Empowering Entrepreneurs: Join Founder’s Friday for Collaboration, Inspiration, and Resources

Are you an entrepreneur looking for advice to launch your startup? Look no further than Founder’s Friday, a weekly meetup where aspiring entrepreneurs can come together to collaborate, founded and hosted by Jordan Craven, a current Pavlis Honors College student.

Image of a person holding three awards in front of a room with theater seating.
Founder’s Friday creator, Jordan Craven, celebrating after the 2023 Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition

Jordan has been part of the Honors College since she was a first-year at Michigan Tech, even receiving a scholarship from Pavlis after pitching through Husky Innovate when she was in high school. Jordan is studying Management and Information Systems with a minor in Computer Science. “All of the components of Pavlis that I’ve done have been building up my company and have gotten me prepared to launch. It’s been really cool to now look at graduating with honors having accomplished things I didn’t know I was going to do in college. Instead of just preparing to launch, I realized that I was able to actually launch my business while I was still here. It was crazy to do that,” said Craven.

Craven’s business is called Sizeologic; a technology company that helps online clothing retailers with issues such as returns, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. Right now, Craven is working on creating a 3D fitting room, so that shoppers can see how clothes will fit online before purchasing them. “There’s a lot of waste from online returns. I would buy three pairs of pants then return two of them, and there’s a two-thirds chance they’re burned or landfilled when they go back, so it’s just really environmentally not cool. I’d like to help solve that as well, with my company.” 

In her experience with the Pavlis Honors College and Husky Innovate, Jordan has traveled to many pitch competitions throughout the state, including the Experience Innovation: Detroit trip this past fall. “I noticed that we didn’t really have a space where students can go to work together with other innovators. I saw all of that downstate and recognized that there wasn’t a big community like that at Tech, and so I wanted to start something.”

That’s where Founder’s Friday comes in.

Coworking space with table, couch and window.
An example of a flexible coworking space from TechTown Detroit.

Founder’s Friday offers up-and-coming innovators and entrepreneurs the opportunity to network, collaborate, and brainstorm with other like-minded individuals. When asked about the inspiration for Founder’s Friday, Jordan stated “I know personally, by coworking, and being connected with other entrepreneurs and business professionals, that it helps inspire me, and I’ve been told by a lot of other people that it also inspires them, and I want to continue to build that, and build more of a consistent community.”

Craven has dedicated 15 hours a week to working on her company. “I was thinking, what if there was a place – I’m already actively engaged in this work for five hours – where other people can come and cowork with me. Or, if they want assistance, I have a lot of connections downstate. I want to connect people to the resources they need, and I’m trying to build up the innovator community at Tech.” Founder’s Friday focuses heavily on resource sharing, for all entrepreneurs, regardless of where they are in their journey. “It’s not super easy to figure out what the entrepreneurial steps are, and so pulling in all the resources from each stage of startups, bringing them together, sharing them with people, and showing others the steps I’ve been taking can be very helpful. My goal is to connect everyone so we can build each other up.” 

My goal is to connect everyone so we can build each other up.

Jordan Craven, Pavlis Honors College student and Founder’s Friday creator

If you’re interested in connecting with other aspiring entrepreneurs, be sure to stop by Founder’s Friday happening every Friday from 12-5pm in the Minerals and Materials Engineering building (M&M) in room 718A, down the hall from the Pavlis Honors College. It takes place both in person and on Zoom and everyone is welcome. “Founder’s Friday is a resource that is consistent, whether it’s five minutes or two hours, or the whole five, whatever that person needs and wants.”


Written by: Frankie Straubel for the Pavlis Honors College


Husky Innovate is a collaboration between the Pavlis Honors College, the College of Business, and the Office of Innovation and Commercialization.

If you are interested in more information, please feel free to reach out to honors@mtu.edu.

Highlight: Innovation Week 2024 and the Bob Mark Pitch Competition Winners

This year marks Michigan Tech’s eighth year hosting Innovation Week. 

Innovation Week at Michigan Tech was started by a group of University Innovation Fellows (UIFs) in 2017.  At that time, UIFs hosted meet-ups, design thinking challenges, and events to get folks thinking innovatively.  Throughout the years it has evolved, but one thing remains the same, Innovation Week is a celebration of innovation at Michigan Tech. 

