Category: Entrepreneurship

Apply to Participate in a Michigan Tech Grad Student Bootcamp, Feb. 29 – March 1

We will hold a Bootcamp for Michigan Tech MS and PhD students over spring break. Apply to participate!

Program:

This I-Corps sponsored Bootcamp is intended for MS and PhD Students who are interested in exploring
tools of design and innovation applied to your career path.

Join a team of engaging I-Corps facilitators to:

  • Explore methods for building your career network and testing non-research hypotheses
  • Identify broader impacts of your research work
  • Apply innovation and lean start-up methods to grant writing, job search and career development
  • Gain an understanding of the NSF I-Corps program and how to engage

Eligibility:

  • MTU graduate students enrolled in Ph.D. or M.S. programs
  • No business idea or prior experience with I-Corps is necessary
  • Faculty advisor support is required

Bootcamp Benefits for Students:

  • Grow your network
  • Develop/improve your problem solving and identification capabilities
  • Improve your leadership skills
  • Explore career paths that use your knowledge and skills
  • Stipend of $300 is available upon successful completion of the program

Apply at: https://bit.ly/GradBootcamp2024

Save the Date: Michigan Tech Enterprise Day

Do you know a student who might be interested in learning more about Enterprise at Michigan Tech? Or a student who wants to join an Enterprise, but is not sure which team is right for them? Please take a moment to invite any and all students to Enterprise Day, happening Feb. 20 from 6-8 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom (A&B).

During this time, students will learn more about Enterprise by talking with program staff and students from various Enterprise teams, all in one place. Teams will be spread out across the MUB Ballroom.

Students will be able to visit with the following teams:

Advanced Metalworks • Aerospace • Alternative Energy • Blizzard Baja • Blue Marble Security • BoardSport Technologies • Built World • Clean Snowmobile Challenge • Consumer Product Manufacturing • Formula SAE • Green Campus • H-STEM • Hotforest • Humane Interface Design Enterprise • Husky Game • Innovative Global Solutions • ITOxygen • Multiplanetary Innovation Enterprise (MINE) • Open Source • Robotic Systems • Strategic Education through Naval Systems Experiences (SENSE) • Supermileage Systems • Velovations • Wireless Communication

For more information about each team, please visit our Enterprise Day webpage. Registration is not required for interested students who would like to attend. If students have any questions, please reach out to enterprise@mtu.edu.

By Enterprise Program.

Save the Date and Register for Michigan Tech Design Expo

Undergraduate students in any college across campus are encouraged to register and take part in Michigan Tech’s Design Expo on April 16.

The annual event showcases the breadth and depth of undergraduate student innovation at Tech, with more than 100 Enterprise, Senior Design, and Capstone projects on display. Many projects are sponsored by industry. A panel of distinguished judges will critique the projects and determine award winners. Teams compete for cash awards totaling nearly $3,500.

Save the Date: Tuesday, April 16
This year’s Design Expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in two campus locations: the Van Pelt and Opie Library first floor and the Memorial Union Building Ballroom. A reception and awards ceremony will follow from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. All events are free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!

Student Teams: Register Your Project Now for Design Expo
Registration is open now through March 8. Full information is located on the Design Expo student registration webpage. We encourage teams to register as soon as possible.

Volunteers: Please Sign Up to Judge at Design Expo
Interested in supporting our students as they engage in hands-on, discovery-based learning? Consider serving as a distinguished judge at this year’s Design Expo! Learn more and sign up.

Give Your Presentation an Extra Boost with Design Expo Workshops
Prepare for Design Expo and other term-end presentations the right way — with peer support, pizza and help from dedicated Van Pelt and Opie Library and University staff! Learn how to create compelling videos, visuals and pitches for your projects. All sessions take place in the Library East Reading Room from 2-3 p.m. Note: All are welcome to attend these workshops (regardless of participation in Design Expo).

  • Wednesday, Feb. 21: Explain Your Project to Anybody
    Practice talking about your design in a concise, easy-to-understand way. This will help you solidify content for your video and develop a short elevator pitch that you can share at your booth on the day of Design Expo. Come prepared to talk about your design and answer a few questions about it!
  • Thursday, March 7: Posters, Images & Visualizations
    We’ll cover principles you can use to ensure your posters and the images and data you display in them are readable and appealing, and run through tools you can use to design supporting images. The second half of the session will be devoted to questions and open work time. Pick our brains as you think through how to best share your research.
  • Wednesday, March 20: Video Creating & Editing
    We’ll provide basic info on recording, available tools and tricks to make your production more professional and accessible. The last half of the hour will be devoted to questions and open work time. Handouts and a compilation of resources will be available to take with you!
  • Thursday, April 4: The Finishing Touches
    Refresh on details about how to present your work for Design Expo and other end-of-year presentations. Get last-minute feedback for a winning project and work on the final details of your project and video to the company! Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

By the Enterprise Program | College of Engineering.

Michigan Tech Annual Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition

Husky Innovate invites Michigan Tech innovation and entrepreneurship champions, including faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members, to join us for the Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition.

During Innovation Week, next Wednesday (Jan. 24), we will gather for a pre-event mixer at 5 p.m. and kick off the competition at 5:30 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom A.

Hosted by Husky Innovate collaborators, Pavlis Honors College, the College of Business, and the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, the annual Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition is a legacy event recognizing student entrepreneurial spirit and paying tribute to the late Professor of Practice Bob Mark. Students with innovative ideas pitch their business model to a panel of judges who provide expertise and feedback to help them move forward.

This year’s judges include representatives from the MTEC SmartZone, Northern Michigan University, Michigan Tech’s College of Business and College of Computing, and Michigan Tech Alumni startup founders.

Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition prize categories:

  • First Prize: $2,000 — sponsored by Rick and Jo Berquist
  • Second Prize: $1,000
  • Third Prize: $500
  • Honorable Mention: $250
  • Audience Favorite: $250 — sponsored by Dan Green (MTU alum and principal, BlackFin Group)
  • Breakthrough Innovation Award: $1,000 — sponsored by MTEC SmartZone and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation
  • Social Impact Award: $1,000 — sponsored by Gates Professor Elham Asgari (COB)

Student contestants can register to pitch their business model through Friday (Jan. 19).

Virtual attendees may join via Zoom.

By Husky Innovate, Pavlis Honors College.