{"id":299332,"date":"2018-02-16T11:14:56","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T16:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=299332"},"modified":"2018-02-16T11:15:45","modified_gmt":"2018-02-16T16:15:45","slug":"rush-rhees-library-izone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/rush-rhees-library-izone\/","title":{"rendered":"In the zone at Rush Rhees Library’s iZone"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Artist rendering of the University of Rochester iZone, which is slated to open in Rush Rhees Library<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cGreat innovation starts with great teams, and a great team is one that brings a wide variety of skills, personalities, and experiences to the table,\u201d says Julia Maddox, director of the University of Rochester\u2019s Barbara J. Burger iZone<\/a> at the River Campus Libraries. \u201cSometimes the best solutions are the most unexpected ones, and they are often the result of untraditional collaborations.\u201d<\/p>\n

iZone, currently under development in Rush Rhees Library, performs triple duty as a program, a community, and a space. The program offers workshops and services to help students learn how to turn their ideas into projects that can be carried out to address problems in unique ways. Accordingly, one of its main functions is to encourage the formation of interdisciplinary links that could lead to exciting and unusual interactions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s natural to gravitate to people similar to ourselves, so iZone has been experimenting with ways to increase interdisciplinary crossover,\u201d says Maddox. \u201cWe want to help individuals bring their collective skillset and look for opportunities to introduce diverse voices and talents that catalyze their efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n

iZone is student-driven, and was created in response to undergraduate students\u2019 expressed desire for a collaborative space for innovation. Students have been heavily involved in the planning process, and iZone\u2019s spaces and programs are tailored to serve their needs. One of those needs is for a place that encourages experimentation without judgment\u2014a balance that\u2019s not always easy to accomplish in a classroom setting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of students who don\u2019t always feel comfortable sharing their ideas,\u201d says Joshua Bazirake \u201920, who joined iZone as a student employee in summer 2017. \u201cSo supporting students is what iZone is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A
Joshua Bazirake ’20 talks with fellow students at the \u201cLean Canvas Interactive Workshop\u201d in Rochester’s Rush Rhees Library. The two-hour long interactive workshop encouraged participants to discover their own mission and vision through the creation of a Lean Canvas. The event was co-hosted by the Barbara J. Burger iZone and the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship. (University of Rochester photo \/ Jeanette Colby)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bazirake, a business major from Kampala, Uganda, is a co-founder of the University\u2019s student organization Kwetu African Entrepreneurship and a recent second-place winner in Startup Weekend Social Impact New York<\/a>. He understands the need to have a diverse team in order to develop ideas. Bazirake traveled to Costa Rica at age 17 to attend the United World College. There he embarked on his first entrepreneurial venture with a couple of friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe set up a retail shop, because there were no night snacks, or what was there was not enough,\u201d he says. He and his partners located unused storage space and then connected with suppliers. Their project was both a for-profit venture and a venture in social entrepreneurship. Bazirake and his friends gave some of their profits to other student organizations, and to support students at the school.<\/p>\n