It employs predictive analytics to visualize the patient’s decline, and the goal is to produce better health and financial outcomes for all the parties involved in the patient’s treatment. I am also employed as an IT and marketing intern at The Canopy apartment complex in Bloomington. Its aim is to develop the world’s first self-sustaining, eco-friendly apartment complex and to demonstrate that eco-friendly practices can be profitable.
This profile originally appeared on IU’s Crimson Catalyst blog.