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UConn 2019 Innovation Quest Winners Announced - Celebrating UConn-iQ's 8th Anniversary
First Place $15,000 Innovation Award
Voxion - The Voxion platform eliminates the costly and time-consuming process businesses face when creating voice applications by implementing a cost-effective, code-free solution. Second Place $10,000 Innovation Award Pisces Atlantic- The Pisces Atlantic product is a recipe for industrial aquaculture feed that is based off of vegetable proteins and other environmentally sustainable ingredients. Third Place $5,000 Innovation Award Dose Defender - The Dose Defender product is a small pill dispenser, specifically for opioid prescriptions, that aims to prevent the risk of opioid addiction by limiting the amount of opioids a patient has access to over a prescribed period of time.Cal Poly 2019 Innovation Quest Winners Announced - Celebrating Cal Poly-iQ's 16th Anniversary
First Place $15,000 Innovation Award
Buteo - Buteo is creating a bird detection and deterrent technology that utilizes autonomous fixed wing drones to help vineyard managers and other berry farmers protect their crops from bird damage and receive valuable data about the health of their vines. Second Place $10,000 Rich and Jackie Boberg Innovation Award Santronics - Santronics provides an automated, adaptable, and caregiver oriented hand hygiene compliance monitoring system for hospital infection control teams, designed to reduce healthcare-associated infections by providing insightful accountability to healthcare providers. Third Place $5,000 Laura Pickering Innovation Award (Tie) HealthBlock - HealthBlock is a code-free platform enabling health researchers to create & deploy remote studies, while providing a decentralized application that securely connects them with consenting participants. Tulum Cosmetics - Tulum Cosmetics is a direct-to-consumer brand, developing a matte liquid lipstick with FDA approved medical treatment to heal and conceal cold sores. The brand will utilize cutting edge marketing techniques to capitalize on the growing consumer demands for effective products from sustainable origins and green production techniques.Cal Poly 2018 Innovation Quest Winners Announced - Celebrating Cal Poly-iQ's 15th Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of Cal Poly's 2018 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 "Innovation Quest" Award went to - Massive Obstetric Hemorrhage Indication (MOHI) Device 2nd Place $10,000 Rich & Jackie Boberg Award went to - Pantry 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to - Lost Coast Surf TechUConn 2018 Innovation Quest Competition Winners Announced - Celebrating UConn-iQ's 7th Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of UConn's 2018 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 Award went to YouComm - Personalized Communications Device 2nd Place $10,000 Award went to BioSuperCap 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to QRfertileCal Poly - Innovation Quest 2018 Finalist Announced!
Thank you all once again for your help in reviewing the preliminary applications for the 2018 Innovation Quest Competition. This event simply couldn't happen without all of your help. Now in it's 14th year, it's fun to see so many alumni who have gone through the competition helping out with judging and experiencing life from the other side of the table. I wish all of you could experience the chance encounters I have the privilege of seeing throughout the year with students working on their projects and planning for what they will inevitably do when they win. This competition is truly a motivator and important part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that we are continuing to build and strengthen at Cal Poly. With such young aspiring entrepreneurs, however, one of the most critical elements that contributes to their success is the time they spend with you, our more experienced alumni and friends of the university that continue to support our programs and give them a place to pursue open-ended innovations. With all of my heart I truly thank you.