The week’s events included presenters from as far as Texas and Traverse City, Michigan as well as right here within Houghton. With the option of both in-person and virtual events, entrepreneurially-minded individuals had the opportunity to join us for one or all events. Husky Innovate kicked off the week with a presentation from our keynote speaker, Dr. L. Brad King, CEO and founder of Orbion Technologies, who shared his journey with Orbion including key insights for startup founders.  On Tuesday, Nate Yenor with the Office of Innovation and Commercialization shared opportunities for startup collaboration resulting from research here at Tech.  Wednesday, former IBM Corps. executive and Michigan Tech alum John Soyring (EE ‘76 &  Honorary Doctorate ’06) provided us with fresh insights from the world of investing and the opportunity presented through impact investing.  On Thursday, Dr. Ashley Sloat, president of Aurora Patents gave us a crash course on careful contracting with key points founders should take into consideration as they start working with developers and investors. Friday, Dr. Len Switzer, associate director of Enterprise shared entrepreneurial opportunities for both founders and technical teams through the Enterprise and Husky Innovate programs. 

In addition to the stellar line-up of workshops and presentations, Husky Innovate hosted Innovation Week’s main event Wednesday evening – the Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition, which is a tribute to the late College of Business Professor Bob Mark.  For the 18th year, community members from across the region, including innovators, entrepreneurs, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, joined to hear students pitch their business models.  Ten teams pitched to win in three categories; Business Model, Social Impact, and Breakout Innovation with prizes totaling $6000.  There was a lot of energy and anticipation in the room as teams pitched and waited for scoring.  After two hours of pitching, the judges selected their winners and the audience selected their favorite.  Congratulations and thank you to all the student contestants and winners! 

Business Model Category

First place and Breakout Award winner Viraj Mane with judge Jason Mack

Presented by the College of Business with thanks to sponsors Rick and Jo Berquist, and Dan and Jane Green for sponsoring the Audience Favorite award. Student pitches were judged by how well the solution addressed the customers’ needs, the path to revenue, and the overall presentation.

  • First place – Viraj Mane with DocCraftAI ($2000)
  • Second place – Alex Nosalik with The Eternitee ($1000)
  • Third place- Nirmal Raja Karuppiah Loganthan with Jarvis-Vision ($500)
  • Honorable mention –  Aliyah Maxwell Abrams with Sunny Buddy ($250)
  • Audience Favorite –  Alex Nosalik with The Eternitee ($250)

Social Impact Award Category

Sponsored and presented by Gates Professor Dr. Elham Asgari, College of Business. The social impact category examined the significance of the social problem and how well the solution addressed it.

  • Olamide Ayeni with HOPCYKU  ($1,000)

Breakout Innovation Award

Presented by Jason Mack, Vice President of Business Development, MTEC SmartZone, and sponsored by the MTEC SmartZone and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The breakout innovation award considered the solution’s novelty, ease of implementation, and time to implementation.

  • Viraj Mane with DocCraftAI ($1,000)

This event would not be possible without support from our Michigan Tech I&E collaborators and community.  Thanks to our team mentors, with special recognition to Michigan Tech alum Joseph Corso (EE ‘77), Founder and President of TouchPoint Inc., for hosting regular Office Hours mentoring sessions throughout the year with Husky Innovate students.  

Thank you to our Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition judges: Northern Michigan University Professor Corrine Bodeman, Michigan Tech Professor Elham Asgari, Michigan Tech Professor Charles Wallace, Michigan Tech alum Dan Green (BA ‘83), Michigan Tech alum Jason Mack (MBA ‘13), and Pavlis Honors College External Advisory Board member Carolyn Yarina.   We appreciate your time and expertise in helping our students improve their pitches. 

Thank you to our prize sponsors.  The business model prizes are sponsored by the College of Business (COB), Rick and Joe Berquist, and Dan Green and Jane Mooney.  The Social Impact Award is sponsored by Dr. Elham Asgari, COB, Gates Professor of Entrepreneurship, and the Breakout Innovation Award is sponsored by MTEC SmartZone and MEDC

Thank you to our emcee, Jordan Craven, Management of Information Systems (MIS) and Computer Science (CS) and startup founder of Sizelogic.  Thanks to our marketing team, Jessie Neece, and marketing intern Eugene Agyei.  Thank you to our production team, Sound and Lighting Services, and the Pavlis Honors College team for supporting this event.  Thank you to our presenters and participants who helped to make the week a success.  We appreciate your time and contributions to 2024’s Innovation Week.

Thanks to all who attended our Innovation Week events! We look forward to next year’s events!


