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The Breakthrough Way
A roundup of 71 North updates
71 NORTH
January 14, 2025
The Breakthrough Way
Welcome to a New Year and a New Semester at 71 North!
The first Pulse of 2025 may feel frosty on the outside, but inside, 71 North is buzzing with warmth and excitement. As we gear up for a new semester, we’re bringing back some of your favorites while introducing fresh opportunities to inspire, collaborate, and innovate.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
What’s Happening This Semester?
Tuesdays: A Day Full of Opportunities
• TechTacos: Our signature series returns, blending technology skill-building with tacos and conversations.
• NICCS Day: Collaborating with Director Matt Deitch, we’ll explore interdisciplinary sustainability themes throughout the day.
• Morning Brew & Writing Group: Facilitated by Dr. Anna Klis, this interdisciplinary group invites you to start your day with coffee and creativity.
• Lunch with VPR Richard Mocarski: Stop by during the lunch hour to connect with NIU’s Vice President of Research, who is ready to engage and inspire (BYOL).
• Afternoon Activities: The day includes workshops, product management conversations, and recording sessions for The Gateway Podcast featuring Amin, Biagio, and Russ.
Wednesdays:
• HuskieVerse Outreach: Our team curates immersive VR/AR experiences to transport participants into new worlds.
• Student Groups in Action: Wednesdays also feature the Innovation Club, Makers Club, and Huskie Hackers, where collaboration and creativity thrive.
Friday:
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Vespa Mode - A collaborative project to develop a simulator for riding a vintage Vespa in virtual reality. Vespa Mode is part of the Huskieverse program.
Concept by Sofia Parra
Special Highlights This Semester
• Random Hack of Kindness (RHoK): This semester, RHoK will focus on impactful, feasible solutions for the Huskie Food Pantry.
• HealthIER Series: This series, which continues our collaboration with the College of Health and Human Sciences, will emphasize interdisciplinary research in health sciences and focus on NIH R15/R16 proposals.
• Breakthrough Community Business Academy: The second cohort of Opportunity DeKalb’s program kicks off on Mondays at the end of February.
Looking Back:
A Weekend of Achievement
This past Saturday, Opportunity DeKalb celebrated the completion of the Breakthrough Community Business Academy, culminating in a pitch competition.
The Breakthrough CBA covers all the essential topics about running a business, such as budgeting, marketing, bookkeeping, cash flow analyses, pricing strategies, and credit building.
NIU Alumna Michelle Cryton earned second prize with her DeKalb County CARES business.
We’re thrilled to see the program empowering entrepreneurs and look forward to welcoming the next cohort this semester.
Looking Ahead
This semester promises to be full of exciting opportunities to connect, learn, and grow. Whether diving into TechTacos, exploring the HuskieVerse, or contributing to interdisciplinary research, 71 North is the warm place to be.
Here’s to a semester of innovation, inspiration, and success. Welcome to Spring 2025!