Now for the results. After a fair bit of data crunching, normalizing, and comparison, I'm happy to present to you the 13 finalists that will be presenting at the end of this month. As always, the finalists come from across our campus and represent a broad range of ideas, topical areas, and business models representative of a polytechnic institute. Each of the finalist teams are listed below in alphabetical order. Be on the lookout to find out which of these teams will take home the final awards! Tom Katona and the Innovation Quest Team Fauna Farms: We want helping the environment to be as effortless as preparing a healthy meal with your loved ones. Fauna Farms is creating a much needed marketplace for small, sustainable ranchers to sell their meat to their local markets through its “Fauna Farms Smart Hubs”. These hubs will allow consumers to buy fresh, local, and sustainable meat, while also giving them a taste of the future of grocery shopping via the“click to kitchen” option. Freezing of Gait Assistive Device: Developing a medical device that addresses a vital need in an underserved market – freezing of gait in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). By utilizing a unique combination of audio-visual cues, our product allows an individual to immediately relieve a freezing of gait episode. Not only does this restore their mobility, it helps prevent potentially devastating falls and injury. Gen III Drone: We have designed and are currently building an autonomous precision agriculture drone that has the capability to fly as well as drive to notify farmers about crop-threatening problems and perform analysis on the problems. HomeGrown Organics: A new era of home appliance that mixes farming, advanced technologies and functional aesthetics. LevelUp: We have developed a product that provides an easy and affordable solution to help Electric Vehicle owners adopt faster (Level 2) EV charging capability in their homes. Lost Coast Surf Tech: Creating the world’s highest performance surfboard fin with smart tracking features packaged into a comprehensive mobile app. The smartfin will be constructed and designed with aerospace technologies and leave a smaller carbon footprint than competitive fins on the market. Massive Obstetric Hemorrhage Indication (MOHI) Device: The MOHI device can quickly indicate if a patient has lost the ability to clot during hemorrhage after childbirth. This device overcomes the cost, complexity, and most importantly, time currently required to assess the need to treat a new mother for this dangerous clotting condition. MyHomePT: A wearable physical therapy device that increases patient compliance through physiological feedback, increased accountability, and convenience for the user. Pantry: An appliance which automatically grows produce and herbs indoors by employing NASA-derived aeroponics technology to the growing indoor gardening movement. Users will have access to a steady harvest of up to 24 organic, pesticide-free plants and herbs all year round, no matter where they live nor what size their living space is. Popshop: Private, influencer-curated shopping sites to help group members conform to guidelines while allowing them to express their individuality. Rooster: Rooster helps design students easily ideate and create successful visual layouts for screen and print, using a mobile app that seamlessly integrates with Adobe design software — we are targeting this group so that they adopt the technology early in their careers and bring it to the professional realm. Sex.E: Provides sexual education and gender based violence education to institutions through sketch comedy shows, online sketch videos, and social media content. SilverScrub Dish Sponges: SilverScrub utilizes silver nanoparticle technology in products where cleanliness may affect human health. SilverScrub’s first product will be the world’s first truly antimicrobial dish sponge.UConn - Innovation Quest 2018 Finalist Announced!
2018 was another record year for UConn Innovation Quest participation. Eighty-nine (89) teams submitted applications, proving that creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship is very strong at UConn. After a thorough judging process using 35 mentor evaluators, the 2018 UConn Innovation Quest Competition Finalists have been chosen and are listed below by iQ Application Entry Number. Again, because of the extremely competitive nature of the competition, an additional 5 teams have been added to the list of Finalists (20).
The next phase of the competition is the Live Presentations Phase on Saturday, April 21st. We will be sending out information regarding that date to all of you who have indicated that you are joining us to help narrow down the twenty finalists to the Top 10. It will be a very exciting day! Again, much thanks to all for your continued support of the UConn Innovation Quest Program. Our students benefit greatly by your involvement. And the iQ Program’s success rests on your shoulders! Regards, Rich, Keith and Your UConn Innovation Quest Team 2018 UConn Innovation Quest Finalists (in random order) 1. Biosupercap for life lasting cardiac pacemakers 2. HR Platform for STEM Recruitment/Hiring 3. Ambient Heat Engine 4. EMFree 5. EFFE 6. Wireless Charging Tabletop 7. MXERS Audio 8. DropBoard 9. Encapsulate: A Tumor-on-a-chip Device for Individualized Screening of Chemotherapeutic Drugs 10. Machine learning-based estimation of nanomaterials properties via microscopic image processing 11. Syllavid 12. Personalized Communication Device 13. AminoAlert Plus 14. NavAud: An Audio-based Navigation system for blind or visually impaired person 15. A non-Rigid Lower Extremity STS Exoskeleton 16. SmartPipes 17. SnakeSkin Basketballs 18. QRfertile: providing a private home-based solution for testing male reproductive health 19. No-Nest 20. PrintCutCarry WorkstationUConn - Innovation Quest 2018 Competition Begins!