Husky Innovate is a collaboration between the Pavlis Honors College, the College of Business, and the Office of Innovation and Commercialization.

If you are interested in additional opportunities, check out our Husky Innovate Events Page.  Please feel free to reach out to huskyinnovate@mtu.edu for more information.

Announcing Our Upcoming Experience Innovation Trip – Detroit!

Experience Innovation trips offer a unique blend of education, inspiration, networking, and personal development. They provide students with a taste of the entrepreneurial world and equip them with skills and insights that can benefit them throughout their academic and professional journeys.

Husky Innovate is proud to announce their newest Experience Innovation trip and they are headed to Detroit!

What makes a strong innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) 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 3 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 this November 19-22, in which they will tour and meet with representatives at Ford Motor Company’s mobility innovation district – Michigan Central, Michigan Founders Fund – led by DUO Security co-founder Dug Song, Dow Ventures, and a collection of startup companies that you may not have heard of yet, but are on their way to becoming household names.  

A preliminary list of visit locations includes:

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

  1. Networking Opportunities: These trips offer Huskies 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.
  2. 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 own entrepreneurial ideas and projects.
  3. 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.
  4. Clarifying Career Goals: Meeting startups and 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Academic Complement: Experience Innovation trips can complement their Michigan Tech 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.
  7. 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.

In summary, Experience Innovation trips offer a unique blend of education, inspiration, networking, and personal development. They provide students with a taste of the entrepreneurial world and equip them with skills and insights that can benefit them throughout their academic and professional journeys.

Understanding what fuels innovation is best understood by experiencing it firsthand – sign up today!  Get a window into the regional innovation and entrepreneurship community (I&E), have a chance to ask your questions firsthand, and learn what drives entrepreneurship. 

This opportunity is made possible by Husky Innovate’s key collaborators, Pavlis Honors College, the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, and the College of Business

Daytime shot from across the Detroit River taken of the Detroit Skyline.

Husky Innovate Announces Fall 2023 Schedule of Events

Husky Innovate, a collaboration between the Pavlis Honors College, the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, and the College of Business, has a goal to provide the tools and knowledge to cultivate Michigan Tech’s innovative, creative, and entrepreneurial spirit across all disciplines offered on campus. To accomplish that goal, Husky Innovate provides valuable innovation and entrepreneurial education programs to students, staff, and faculty at Michigan Tech and this fall’s schedule is no exception!

This semester we have an outstanding lineup of workshops and speakers – check out the schedule of events for fall 2023 below. For more information on our Husky Innovate events, please visit:  http://www.mtu.edu/husky-innovate

Husky Innovate Fall 2023 Semester Calendar of Events
Husky Innovate Fall 2023 Schedule of Events

Looking for ways to get involved? Sign up for our mailing list and get information sent directly to your inbox about upcoming innovation workshops, speakers, or other ways to excel your career. 

Congratulations, Graduates!

The Pavlis Honors College would like to celebrate the accomplishments of graduating seniors, who chose to take advantage of all that Michigan Tech has to offer and challenge themselves inside and outside the classroom.  These students reflect our core values by being authentic, building relationships with each other, and being open to learning through new experiences. All of their hard work and commitment to the ideals of the Pavlis Honors College and Michigan Technological University has paid off!

