Writer: Carlos Cuesta, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Source: Shasta Younker, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A diverse group of emerging innovators completed the Studio G Explorer Pathway this summer, gaining essential tools to transform their ideas into viable ventures.

Hosted by Studio G at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center, the Explorer Pathway delivers a six-part, hands-on workshop series that introduces participants to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.

This summer's workshops – Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Idea Generation, Business Planning, Financials and Funding, Marketing and Sales, and Entrepreneurial Mindset – were made possible in part through generous support from New Mexico Mutual, whose sponsorship helps foster entrepreneurial growth across the region.

"This cohort brought incredible energy and creativity, the program is all about helping participants build confidence and see themselves as future founders, no matter their background," said Shasta Younker, Studio G's senior program specialist.

Those who participated in the summer cohort include:

University of Texas at El Paso: Mayank Pathak (chemistry), Paula Jimenez Castro (marketing), Satinka Acosta (psychology), Maria Aleida Ramirez (master's degree in statistics and data science).

San Juan College: Antonio Martinez (business administration) and Mitchell Martinez (community member).

NMSU: Israel Castillo (digital filmmaking and business administration) and Rama Chandra Baddireddy (computer science).
For some participants, the program offered their first real exposure to entrepreneurship.

"Explorer Pathway was the first of its kind of workshop for me to visualize my first steps into entrepreneurship," said Pathak said. "It gave me the important aspects to start my journey into the real marketplace with courage."

For others, the program provided structure and clarity to early-stage business ideas.

"The most valuable part of the Explorer Pathway was learning how to validate a business idea through customer discovery," Baddireddy said. "The hands-on approach to business planning gave me actionable insights for building a solid foundation."

The Studio G Explorer Pathway continues to serve as a launchpad for students and community members across the borderplex region, many of whom go on to participate in the Studio G CEO Pathway or launch ventures of their own.

To learn more about upcoming cohorts and resources available through Studio G, visit https://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/program/studio-g/  

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/studio-g-explorer-pathway-at-nmsu-empowers-cohort-to-pursue-business-ventures/s/e8f511be-ae98-4c6b-936e-e9045cc84c55