Category: Entrepreneurship

Michigan Tech Applications Open for Experience Innovation Detroit Student Trip

Husky Innovate is proud to announce the newest Experience Innovation trip. This year, we are headed to Detroit! Students across disciplines who would like to participate are encouraged to submit our student application.

What makes a strong innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem and why are companies drawn to Detroit? One could argue that Detroit is the most innovative city in the Midwest. From Motown music to the Big Three automobile manufacturers, Detroit has a rich history that positions it as a regional hub for innovation and technology development. Detroit companies are making an impact in global markets, and up-and-coming startups find that they have the resources they need to fuel their growth.

Michigan Tech students are invited to an immersive innovation experience in Detroit featuring tours of Michigan Central, Ford Motor Company’s mobility innovation district (including a meet-and-greet); the Michigan Founders Fund, led by DUO Security co-founder Dug Song; Dow Venture Capital; and a collection of startup companies that you may not have heard of yet, but are on their way to becoming household names.

Here are just a few compelling reasons why students should consider joining us on this adventure to Detroit:

  • Networking Opportunities: These trips offer a unique chance to connect with established entrepreneurs, successful business leaders and like-minded peers. Networking with individuals who have practical experience can open doors to mentorship, internships and future career opportunities.
  • Inspiration and Motivation: Meeting entrepreneurs and visiting startups can be incredibly inspiring. Students often leave these trips with a renewed sense of purpose and motivation to pursue their entrepreneurial ideas and projects.
  • Resume Enhancement: Participation in such trips can significantly enhance a student’s resume. It demonstrates a proactive approach to learning and a genuine interest in entrepreneurship and innovation, which can make them stand out to potential employers or investors.
  • Clarifying Career Goals: Touring startups and meeting entrepreneurs can help students clarify their career goals. They may discover new interests or confirm existing passions, helping them make informed decisions about their future paths.
  • Entrepreneurial Mindset: These experiences can foster an entrepreneurial mindset characterized by creativity, resilience, adaptability and a willingness to take calculated risks, which are valuable attributes in any career.
  • Academic Complement: Experience Innovation trips can complement academic coursework by providing real-world context to what students learn in class. This practical application of knowledge can enhance their understanding of business concepts.
  • Personal Growth: These trips often lead to personal growth. Students develop self-confidence, improve communication skills and become more adaptable to new environments and challenges.

Understanding what fuels innovation is best understood by experiencing it firsthand. This opportunity is offered by Husky Innovate’s key collaborators, Pavlis Honors College, the Office of Innovation and Commercialization and the College of Business. Get a window into the regional innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) community, have a chance to ask your questions firsthand and learn what drives entrepreneurship. Students are encouraged to apply early, as space is limited.

By Husky Innovate, Pavlis Honors College.

Registration Open for ‘Protect Your Innovation’ Talk at Michigan Tech

Did you know that Michigan Tech hosts a regional Patent and Trademark Research Center (PTRC) which is part of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s nationwide program, and that we have intellectual property experts right here on Tech’s campus? If you have questions about intellectual property (IP), join us for a talk titled “Protect Your Innovation.”

Michigan Tech IP expert, licensed patent agent (LPA) and Associate Vice President for Research Administration Jim Baker and PTRC expert and Librarian Annelise Doll together will provide us with compelling IP scenarios and discuss the fundamentals of IP, including patents, trademarks, licensing and trade secrets.

What practical considerations are involved in protecting your idea and how might IP protections be used as a tool to develop your innovation? Included will be a discussion on how to initiate a prior art discovery with freely available resources at Michigan Tech’s PTRC.

This event is open to the public. Register in advance by Nov. 4. We will meet Nov. 7 from 4-6 p.m. in Library 244.

By Husky Innovate, Pavlis Honors College.

Michigan Tech Bob Mark Business Model Competition on Jan. 24

The Idea Pitch Competition is the first of three pitch events that Husky Innovate hosts each year. Our next pitch event is the Bob Mark Business Model Competition on Jan. 24, a legacy event that celebrates entrepreneurship and pays tribute to the late COB Professor of Practice Bob Mark. Contestants pitch the key components of their business models, including value proposition, customer segment and product market fit. To compete, register for the competition now. For those who compete, watch for preparation workshops such as the Business Model Bootcamp and Explaining Your Market Opportunity. Reach out to Husky Innovate at huskyinnovate@mtu.edu for more information.

By Husky Innovate, Pavlis Honors College.

Michigan Tech Idea Pitch Competition: Registration Open

Do you have an innovative idea that could disrupt the norm and redefine “business as usual”? If so, we invite you to showcase your innovation at the upcoming Fall 2023 Idea Pitch Competition.

Register for the Fall 2023 Idea Pitch Competition.

Competition Details:

  • When: Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 5-7:30 p.m.
  • Where: Great Lakes Research Center, GLRC 202

At the Idea Pitch Competition, you will have a platform to present your groundbreaking idea in an engaging community setting. Each contestant will have three minutes to captivate the audience and judges with their visionary ideas. Judges will vote to select top pitches and award cash prizes to the top contestants:

  • First Place: $200
  • Second Place: $100
  • Third Place: $50
  • Honorable Mention: $25
  • Audience Favorite: $25

Pitch decks must be submitted to huskyinnovate@mtu.edu, with a deadline of Oct. 9.

The live pitch event is Oct. 11 from 5-7 p.m.

By Husky Innovate, Pavlis Honors College.

Michigan Tech Design Expo Innovation Award Opportunity

Husky Innovate and the Office of Innovation and Commercialization are co-sponsoring Innovation Awards as part of Design Expo 2023. The top three contestants will receive a cash award and certificate of recognition.

Apply using our application form. Applications will be evaluated on the applicant’s ability to demonstrate the following:

  1. A clear value proposition,
  2. The distinction of their innovation over alternative solutions,
  3. A defined and actionable plan for realizing the economic or societal impact of their innovation, and
  4. The scale of that impact.

All applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on April 7.

Winners will be announced at the Design Expo Awards Ceremony on April 18 at 3:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center.

By Husky Innovate, Pavlis Honors College.

MTU Finance Your Innovation Workshop: Registration Open


Interested in competing at this year’s New Venture Challenge (NVC)?
Getting ready to try to raise capital for your start-up business?

Presented by Chief Commercial Officer Patrick Visser with the MTEC SmartZone, our local business incubator, this online workshop will cover founder capital fundraising strategies and choices including bootstrapping, angel investment, venture capital investment and growth capital financing.

This workshop is open to all students. Those interested in the New Venture Challenge (in April) will find this workshop helpful when applying to NVC and should plan to attend.

Join us Feb. 15 from 4-5 p.m. for this virtual workshop. Register by next Monday (Feb. 13) to receive the Zoom link.

By Husky Innovate, Pavlis Honors College.