Pavlis Honors College graduates – Spring 2023
  • J.T. Boudreau
    • Major: Wildlife Ecology & Conservation  
    • What’s next: J.T. will be starting a job with the U.S. Geological Survey, a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior
  • James Brouckman    
    • Major: Computer Engineering  
    • James is looking forward to moving out to San Fransisco shortly after graduation to start his new full-time job in software engineering.
  • Jerod Busch    
    • Major: Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering  
    • Jerod is looking forward to starting his full-time position as a controls engineer in Ithaca NY.
  • Nolan Davis
    • Major: Mechanical Engineering 
    • Minor: Manufacturing 
    • Concentration:  Engineering Enterprise
    • Nolan will be working full-time at The Hill Group and is looking forward to starting his first job, growing professionally with this experience, and having more fun times with my family and friends.
  • Tanner Duncan
    • Major: Mechanical Engineering 
    • Minor: Manufacturing and Aerospace Engineering    Concentration: Engineering Enterprise   
    • What’s Next: Tanner has accepted a position with BOSS Snowplow and will be moving to the Iron Mountain area.
  • Ben Houck
    • Major: Mechanical Engineering
    • Concentration: Engineering Enterprise
    • What’s Next: Ben will be pursuing an internship in Engineering at Stellantis, and will continue at MTU for a 1 year accelerated MBA next year.
  • Andrew Kleehammer
    • Major: Engineering Management
    • Minor: Enterprise   
    • What’s Next: Andrew is about halfway through a Master’s in Engineering Management and also works in project management at FORTNA.
  • Megan Lee
    • Major: Environmental Engineering
    • Minor: Spanish
    • What’s Next: Megan will be working for Arcadis, an Environmental Consulting firm, out of Novi, Michigan on environmental remediation projects.
  • Mandy Lepak
    • Major: Mechanical Engineering
    • Minor: Manufacturing 
    • What’s Next: This summer Mandy will be working for Gentex Corporation in Zeeland, Michigan as a Production Support Engineer and is looking forward to another big change in her life that will help me continue growing myself as an individual.
  • Fable-Viktor Moore
    • Major: Psychology
    • Concentration: Clinical/Counseling Psychology
    • What’s Next: Research Job and Graduate School
  • Anderson Piercey
    • Major: Management
    • Minor: Psychology 
    • What’s Next: Anderson will be living in the Lansing area with his significant other and pursuing employment as a Project Manager.
  • Jonathan Rabideau
    • Major: Computer Science
    • What’s next:  Jonathan will be starting his career and is considering a Master’s degree
  • Mady Sherman
    • Major: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology-Chemistry focus  
    • What’s Next: Mady will be working as a Research Technician for Neogen Corporation in Lansing Michigan
  • Colton Sitts
    • Major: STC
    • Minor: Computer Science
    • What’s next: Colton will be working as a quality manager at Epic Systems in Madison, WI. designing and testing software for healthcare facilities all over the country.
  • Nick Stankovich
    • Major: Management   
    • What’s next: Nick is looking forward to pursuing a Master’s here at MTU and an internship with General Motors.
  • Maddie  Thompson
    • Major: Mechanical Engineering
    • Minor: Business
    • What’s next: Maddie will travel to Europe for a month after graduation to learn more about different cultures and experience new places! Upon her return, she will start her full-time job with General Motors as a TRACK Hardware engineer in their rotational program!
  • Libby  Umlor
    • Major: Chemical Engineering
    • What’s next: Libby will be returning to Michigan Tech to complete an accelerated master’s in Chemical Engineering.
  • Zachary Vatter
    • Major: Biomedical Engineering and Human Biology   Concentration: Pre-Health Professions
    • What’s next: Zachary will return to Michigan Tech to pursue a Master’s in biological sciences.
  • John Waller
    • Major: Mechanical Engineering Tech
    • What’s next: After graduating John is moving to Kalamazoo, MI, and getting married in June.

To our graduates – we are so proud of you!  Take a moment to soak in this feeling of accomplishment and success and know that this is only the beginning as you go on to make your difference in the world. Congratulations!


Education is not the filling of a pot but the lighting of a fire.

W.B. Yeats

Congrats to Michigan Tech’s New Venture Challenge Competitors!

Central Michigan University (CMU) and Michigan Tech collaborate each year to offer Michigan Tech students a chance to compete in CMU’s New Venture Challenge (NVC). This gala event provides an opportunity for students at both universities to present their new ventures and to network with prospective investors, mentors and partners. Student contestants compete for over $60,000 in prizes and in-kind services.

On Friday (April 21), two Michigan Tech teams — Bayle Golden, a graduate student in engineering management, and Rourke Sylvain, a graduate student in biomedical engineering — pitched their innovations in the seven-minute pitch category at NVC and won. Congrats go to both teams! NVC awards are as follows:

Bayle Golden won first place in the Social Mission category and received $10,000. Golden won an additional $10,000 for Best Overall Venture for a total of $20,000!

  • “At STEMPOWER we are working to create an integrative STEM experience for young girls through a physical toy line and online STEM community. We believe that we can change the STEM landscape and empower an entire generation of youth.”

Rourke Sylvain won third place in the High Tech High Growth category, receiving $2,0000. Sylvain’s pitch was “imi (integrated molecular innovations),” an electrochemical biosensor for T4 detection.

  • “imi revolutionizes health care by eliminating the need for centralized clinical testing. We develop bio wearable devices that provide patients the ability to monitor their hormone levels continuously.”

