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.

Michigan Tech Innovation Week 2024

Husky Innovate is hosting innovation-themed events from Jan. 22-26. Innovation Week celebrates innovation and entrepreneurship at Tech and throughout our region. These events are a great way to connect with alumni, students, faculty and staff, and the community. Faculty, please share these opportunities with your students.

Check the Innovation Week 2024 webpage for full event descriptions. Pre-registration is required for each event. Join us for one event or several!

  • Keynote Speaker:
    Orbion’s Entrepreneurship Journey with Brad King
    Monday, Jan. 22, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the MUB Alumni Lounge
    Our keynote speaker, Brad King, Michigan Tech professor, CEO and co-founder of Orbion Space Technology in 2016, will share his journey as an entrepreneur and discuss how he and his team have addressed market demands and the challenges of scaling up.
    Register now — Deadline: Jan. 19
  • Reverse Pitch Presentation with Nate Yenor
    Tuesday, Jan. 23, from 12-1 p.m. via Zoom
    Nate Yenor, director of Tech Business Incubation with the Office of Innovation and Commercialization at Michigan Tech, will report top teams poised to launch their innovations into startups and recap how the new Entrepreneurial Fellows of NMU and MTU have been aiding other startups in the Michigan ecosystem.
    Register now — Deadline: Jan. 22
  • Impact Investing with John Soyring
    Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 12-1 p.m. via Zoom

    Impact investors seek both measurable positive societal or environmental impact as well as financial return. Does your startup have a social or mission? Join us for a talk with John Soyring ’76 ’06 (B.S. Electrical Engineering, Hon. Ph.D.). Soyring will lead a discussion about his experience as an angel impact investor, talk about how impact investing differs from more traditional investing, and discuss opportunities for both investors and startup companies.
    Register now — Deadline: Jan 23
  • 16th Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition
    Wednesday, Jan. 24, MUB Ballroom A 
    Michigan Tech graduate and undergraduate students will pitch their business model for a chance to win cash prizes. This legacy event is a tribute to the late Professor of Practice Bob Mark. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community can attend in person or virtually. Refreshments will be served and a pre-event mixer will begin at 5 p.m.
    • Student contestants: Register now — Deadline: Jan. 22
    • Audience attendees: Please join us in person, but if you are remote, join us via Zoom
  • Careful Contracting for Startups
    Thursday, Jan. 25, 12-1:30 p.m. in MUB Ballroom B

    Learn strategies for careful contracting as you work with development and investment partners, and hear how investors evaluate your startup’s risk exposure. Ashley Sloat, president and director of Patent Strategy at Aurora Patents, will discuss everything you need to know, from engaging with an engineering firm to ultimately pitching to an investment group. Topics include IP ownership, assignment from engineering firm inventors back to you, how to avoid the traps of viral IP, and what investors want to see in your pitch deck.
    Register now — Deadline: Jan. 22
  • Enterprise Ventures with Len Switzer
    Friday, Jan. 26, from 12-1 p.m. via Zoom

    Len Switzer, Enterprise associate director, will discuss upcoming new venture opportunities with MTU’s Enterprise Program. Switzer was once Employee No. 3 of a startup company. Since that time, he has continued to work with startups, including via Enterprise. With a background in R&D, product management and operations, he will share his insight into the relationship between technical feasibility, product-market fit and manufacturability.
    Register now — Deadline: Jan. 25

by Husky Innovate, Pavlis Honors College.

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.