Creatives 230: Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration through Entrepreneurship and Creative Arts

Creatives 230, a student-led initiative at Rowan University, bridges the gap between business and the creative arts, cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Call to Action

Creativity enables us to tackle challenges, forge unique connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, and foster innovative thinking. True creativity generates new ideas, but innovation takes these concepts from the drawing board to reality. Creatives 230 was established with the goal of uniting the worlds of creativity and innovation in a mutually beneficial ecosystem.

In partnership with the William G. Rohrer College of Business and the Ric Edelman College of Communication and Creative Arts, Creatives 230 is a dedicated space designed for interdisciplinary collaboration, creativity, and innovative problem-solving. Creative students contribute their skills and expertise, while entrepreneurs introduce real-world projects. This connection between imaginative thinkers and entrepreneurial minds propels innovative ventures, allowing students to transform creative ideas into tangible solutions.

Innovation Description

Creatives 230 is a student-led, interdisciplinary experiential learning lab connecting creatives with entrepreneurs and innovators in the Rowan community. Located in the Rohrer College of Business, this dynamic hub provides dedicated space for showcasing student artwork in the stARTup Gallery and offers services such as brand and project consulting, along with an array of workshops accessible to all students throughout the semester.

In Creatives 230, students from diverse disciplines, including media production, advertising, creative writing, and more, offer their skills. They engage in photography, video production, graphic design, branding, and creative copywriting to assist student entrepreneurs, community members, and startups. This synergy delivers real-world solutions while empowering creative students to apply their skills in entrepreneurial contexts.

The model is mutually beneficial. Students earn class credit, develop portfolios, and gain practical experience working with clients. Selected companies gain access to valuable services such as brand design, photography, video content creation, and more. Simultaneously, Rowan University is able to strengthen its role as an economic catalyst for the region, curating additional experiential learning opportunities.

Creatives 230 integrates pedagogical innovation not only by encouraging students to learn from industry professionals but also by actively involving them in teaching, through engagement in consultations and topical workshops. This unique, self-sustaining, peer-to-peer learning model creates a culture of innovation and equips students with practical experience and real-world insights. The approach enhances students’ understanding of entrepreneurial concepts, providing them with real-time, practical experience and skills development, and contributes to the growth of their creative portfolios and entrepreneurial endeavors.

Innovation Impact

Since its inception in January 2023, Creatives 230 has made a significant impact on students, businesses, and the university community.

Students actively participating in Creatives 230 have gained invaluable practical experience, built impressive portfolios, and earned class credit. Over the course of a single semester, they’ve undertaken more than 10 client projects, addressing tangible problems for businesses and startups.

The projects have produced a variety of results, such as generating pitch videos for student competitions, designing packaging for a student’s health-based granola bar startup, and collaborating on rebranding efforts and exclusive merchandise development for a Philadelphia-based TikTok content creator with over 3.2 million followers.

Creatives 230 also partners with Rowan’s Accelerate South Jersey program to provide branding and photography services. This initiative supports entrepreneurs facing economic hardships who are attempting to establish and grow businesses, directly impacting their lives in a meaningful way by providing services that might otherwise be beyond their reach.

Reference Links

• Creatives 230, Rowan University
• “Rowan Students Are Forging a Path to Creative Entrepreneurship With Creatives 230,” The Whit Online