Congratulations to our Husky Innovate student teams for all their hard work! We are proud of your perseverance and determination to take your ideas to the next level. Your solutions have the potential to make a positive impact for so many.

In preparing for the NVC, the students participated in a number of Husky Innovate workshops and prep sessions. Thank you to the Husky Innovate Teaching Team and the MTEC SmartZone, specifically Jason Mack and Patrick Visser, for their guidance to our teams. A special thanks to Michigan Tech alum Joe Corso ’77 (B.S. Electrical Engineering) for coaching our students and sharing his time and entrepreneurial expertise.

Thanks go to Jim Baker, associate vice president for research administration, and Len Switzer, associate director of partnerships for Enterprise and Senior Design, who attended NVC to support teams, represent Tech and build connections. Thanks to our Husky Innovate sponsors: the Pavlis Honors College, the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, and the College of Business, for their commitment to our students. Lastly, thank you to CMU and our host Julie Messing, director of the Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship, for the warm welcome and continued partnership.

Bayle Golden and Rourke Sylvain celebrate at the New Venture Challenge 2023

Pavlis Honors College Dean’s Scholarship Winner Announced

The Pavlis Honors College Dean’s Scholarship has been established to recognize students on an annual basis who have committed their personal time to promote and grow our program and its enrollment and visibility on campus. This scholarship highlights a student’s commitment to the Pavlis Honors College and making sure they are getting the most out of their undergraduate education.

This year’s PHC Dean’s Scholarship is awarded to Arlethia Bell. The Pavlis Honors College (PHC) faculty has emphasized how Arlethia has consistently been a leader and mentor not only in the PHC community but across campus. Arlethia has served as a PHC Learning Facilitator, as a panelist or facilitator for multiple PHC recruitment events, as a Resident Assistant, and as a leader within the National Society of Black Engineers and the Black Students Association. In addition, Arlethia has been active with the Enterprise program, the Green Campus Enterprise, Engineers without Borders, Americorps, in internships, and numerous other campus, community, and national organizations.

Pavlis Honors College Dean’s Scholarship Winner, Arlethia Bell

Dean of the Pavlis Honors College, Marika Seigel, stated: “I want to thank Arlethia for being so passionate about the Pavlis Honors College and being willing to share that passion with potential future and new PHC students whenever she is able. Arlethia is the exemplar of what a Pavlis Honors College student can and should be.”

When asked about how the Pavlis Honors College has impacted her and her academic career, Arlethia shared, “Being a part of the Pavlis Honors College has motivated me to step out of my comfort zone and push myself into more well-rounded experiences, in order to grow as a student leader. It has also allowed me to reflect in-depth on these experiences, recognize my growth, and share my skills and knowledge with others.”

The Pavlis Honors College faculty and staff would like to thank our Dean’s Scholarship winner, Arlethia, for all that she has done and continues to do for PHC and the Michigan Tech community. Congratulations!

Winners Announced: 2023 Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium

This year marked the 10th annual Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium

This past Friday, March 24, students from across the university and region came together to share their cutting-edge research at the Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium (URSS). The student participants represented a wide array of scientific and engineering disciplines from across departments and highlight the diversity of research areas being explored. Attendees were able to speak with the students conducting the research, ask them questions about their projects, and learn more about undergraduate research and scholarship. 

The day’s events included a panel discussion about how undergraduate research can create opportunities, two poster sessions, and a networking social. The Pavlis Honors College also collaborated with the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) and the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC) to include their student in this year’s symposium.

A big congratulations to all of our student participants, the extremely impressive research projects made for a difficult day for our judges. Special congratulations to all of our award winners:

First Place winners, Leah Harazin and Nathan Ostlund

First Place – 

  • Leah Harazin and Nathan Ostlund: “Stability of Terephthalate Degrading Microbial Consortia for Plastic Upcycling”

Second Place – 

  • Haley Marchese: “Sympathetic Activity to the Heart is Increased in a Mouse Model of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy”

Third Place

  • Grace Gonzalez – “The Gut Microbiome of Fish and Its Relevance to Antimicrobial Resistance”

Audience Choice

  • Katherine Rauscher: “Learning from Aviation to Improve the Safety of Autonomous Vehicles”

Excellence in Presentation – 

  • Matt Kouba: “Low-Cost CAN FD and Automotive Ethernet Development Boards”
  • Henry Summers: “Investigation of a novel zinc-based alloy for bioabsorbable vascular stent applications”

