Most people consider coastal cities or large, booming metropolitan areas like Denver or Austin to be innovation hubs.
Yet, as one of this year's Inno Under 25 honorees put it, "capital is everywhere." It just takes a dedicated support network to turn an idea into a reality.
Each year, Albuquerque Business First and New Mexico Inno look for young startup founders, entrepreneurs and people who are doing their part to advance the state's economy. After a call for nominations from the public, the editorial team then reviewed nominee applications and selected four individuals as part of this year's Inno Under 25 group. To qualify, those selected had to be 25 years old or younger.
From building a video game to shaping a brand identity to educating the next generation of gamers to developing kitchenware, these four people are driven to innovate. And they are doing it, right here, in New Mexico.
Today, meet Hyunju Blemel.
As an electrical engineering major at the University of New Mexico, Hyunju Blemel didn't expect to find herself in the field of marketing.
But when her professional photography business helped her land a student work position in the University Communications and Marketing (UCAM) office, she quickly found a passion in sharing what it means — and what it looks like — to be a student in New Mexico.
Blemel, who graduated from UNM in 2020, took a job at UCAM after graduation. Since then, she has helped attract students to the university through The Lobo Life — a student-run marketing website. While the website launched a few years before Blemel started work at UCAM, the platform was reimagined under her direction.
The Lobo Life is a form of experiential marketing where students can immerse themselves in activities found at the university, in Albuquerque and throughout the state. This type of marketing is especially important for organizations like UNM that want to reach different audiences, Blemel said.
"In terms of university marketing, it's difficult to find a way that directly communicates to a lot of audiences where you have prospective students, current students, alumni and community members," Blemel said.
When Blemel took over as the project lead of The Lobo Life she spearheaded its redevelopment, creating partnerships with different organizations across the city and state. She evolved the website's social media strategy and launched a new brand identity to pull in more visitors. Partnerships established between The Lobo Life and the City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation division, New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department — which houses New Mexico Parks — and other organizations, showcase Blemel's impact. The Lobo Life even earned the State Parks' Partner of the Year award in 2019.
"The Lobo Life became an essential media channel showing students the lifestyle they could enjoy if they put down roots in New Mexico after graduation," Blemel said.
While stepping into the marketing and communications job was a big switch for Blemel, she said the encouragement of supervisors and other workers in the department gave her confidence. Through that support, she was able to take The Lobo Life to new heights.
"If you have people who are willing to let you innovate, then it has an opportunity to happen. … My integrity, dedication and commitment will help showcase what it means to be an innovator in New Mexico," Blemel said.
