Michigan Tech College of Business Newsblog

Houghton-based startup wins ‘Most Investable Company’ at Demo Days in Detroit

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The start up company Integrated Molecular Innovations (imi) has been awarded the People’s Choice Award and judged the Most Investable Company at a Demo Days competition in Detroit this month.

Owned by Michigan Tech biomedical engineering major Rourke Sylvain, imi is a biosensing venture that empowers individuals to take control of their health through innovative, non-invasive, and continuous monitoring technology.

Sylvain is active in the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO), a student organization supported by the MTU College of Business. In recent CEO-affiliated pitch competitions, including the Rice Business Plan Competition and Central Michigan University’s New Venture Challenge, imi was awarded thousands of dollars.

Sylvain’s awards were the subject of a recent A TV6 News story, which appears below.

Houghton-based startup wins ‘Most Investable Company’ at Demo Days in Detroit

From TV6 News; by Audrey Stetson; published: Aug. 29, 2024
Read the original story.

UPPER MICHIGAN (WLUC) – A Houghton-based startup has big plans to revolutionize health care.

Integrated Molecular Innovations just won two awards. IMI is designing a bio-wearable device that could predict health problems before they happen.

IMI Founder Rourke Sylvain says the quality of peoples’ lives could be drastically impacted by this new technology.

“This health care system that we’re in right now is these reactive diagnostics,” Sylvain said. “We wait to get sick and then we go figure out why we get sick. It’s really critical that we have these technologies that can provide us this information before we even get sick.”

He compares it to the Apple Watch but with better technology for providing users with more precise insights to their health. The device continuously monitors molecular information in sweat.

“Now, our early products will be glucose and lactate sensors,” Sylvain said. “We’ll be targeting endurance athletes that need to monitor their energy levels and their exercise intensity. As the technology advances, we’ll disseminate the product to the masses.”

The MTEC SmartZone hosted its first ever 16-week Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Program Accelerator over the summer. Five groups, including IMI, learned about the early stages of business.

It culminated in a Demo Days competition in Detroit. There, the audience voted for IMI to win the People’s Choice Award and a panel judged the startup as Most Investable Company, based on a variety of factors.

“What does the growth look like for this?” AMMP Accelerator Co-Director Katie Kirsch asked. “How big is the market size? Does the team actually have a very logical and coherent plan in order to meet those milestones with whatever money they would receive?”

IMI will reinvest the $5,000 it won into product development. Kirsch says it was exciting to showcase what innovative technologies can come out of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

This innovation may someday improve our health.

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Bo Xiao, Construction Management, is PI on New NSF Grant

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Bo Xiao (CEGE/COB/ICC), Assistant Professor, Construction Management, is the PI on a project that has received a $287,667 research and development grant from the National Science Foundation.

The project is titled “Cyber Training: Pilot: Cognitive and Generative AI-driven Cyber-Infrastructure Training Platform for Construction Education.”

Shane Mueller (PHF/ICC) is a co-PI on this potential two-year project.

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Bob Doyle to Share Advice for Thriving in Today’s Job Market

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Bob Doyle, president and CEO of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA), will shares insights from his extensive career at a talk on Monday, September 16, 2024, at 5 pm in the Pavlis Collaboration Space in M&M 722. The talk is sponsored by the Pavlis Honors College.

Doyle will discuss the key employable skills he values in employees and peers, offering practical advice for thriving in today’s job market. The title of his talk is, “Unlocking Success: Essential Employable Skills for Today’s Competitive Job Market.”

With a diverse educational background, including a B.S. in Environmental Engineering, an M.S. in Engineering Management, and an M.A. in Public Relations & Organizational Communication, Doyle brings a unique perspective on the intersection of human and technological challenges.

His career, which includes a previous role as Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Advocacy at the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), highlights his ability to navigate complex industries and drive success.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a leader who has successfully leveraged his skills across various sectors. Everyone is welcome.

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Free Subscription to The Wall Street Journal

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Michigan Tech’s Van Pelt and Opie Library, the College of Business, and The Wall Street Journal have partnered to provide a school-sponsored WSJ subscription to all Michigan Technological University students, faculty and staff.

Through the partnership, subscribers will have full digital access to WSJ’s award-winning journalism via WSJ.com and the app, as well as a wide variety of curated content, from podcasts and newsletters to career insights and personal finance advice.

How to activate your complimentary Wall Street Journal subscription:

Students, faculty and staff at Michigan Technological University can activate their complimentary subscription by visiting WSJ.com/MTU. Those who currently pay for an existing WSJ subscription may call 1-800-JOURNAL and mention they are switching to their school-sponsored subscription. Partial refunds will be made.

Why The Wall Street Journal is right for Michigan Technological University students:

The Wall Street Journal offers students unrivaled coverage of business, finance, politics and world news, including focused insight into career development, technology, health, arts and culture.

WSJ Subscription Benefits

As the economic, political and social landscapes continue to shift, having access to diverse,
well-sourced information is more important than ever. Michigan Tech’s Van Pelt and Opie Library and College of Business have partnered with The Wall Street Journal to provide all Michigan Technological University, faculty and staff with WSJ’s full suite of digital products and resources. You can use your school-sponsored WSJ subscription to:

  • Get unlimited access to WSJ.com, WSJ mobile apps, curated newsletters and podcasts
  • Advance your career prospects with our Work & Life section, which provides job prep insights, personal finance tips, expert career and workplace advice.
  • Have the opportunity to be published on WSJ.com through WSJ Opinion’s Future View Series

About The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is a global news organization that provides leading news, information, commentary and analysis. Published by Dow Jones, The Wall Street Jouhttp://wsj.com/mturnal engages readers across print, digital, mobile, social and video. It holds 38 Pulitzer Prizes for outstanding journalism.

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131 Huskies Honored for Academics by D2 ADA

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LEVELAND – A number of College of Business students are among 131 student-athletes that received an Academic Achievement Award from the Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) for the 2023-24 academic year. The Academic Achievement Awards, in its 17th year, recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the NCAA Division II level. The College of Business students are below.

For the second straight year, there were more than 19,000 student-athletes recognized (19,774) from 192 institutions for the 2023-24 Academic Achievement Awards. This year’s total is the highest in the program’s history. In total, 167,396 student-athletes have been recognized since the inception of the awards program.

“The goal of this program since inception has been to showcase the amazing student-athletes, coaches and staff, across our Division II landscape. We are fortunate to recognize such deserving individuals on an annual basis,” said Mike McFarland, director of athletics at Bloomsburg University and current D2 ADA President. “We couldn’t be prouder of the work that these individuals put into their craft. Our industry will be a better place as these student-athletes head out into the real world.”

To qualify for this honor, the following must occur:

  • The Athletic Director MUST BE a CURRENT dues-paying member of the D2 ADA.
  • Student-athletes must have …
    • a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
    • have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college-level work 
    • have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year

All Huskies Honored:

About D2 ADA: The D2 ADA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division II athletics directors. For more information about the D2 ADA, please visit www.div2ada.com. The D2 ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 59th year. For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.

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