Excellence in Research Content – 

  • Kristoffer Larsen: “A Grad-CAM interpretable deep learning multi-input transfer learning model integrating SPECT MPI polar maps with clinical and derived topological variables for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Decision Support”
  • Kristin King: “Assessing Feasibility of Using Artificial Intelligence in Computational Hemodynamic Analysis for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms”

Excellence in Design and Format – 

  • Katie Bershing: “Moth Community Distribution Across Varying Silvicultural Treatments Post 5 years harvesting”

Thank you to all of our sponsors, student presenters, faculty mentors, judges, and panelists. We are proud to be able to highlight our amazing undergraduate students and celebrate all of their outstanding work.

Learn More About Undergraduate Research – Attend This Year’s Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium 

Are you interested in exploring what research undergraduate students have been participating in? Join us on March 24th for the 2023 Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium held in the Rozsa Center Lobby. The Symposium will highlight the exceptional undergraduate research being conducted and represents a wide array of scientific and engineering disciplines from Michigan Technological University and the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College.   

A 2019 Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium participant describes their research to Dr. Koubek.

The day starts with the Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Panel at 11:00 am which will feature experienced current and former graduate students and provide a chance for discussion about how undergraduate research creates opportunities. They will share their experiences and discuss the value that they have found by participating in research as an undergraduate.  

Our guest panelists include Brennan Vogl, a current Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Engineering department at MTU. Brennan graduated from MTU with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Electrical Engineering in 2020. During his time as an undergraduate, Brennan was heavily involved in undergraduate research where he worked on projects investigating cancer metastasis in response to fructose. Another of the panelists, Dr. Len Switzer, is currently the Associate Director of Industrial Relations for the Enterprise Program at Michigan Tech. Prior to joining the Enterprise staff, Len spent over 20 years working in various industrial roles. About half of this time involved applied research and development in high-temperature processing (e.g., glass melting, steel making, cement, heat treating, etc.) and with a startup company working on new types of oil exploration. The final panelist, Kath Higdon, received her undergraduate degree from Michigan Technological University in Applied Ecology. Upon graduation, she went directly into the Ph.D. program in Forest Science at MTU. She worked as a research assistant during her first year as an undergrad looking at experimental Nitrogen deposition in Northern Hardwood Forests.

Students and attendees at the Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium in 2019.

The panel is followed by two poster sessions (12:30-2:00 pm & 2:30-4:00 pm). The participants have been working hard to model out their research on poster boards, and the Symposium will provide the students with a chance to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Attendees will be given the opportunity to speak with the students conducting research, ask them questions about their projects, and learn more about undergraduate research and scholarship. 

The Symposium wraps up with a networking event at 4:00 pm for the participants to speak further with the judges and mentors. During this networking session, outstanding posters will be announced and awarded for their proficiency based on multiple criteria. 

The Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium is a great way to share the exciting research projects going on in our region and highlight the diversity of research areas being explored.  Be sure to mark your calendars and join us in the Rozsa Lobby for this incredible event!

Written by: Emily Bishop, Pavlis Honors College Marketing Intern

Winners Announced: 2023 Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition

Child Protection, Fashion and Safe Water Technologies Win Big at the Bob Mark Pitch Competition – Pictured: Winners Asia Motte, Bayle Golden, and Jordan Craven

It was a night of fierce and calculated competition as MTU students across disciplines pitched innovative business ideas and solutions to help shape the world.

This Husky Innovate event is a tribute to the late Professor of Practice, Bob Mark, within the College of Business, and a recognition of students’ entrepreneurial spirit. In its 16th year, the event, which took place on Thursday, January 19, at the MUB Ballroom, is also a highlight of Michigan Tech’s 2023 Innovation Week activities.

In all, eleven students pitched their ideas to judges, comprised of professors and renowned business professionals, and a lively audience. After an extremely interesting presentation session, Bayle Golden with her idea titled SafeROW, emerged as the winner. Taking a cash prize of $2,000 home, Ms. Golden’s start-up will help curtail the issue of child abduction in the country. This idea also won the Social Impact Award ($1000) which is sponsored by Dr. Elham Asgari, from the College of Business.

With a new innovation in finding the right fit when shopping for clothing online, Jordan Craven received the second prize with Tall and Small Designs. She received a cash prize of  $1,000 and another $250 in addition to being voted the Audience Favorite.  It did not end there for Ms. Craven as she also won the Breakout Innovation Award which is sponsored by the MTEC SmartZone and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. That also came with a $1000 cash prize.

