DU Launch Pad, the entrepreneurship club that hosts the annual and beloved Pop-Up Palooza, is making a few new additions leading up to the spring market. 

In anticipation of the big day, the club will be hosting quarterly Pop-Up markets on the Margery Reed green outside of Daniels College of Business (DCB). The first one is Oct. 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be an open-mic, a new concept the club is testing out. 

Charlie Peterson, the president of DU Launch Pad and a fourth-year studying International Business, expressed his excitement for the markets.

“The idea behind [Pop-Up Markets] is early advertisement for Pop-Up Palooza and to give these students another outlet to sell their art or be a musician or whatever it is they enjoy doing,” said Peterson. 

Last year, Pop-Up Palooza hosted over 70 vendors and 600 attendees.

“It was a great event, and we just want to keep that momentum going,” said Peterson.

Meanwhile, DU Launch Pad also started hosting weekly “Founders Hub” meetings on Wednesdays at 5 p.m., where student entrepreneurs can connect over new ideas or business ventures with like-minded individuals. 

They’ve also added a student-led educational component for those who have ideas but are looking for the tools to get something started.

“Those [educational] meetings are targeted toward students who might have no idea what they’re doing with business or entrepreneurship… so maybe they’re involved in music or art or even just making jewelry — this is a great starting point for that,” said Peterson. 

These meetings take place in the new entrepreneurship space, located in the old graduate lounge in DCB. The transition to the new location, from their previous hub located on the corner of Asbury and York St., commonly referred to as “The Garage,” has been a game changer.

“The Garage was separated from campus, and it was a cool space but it tended to be kind of out of the way for people… so since moving to this awesome new space, students are a lot more willing to show up,” said Peterson. 

Since getting involved with the club last year, Peterson has been aiming to reach a larger and more diverse audience of people who might be interested in joining the club.

“The word entrepreneurship kind of scares away a lot of people, especially if you’re not part of the business school… it’s kind of just a scary buzzword right now and I’m trying to figure out how to get those members to come,” Peterson said.

Peterson tries to push students away from the preconceived idea that they can’t start a business if they haven’t taken an entrepreneurship class before. 

“I think a big misconception is over complicating the general idea of entrepreneurship,” said Peterson. He expressed that DU offers several resources to help get any idea, big or small, off the ground.

For those that want to support DU Launch Pad but don’t have an idea of their own, Peterson put it simply, “Just come to the events. Who doesn’t like sitting on the grass listening to music and eating free food and looking at some local businesses?”

Teamwork and collaboration are core tenets of DU Launch Pad, with Peterson reminding members that this is their club too, and feedback and new ideas are highly valued in the entrepreneurship space.

“If students want to get involved but don’t like what I’m doing with the club now, that’s totally fine, just come get involved and I will listen to what you have to say,” said Peterson. 

To stay up to date with recent DU Launch Pad events, meetings and updates, follow their general account and their Pop-Up Palooza Instagram. 

If you would like to be a vendor for the upcoming Pop-Up market, it’s not too late to sign up.