DENTON (UNT), Texas--The Innovation Greenhouse, a new facility for University of North Texas students with ideas, is now open. Students with ideas from tech innovations to new businesses can visit the Innovation Greenhouse and find on- and off-campus resources to make their ideas come to life.

The Innovation Greenhouse, located in Sycamore Hall, aims to help students apply what they learn in the classroom, and use knowledge gained through hands-on experience to succeed in the rapidly growing innovation field, said Executive Director Nancy Hong.

“We want to help students who are thinking about creating jobs for themselves and others,” Hong said. “Any students with ideas can come in, and we will connect them with resources and coach them on how to make their ideas reality.”

The Innovation Greenhouse will help students outline structure for their ideas, refer them to networking and internship opportunities, and hold workshops on investment and other topics to foster innovation. The Greenhouse will provide referrals for students to on-campus resources, including UNT’s Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship, housed in UNT’s College of Business, as well as faculty at Discovery Park who can help students with access to lab space and provide mentoring.

Henry Boston, a UNT senior, is interested in startups and entrepreneurship. He participated in the Greenhouse’s Startup Weekend in January and won first place for an idea he and a fellow student, along with a few community members developed that will use Xbox Kinect technology to create business tracking and marketing opportunities for business owners. Boston has also become the first member of the Innovation Greenhouse Advisory Board.

“The Innovation Greenhouse is a great place for any UNT students interested in technology, startups and entrepreneurship to hang out and collaborate,” Boston said. “Students can bounce ideas off each other and help each other to grow.”

UNT freshman Ben Davis participated as a coach at Startup Weekend and is another member of the Innovation Greenhouse Board.

“At its core, we want the Greenhouse to be about connections – enter with an idea, leave with the network you need to make it happen,” Davis said. “We’re standing on the cusp of an entrepreneurial renaissance at UNT, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

More information on the Innovation Greenhouse can be found online.