The third prize worth $500 was taken by Asia Motta with the Droplet. Miss Motta’s idea previously won the overall at the Idea Pitch competition in the Fall of last year. For millennial plant parents, Asia’s idea is going to help save your plants from dying.

Safe water is an essential part of everyday living and public health. However, for people who manage their water at home, we are always not sure whether it has been contaminated in the wells or not. Here’s where Rehab (Ruby) Alhajjar’s Water Solution idea comes in. Winning the Honorable Mention ($250) category, Ms. Ruby’s innovation will help us detect any contamination in time.

Other ideas in health, education, and sustainable power generation also competed at the event.  With Michigan Tech’s commitment to preparing students for the future, the Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition has become an exceptional avenue to expose students to the business, entrepreneur, and academic community.

Congrats to all the contestants who took a big step forward with their entrepreneurship goals when they pitched their business models.  Special congratulations to our award winners:

Business Model Category

Presented by the College of Business with thanks to sponsors Rick and Jo Berquist, and Dan and Jane Green for sponsoring the Audience Favorite award. Student pitches were judged by how well the solution addressed the customers’ needs, the path to revenue, and the overall presentation.

  • First prize – Bayle Golden with SafeROW ($2,000)
  • Second prize – Jordan Craven with Tall and Small Designs ($1,000)
  • Third prize –  Asia Motta with The Droplet ($500)
  • Honorable Mention – Rehab (Ruby) Alhajjar with the Water Solution ($250) 
  • Audience Favorite –  Jordan Craven with Tall and Small Designs ($250) 

Social Impact Award Category

Sponsored and presented by Gates Professor Dr. Elham Asgari, College of Business. The social impact category examined the significance of the social problem and how well the solution addressed it.

  • Bayle Golden with SafeROW ($1,000)

Breakout Innovation Award

Presented by Patrick Visser, Chief Commercial Officer, MTEC SmartZone, and sponsored by the MTEC SmartZone and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The breakout innovation award considered the solution’s novelty, ease of implementation, and time to implementation.

  • Jordan Craven with Tall and Small Designs ($1,000)

Emcee Rourke Sylvain, First Place Winner Bayle Golden, and Host Jim Baker
Jordan Craven shows off their awards – Second Prize, Breakout Innovation, and Audience Favorite

Husky Innovate extends a special thanks to those who provided their time and resources to make the competition a success.

Our Sponsors

  • Dean Johnson, dean, College of Business
  • Elham Asgari, Gates Professor, College of Business
  • Rick and Jo Berquist
  • Dan and Jane Green
  • MTEC SmartZone and the MEDC

Our Judges

  • Jay Meldrum, executive director, Keweenaw Research Center; MTU liaison to the Grand Traverse Area
  • Eric Roberts, MTU alumnus; executive director, 20Fathoms
  • Elham Asgari, Gates Professor, College of Business
  • Dan Green, MTU alumnus and entrepreneur; principal, BlackFin Group
  • Adrienne Minerick, professor of chemical engineering; affiliated professor of biomedical engineering; president, American Society for Engineering Education
  • Patrick Visser, chief commercialization officer, MTEC SmartZone
  • Michael J. Cleveland, P.E. and MTU alumnus; mentor in residence at Michigan Tech
  • Lawrence W. Staley, MTU alumnus; director of engineering (retired 2019), Parker Hannifin Corporation

Our Host

  • Jim Baker, associate vice president for research administration; executive council advisor, Husky Innovate, Office of Innovation and Commercialization

Our Emcee

  • Rourke Sylvain, MS student, Biomedical Engineering, New Venture Challenge pitch winner ‘22, President of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and Founder and CEO at Integrated Molecular Innovations

Our Marketing and Support Team

  • Jessie Stapleton, marketing and communications specialist, Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
  • Eugene Agyei, Ph.D. student, College of Sciences and Arts; Husky Innovate intern
  • April DePaulis, Pavlis Honors College administrator

Our Production Team

  • Sound and Lighting Service’s Elijah Nation and the SLS team
  • Dining and Catering Services for their support. 

Thanks to all who attended! We look forward to next year’s event!

If you are interested in additional opportunities, check out our Husky Innovate Events Page.  Please feel free to reach out to huskyinnovate@mtu.edu for more information.

Written by: Eugene Brown Agyei for Husky Innovate