Turning Creative Dreams Into Workroom Realities

Story by University Development
Originally published July 27, 2018, on stories.unc.edu

When Dana McMahan first arrived at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media in 2008, she knew something was missing. 

McMahan, a longtime advertising and marketing creative, knew what it looked like to harness the creative energy within the Carroll Hall into powerful real-world work. 

So, in 2009, she founded Workroom — a product and experiential design incubator in the Hussman School centered around fashion and lifestyle products. Classes within Workroom became laboratory-like settings for students to pit their wildest ideas against creative constraints, and support from various foundations followed suit.

“It is the living definition of a blank canvas,” McMahan said.