Entrepreneurial students from QUT have kicked off 2023 with a three-week hands-on experience at MIT, the world's leading university in creating founders of business.
The participation in MIT Fuse builds on the collaborative links already established between QUT Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship programs based at the Martin Trust Centre for MIT Entrepreneurship.
Christopher Raleigh, Coby Lee and Lia Cohen took sustainable fashion start-up Earthletica to the world stage, joining the MIT Fuse program.
Earthletica co-founder and digital MBA student Mr Raleigh said it was a wonderful opportunity to represent QUT.
"it's such a wonderful opportunity for the three of us to come to MIT and represent QUT the best way we can," he said.
He has been working on Earthletica for the past two and a half years years with fellow co-founder and QUT alumnus Libby Babet.
"Earthletica aims to be the world's leading sustainable activewear brand," Mr Raleigh said.
"The 2032 Brisbane Olympics gives us the north star to be able to achieve great things by this time."
The team has expanded in the past two years to include Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Creative Industries student Lia Cohen and Bachelor of Entrepreneurial Business and Bachelor of Behavioural Science student Coby Lee.
As members of the QUT community, the team have had access to QUT Foundry to help build their networks and support their entrepreneurial journey, as well as the opportunity to join the MIT Fuse startup experience.
"Most of the other students doing MIT Fuse are studying at MIT or Harvard," Mr Raleigh said.
"This is truly an unbeatable value proposition for anyone considering studying at QUT, or any current QUT student wanting to make the most of the opportunities they have available to them.
"The Martin Trust Centre for MIT Entrepreneurship has given us access to incredible academics, entrepreneurs in residence, mentors and colleagues also doing the course.
"We were extremely fortunate to be able to go to New York on a day trip from Boston with MIT students to visit the offices of a number of start-ups based in New York and also meet with investors and MIT alumni."
QUT Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Entrepreneurship) Professor Rowena Barrett said that the calibre of entrepreneurial ideas at QUT was continuing to grow – particularly with access to the MIT relationship.
"QUT and MIT are both focussed and passionate about providing opportunities for students and staff to learn how to nurture, incubate and develop their ideas into real world solutions," Professor Barrett said.
"Sustainability and the environment is one of the high-level priorities at QUT, and entrepreneurs like the Earthletica team are coming up with innovative solutions that will tackle global challenges and achieve sustainability."
"Being part of events like this is a game changer for the future success of Earthletica," Mr Raleigh said.
You can follow Earthletica at earthletica.com or @earthletica on Instagram.
