It may seem like entrepreneurship is the last thing you think of when eating salsa, and salsa is the last thing you think of when doing entrepreneurial work. However, Salsapreneurship, a University RSO, marries the unlikely couple.

The RSO meets every other week to talk about all things entrepreneurial while snacking on salsa.

“It’s basically one big brainstorming session with salsa,” said Luke Durand, senior in Engineering and president of Salsapreneurship. “It’s not dancing; some people think of it as dancing salsa. We talk about anything entrepreneurial, whether it’s business ideas we have or product ideas or a website. We talk and bounce ideas off each other, and if someone likes the idea, they can start it.”

The organization began when Durand was discussing a possible T-shirt business with his roommate. At the end of the night, there were nine people in Durand’s dorm room discussing different ideas. He decided to create an RSO in an effort to continue this brainstorming atmosphere.

Durand also wanted to add something else to the club, so he decided to combine his love for entrepreneurship with his love for salsa.

Each week, someone brings in a new type of salsa, tells the rest of the members about how the salsa is made, and the brainstorming begins from there.

Salsapreneurship is also a relaxed organization in which all people are welcome.

“We want to provide a discussion for young, innovative minds who just want to get feedback on ideas they have or have a place where we get together to explore potential possibilities,” said Adam Sadler, senior in Business and entrepreneurial update chair for Salsapreneurship. “It’s just a relaxed group — you don’t need to be an engineer or business major. Whoever wants to come, whoever wants to hang out.”

In addition to talking about entrepreneurial ideas and innovations, Salsapreneurship teaches its members the basics of entrepreneurship.

“If anyone is interested in learning about the basics of starting a business, we have the resources capable of teaching them that,” Durand said.

For others in the organization, Salsapreneurship is a good way to improve their ideas.

“It gets really fun when people are yelling out ideas and they give you good, critical feedback,” said Lauren Kelly, senior in Engineering and vice president of Salsapreneurship. “You need people who don’t have any attachment to your project to tell you that they don’t think something is going to work. It’s pretty useful.”

Each semester, the organization hosts a salsa-making competition in which groups are provided the basics — tomatoes, onions, garlic and cilantro. The only thing groups have to bring is their creativity and any extra ingredients to make the best possible salsa. Entry fees for this competition are sent to a local charity.

While Salsapreneurship is a small RSO, it has no qualms about its size.

“We’re not trying to be a 700-member RSO,” said Sadler. “We’re perfectly fine as a 20-person RSO that is just a group of people who get together on a regular basis to talk about ideas. Our mission isn’t necessarily to be the biggest RSO, but provide an avenue of discussion for these ideas.”