Temple University’s Fox School of Business continues to earn high rankings for its entrepreneurship curriculum—and living proof is a group of former and current Fox School students.
Their live/work space on North Philadelphia’s Temple campus has been informally dubbed “The House of Entrepreneurs.”
One of the residents, Jesse DiLaura, said, “We’ve prioritized community, learning and supporting one another over solidified careers.” DiLaura knows full well how the motivation to pursue one’s passion can lead to great collaborations such as those that happen at 19th and Diamond. He had been studying risk management at Fox, (a sure-fire path to job security), when he realized that he wanted to pursue an alternative that was based more on his own interests. He switched to pursuing a degree in entrepreneurship in order to allow his future to open wider.
“Money isn’t the priority at the moment,” he said.
DiLaura founded RepairU, a company that offers iPhone and iPad repair for college students at deep discounts. He, along with house and workmate Justin Swallow, were two of the house’s original residents. Swallow and another roomie, Beau Rosario, started a multimedia business from the basement—which as we all know is where so many tech giants were born.
The friends describe an environment of organic collaboration quite different from a company-sponsored happy hour or corporate retreat meant to jog the creativity and social bonds of workers.
“We all accept and seek each other out for feedback,” Hawkins said. “We are all radically different people, and we embrace that any comment is coming from a place of positivity. That’s why, while living here, it’s very easy to be inspired by one another,” said Sean Hawkins, another housemate.