The Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation holds weekly co-working sessions at its workspace, GaelVentures, where Iona students can work with mentors and faculty to develop and work on entrepreneurial projects and ideas.

Co-working sessions are held twice a week, giving students the opportunity to study entrepreneurship and offer resources to students with entrepreneurial interests.

Not only does GaelVentures hold co-working sessions every week, but it offers numerous events, workshops and brings in speakers to encourage Iona students to embrace the entrepreneurial mindset.

“This is all part of our mission and our goal to build a community of student entrepreneurs,” Jarlyne Batista, the coordinator for the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, said.

Co-working sessions are used to help students who are interested in creating their own start-ups and have questions about how and where to begin.

“We’re here to guide students and ask them questions about what their next step is,” Batista said. “The idea is that they can use our feedback and come back and say, ‘Hey, this is where I am now’ and we can continue to offer them guidance.”

According to Batista, one of the main goals of the co-working sessions is to motivate students to take advantage of their creativity and give them the push they need to pursue their interests in entrepreneurship.

“We want students to know that being an entrepreneur is not just about starting a business,” Batista said. “You can be entrepreneurial every day through your ideas and the projects you start.”

Batista also said that the sessions are organized to create a comfortable working environment so that students feel confident presenting their projects and ideas. These sessions are informal, and anyone can walk in and sit down.

The weekly sessions are targeted toward collaboration and encouraging interaction among students, mentors and faculty. Numerous tables are put together so that students can participate in face-to-face communication, engage in conversation and network.

These co-working sessions aren’t exclusive to specific students either. All students are welcome, regardless of their major or interests.

“We’ve had political science, finance and marketing majors,” Marina Falisi, an MBA student and graduate assistant for the Hynes Institute, said. “It’s really everything.”

The sessions are also open to students who don’t have projects or ideas but still want to participate and retain information.

“Even if you don’t have an idea or a start-up it’s still a great opportunity to learn skills,” Falisi said.

Although co-working sessions are collaborative, students are not obligated to interact with others.

“Someone can also come here during Co-working hours to work on a project instead of going to the library,” Batista said. “If you need some time to work on your own, you’re welcome to sit at a table and do your own thing.”

For those who are interested in attending the co-working Sessions, they are held on Tuesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.