BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan University celebrated the grand opening of the Petrick Idea Center on Wednesday, Sept. 2, unveiling a new facility designed to help students across disciplines turn their ideas into reality.
The center provides students with collaborative spaces, makerspaces, prototyping equipment and resources to explore creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. Its equipment includes 3D printers, sewing and embroidery machines, button makers, vinyl cutters, resin printers, heat presses and laser printers to help students design and build prototypes.
Ben Hage, director of the Petrick Idea Center, described the facility as “a greenhouse for ideas,” connecting its mission to Illinois Wesleyan’s liberal arts tradition.
“Entrepreneurship is not a discipline that sits apart from the liberal arts,” Hage said. “It grows from many of the same things we have always valued here: curiosity, creativity, judgment, resilience, an understanding of people, and the courage to act on an idea.”
The center was made possible through philanthropic support, including gifts from Dave '67 and Ellen '68 Petrick, the Petrick Family Foundation, Marc '94 and Noel Talluto, and Ann '82 and Alan Fisher.
Dave Petrick, a lifelong entrepreneur, envisioned a space where students could apply the advantages of a liberal arts education through hands-on, collaborative experiences. The center holds his name in recognition of his vision and support for the University.
“The spirit of Dave Petrick is alive and well with us, and will continue on in this Petrick Idea Center,” Illinois Wesleyan President Sheahon Zenger said.
The grand opening also marked the launch of the Talluto Center for Applied Entrepreneurship, located within the Petrick Idea Center. The center is the vision of Marc Talluto, a serial entrepreneur and member of the Illinois Wesleyan Board of Trustees who has invested his time, experience and resources in supporting IWU students.
"It feels great to give back," Talluto said. "There's one phrase I use, it's 'I'm not giving to the university, I'm giving through the university.' I see the direct effect it has on students."
The Talluto Center will cultivate the potential for students to see themselves as entrepreneurs, build confidence through hands-on and experiential learning, and have the resources and support to turn ideas into action. Jesse Meyer, vice president for advancement, said Talluto’s vision reflects the connection between liberal arts education and entrepreneurship.
“His idea for a Center for Applied Entrepreneurship is an extension of Dave Petrick’s conviction that it is the connection between a grounding in the liberal arts and a spirit of innovation that produces the best entrepreneurs,” Meyer said.
Talluto addressed the students attending, "I invite you to come with nothing more than curiosity and a willingness to put yourself out there and learn from your mistakes. Your journey is certain, even if your destination is unknown. We will endeavor to support you with whatever resources we have."
The Petrick Idea Center and Talluto Center for Applied Entrepreneurship are intended to serve students from every major.
“What makes our idea center unique is that ours is interdisciplinary,” Meyer said. “I believe the world and higher education needs us to do this.”
The centers are part of Illinois Wesleyan’s 175-year tradition of liberal arts education and professional preparation, providing students with opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, experiment with new ideas and develop solutions to real-world challenges.
“There is beauty in the student who has questions. There is beauty in their first fragile idea,” Hage said. “There is beauty in trying something and failing and then trying again. There is beauty in building something new.”
To learn more about the Petrick Idea Center and the Talluto Center for Applied Entrepreneurship, visit www.iwu.edu/petrick-idea-center.