In the basement of the Doll’s House, below the registrar’s office, is a department still in its infancy. The WiN HUB, supported by the Diana Davis Spencer ’60 foundation, works to promote transformative social entrepreneurship to students who are looking to gain more confidence in the field.
Pushing students to lead their own social enterprises, the WiN HUB offers programs that look to guide students through every step of creation. By encouraging students to focus on something they’re passionate about, there is a focus on not only creating a tangible thing but also in marketing confidently.
“When I first came in here, and it was basically a resource for social entrepreneurship, access to information, a workspace, and a support mechanism for whatever business ventures I was interested in,” says Khadeeja Muheto ’18, a new administrator at the WiN HUB.
Muheto continues, reminiscing on her time as a student at the WiN HUB: “I continued to stay and worked through different programs that the WiN HUB helps facilitate, I realized that the WiN HUB is not only for business stuff, it is really a place for personal growth.”
Programs offered at the WiN HUB range from a ‘Meaning Maker Boot Camp’ to a ‘Student Pitch Competition.’ Each is designed to give experience in speaking about business ventures and producing an entrepreneurial mindset, but as Muheto notes, that isn’t where the learning stops at the WiN HUB.
“What isn’t expressed as frequently is the growth as a person and the growth in your confidence,” says Muheto. “To be able to achieve your dreams with the resources that you have, that becomes more apparent and clear through the things that the WiN HUB allows.”
In these ways, the culture around the WiN HUB is changing. When the first Student Business Showcase was hosted in May of 2017, the programming and department of WiN HUB was still in its infancy. Now, like any good student-focused opportunity, it is growing to change the way social entrepreneurship is thought of.
“We’re building onto everything we already had,” says Muheto. “The programs we have, they are all accessible to everyone, from the arts as a freshman, to the sciences as a senior.”
The WiN HUB is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and has spaces open to students for study, learn about the opportunities in entrepreneurship, and the programming offered. If you are interested in learning more, contact Khadeeja Muheto: muheto_khadeeja@wheatoncollege.edu