By Jon Leinonen, College of Business
At Michigan Tech, entrepreneurship happens across campus. “Entrepreneurial capacity and success continues to grow at MTU. It’s a great experience for the students,” said Husky Innovate director Jonathan Leinonen, assistant dean and teaching professor in management in the College of Business.
Husky Innovate, a collaboration between the College of Business, Office of Innovation and Commercialization, and Pavlis Honors College, is Michigan Tech’s resource hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. The program works to develop a campus where entrepreneurial spirit thrives throughout the university and across all disciplines. Among other activities, Husky Innovate hosts workshops, competitions, and other entrepreneurship-related activities. View this fall’s schedule of events, which culminates with the Husky Innovate Business Pitch competition on November 20.
In entrepreneurship competition this fall, Michigan Tech students recently competed in two regional events. The first was part of Michigan Tech Week, held at Michigan Central in Detroit from October 1-4, 2024. The competitors included Danielle Formalejo (mechanical and aerospace engineering) and Aliyah Maxwell-Abrams (civil engineering and mathematics), who competed on separate teams matched with students from other Michigan universities.
Formalejo worked on a hackathon team called Pathwayze, which focused on a project to increase literacy rates among adults. Her role was to help create a survey and analyze market findings to inform the direction of the solution. The team won a first-place award and the audience favorite award.
Maxwell-Abrams’s team focused on a renewable energy project aimed at overcoming rural broadband internet and energy gaps. Their solution included a Figma software demo built in just 24 hours, a remarkable accomplishment.
Michigan Tech students also participated in the Michigan Collegiate Startup Challenge (MCSC), hosted by Northern Michigan University on October 25. Along with undergraduate Maxwell-Abrams, graduate students competing were Ahmed Fomba (engineering management/electrical engineering), Philip Dake (geology), and Baasandorj Batnairamda (data science).
Following the event, Dake was enthusiastic, commenting, “The knowledge and feedback gained through MCSC helped me sharpen my vision and refine my approach, and I am more motivated than ever to continue pursuing my product idea. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned in the next steps of my journey.”
Fomba also reflected on his experience, noting the guidance and support he found throughout the mentorship process and calling it an invaluable experience.
Michigan Tech is working to expand entrepreneurial experiences like this for more Tech students. Husky Innovate collaborators are already considering participation in next year’s Michigan Tech Week in conjunction with its entrepreneurially-focused “Experience Detroit” trip.