In the summer of 2000, three students developed a business case as the first step in developing a College of Business Extranet to support communication and collaboration among NIU/COB faculty, staff, students, and alums.
In the Spring of 2000, two students under the direction of Dr. Jack T. Marchewka developed a business plan to develop a startup company called World Underground Music. This was the first "hatchery" project under the BITTC. The company focused on the team's interest in music and set out to develop a plan to highlight underground or underexposed musical talents throughout the world.