Residents of the Student Business Incubator of Altai State University started sewing reusable masks during the self-isolation period

In 2012, the Student Business Incubator for Innovative Projects (SBI) was created at AltSU, the residents of which today are 20 teams developing both technological projects and social entrepreneurship projects.

In particular, the OMGames project, consisting of students and alumni from different faculties of Altai State University, specializes in organizing corporate team building and entertainment renting.

“We organize teambuildings in the form of quests, sports games, competitions, creative and entertainment programs, business trainings. We have done team building for companies such as Sberbank, Rosvodokanal, Aviation Enterprise Altai, Rosneft, Self, etc. We design and manufacture props for team building, as well as giant and board games, interactive attractions for private and business events. Our entire team is mainly activists who, in addition to knowledge, have acquired skills in organizing large-scale events during their training”, says the founder of the OMGames project, Alexander Volgin. “Now, as you know, all events have been postponed. It's not easy for us, but we are not discouraged. We use our free time to work out new team building concepts, design a portfolio and prepare for the new season. After all, it will definitely come! "

Almost the entire OMGames team works from home, except for the two founders. They quickly converted the idle production facilities into sewing reusable masks.

To select the ideal mask model and fabric, they made a dozen prototypes, achieving the desired result. The mask is two-layer, tight fitting, covers the nose, mouth and chin, and is comfortable to breathe in. We bought the material - thick cotton, and we have already made two batches. It took two weeks to develop it from a prototype to small production.

“We believe that we can accelerate the return to normal life. To do this, we sew masks, follow all sorts of recommendations (WHO, CDC, Rospotrebnador, Ministry of Health) and try to leave the house as little as possible", the project founder emphasizes.

“You can quote Peter Drucker, a classic of management: “The entrepreneur is always looking for change, reacting to it and using it as an opportunity”. The students from the OMGames team have come a long way to find their niche for business, at first they studied on their own - they actively participated in business seminars and trainings, including from the center "My Business", today they themselves willingly share their experience - we invite them to conduct classes at the Startup School, participate as experts of the Crazy Ideas Club. Well, and, of course, thanks to their new production idea, we solved the problem of protective masks for ourselves. I think that the current situation as a whole is a reason for students of our university to become active participants in the start-up movement, to create many new useful products that will be in demand in the market”, summed up Olga Vysotskaya, Director of the Center for the Development of Technological Entrepreneurship, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Management of Altai State University.