The Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship hosted the Business Builders Bash at Auburn University April 5-7, providing aspiring student and community entrepreneurs with an opportunity to experience start-up life by developing business ideas with like-minded individuals.

Utilizing the Weekend Ventures innovative curriculum created by Founders Playground CEO Katherine Zobre, the Business Builders Bash helped participants enhance their knowledge and confidence in key entrepreneurial skills, including customer discovery, problem validation, working with coaches, market research and pitching.

Lowder Center Director and serial entrepreneur Joshua Sahib facilitated the event with Zobre.

According to Zobre, all five teams formed during the weekend left with working minimum viable products (MVPs) and two even generated revenue before the close. Over 60% of participants expressed intentions to advance their business ideas, fueled by the hands-on learning and community support they received.

This event aligns with the Lowder Center's recent achievements, including an Innovate Alabama grant award to build a Startup Studio. The Studio will assist small businesses and entrepreneurs in creating deliverables like websites, financial projections, marketing plans, and more, further bolstering the local economic landscape.

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To learn more about Auburn's Startup Studio or to register as a client, contact Josh Sahib, Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship director in the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University.

About the Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship

The Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship in the Harbert College of Business is the gateway to Auburn University's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. The center helps students, faculty, staff and community members develop their nascent business ideas and grow early-stage startups into viable businesses.

About the Harbert College of Business

The Harbert College of Business which is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Raymond and Kathryn Harbert's transformational naming gift, is a nationally ranked hub of undergraduate, graduate and continuing business education that is inspiring the next generation of business leaders. Our world-class faculty deliver unparalleled academic rigor in the classroom, while our research-driven scholarship advances thought leadership and best practice across business disciplines. The largest college on Auburn's campus, Harbert enrolls more than 6,900 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.

About the Founders Playground

The Founders Playground LLC, led by CEO Katherine Zobre, is a Tuscaloosa, Alabama-based firm specializing in management consulting and support for entrepreneurial programs globally. Known for its engaging and effective entrepreneurial training programs, The Founders Playground is committed to driving economic development and supporting entrepreneurs through innovative practices and a belief in the transformative power of entrepreneurship.