7th Year 2018 UConn- Innovation Quest Competition Key Dates
February 12 - iQ Kick-Off Reception – Monday 5:30PM - 6:30PM - Storrs Campus: School of Business Board Room (3rd Floor) IQ Workshop 1 Monday – 7:00 PM Storrs Campus: Laurel Hall 102 February 19 - iQ Workshop 2 Monday – 6:30PM - Storrs Campus: School of Business Student Lounge March 5 - iQ Workshop 3 Monday – 6:30PM - Storrs Campus: School of Business Student Lounge March 19 - iQ Workshop 4 Monday – 6:30PM - Storrs Campus: School of Business Student Lounge March 28 - Application Deadline —> 11:59pm Eastern Wednesday <— April 9 - Finalists announced Monday April 21 - Finalists present to judges Sat 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM - Storrs Campus: School of Business Room 106 April 23 - Top three winners announced Monday April 24 - Awards Dinner (Tuesday) - 6:00 PM Reception; 6:30 PM Dinner and Program Announce 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners & iQ InQbator invitations - Storrs Campus: Alumni House – Great Hall May 9 – June 15 iQ InQbator business incubator/accelerator program InQbator Dates (All Wednesdays except Session #7; School of Business #211 except Session #7) Session #1: May 9th Session #2: May 16th Session #3: May 24rd Session #4: May 30th Session #5: June 6th Session #6: June 13th -- Investor Presentation Prep Session Session #7: June 15th -- Investor Presentation Day (Friday) Stamford, Connecticut – Location TBD3rd Semi-Annual Cal Poly Startup Connector Silicon Valley
Who should attend:
Entrepreneurs with new Startups Angel Investors to finance Startups Mentors and Advisors to help Startups Job Seekers to work for Startups CPSU Alumni interested in Cal Poly Startups IQ/CIE/Cal Poly Company Founders Thursday October 19, 2017 O’Melveny & Myers LLP, 2765 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park Special Keynote Presentations by: Founder J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Member Cal Poly SLO Foundation Board Jerry Lohr "Lessons Learned by Doing” The Legendary Jerry Lohr reviews his lifelong journey as an entrepreneur and how he built one of the largest wine brands in the country. Jim Dawson Chief Revenue Officer, Yellow Brick Data Previously EVP Sales at 3PAR and Fusion-io, Operating Partner at Menlo Ventures Key Sales Insights: Growing Revenue from Zero Schedule: 4:30 Networking and socializing hour – drinks and snacks (including J Lohr wines) 5:30 Introduction/Welcome –– Rich Boberg, Laura Pickering, Carson Chen, & Host 5:45 "Lessons Learned by Doing”– Jerry Lohr, Founder J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines 6:15 Insights for Startups: Key Sales Insights from veteran entrepreneur Jim Dawson 6:45 Cal Poly CIE (Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), Executive Director Tod Nelson An overview of the CIE and the 2017 Innovation Quest contest winners and CIE Summer Accelerator 6:55 Cal Poly Startups – Key Lessons Learned / Q&A – Pat Pezet and Matt Canepa, moderators Panel Discussion with alumni founders: Aaron Bergh (Calwise Spirits), Raj Singh (Lentil), Ian Alexander (RepairTech), and Cameron Weiss (BoltAbout) 7:25 Breakout, Networking, Mentoring: General networking and Cal Poly Startups that are looking for Investors, Mentors and Advisors, New Employees or Co-founders 8:30 Conclusion Brought to you by in partnership with Innovation Quest www.innovationquest.org - Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) - Cal Poly Alumni Association (CPAA) - Cal Poly Entrepreneurs Club (CPEC) - Cal Poly Advancement - O’Melveny & Myers LLP Register via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cal-poly-startup-connector-silicon-valley-tickets-38185511894 Admission is free. A $25 donation is encouraged.Innovation Quest Tops Participation Record; Winners Present Vastly Different, Creative Startup Ideas
UConn - The winners of this year’s Innovation Quest (iQ) competition had a unique set of people to credit for inspiring their success, including:
A friend with a teddy bear tattoo, emblazoned with his ex-girlfriend’s name; A waitress who was trying to handle a mad-house of customers during a blizzard, when the rest of the wait staff didn’t show up; A little brother who leaves his EpiPen home because it is too bulky to carry; Americans who have very polarized beliefs about political events, depending on which news source they follow. “The iQ competition, now in its sixth year, broke another record...click to continue...UConn 2017 Innovation Quest Competition Winners Announced - Celebrating UConn-iQ's 6th Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of UConn's 2017 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 Award went to Apployment 2nd Place $10,000 Award went to LOKI 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to Dermatat-X Judges' Special $5000 Award went to EpiGoCal Poly 2017 Innovation Quest Winners Announced - Celebrating Cal Poly-iQ's 14th Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of Cal Poly's 2017 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 "Innovation Quest" Award went to Fashion Footwear 2nd Place $10,000 Rich & Jackie Boberg Award went to Current Solutions 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to Brandplut A special Judge's Award went to Atsá Foods LLCUConn Innovation Quest 2017 Competition Begins - Schedule
2017 Innovation Quest Key Dates
February 13 - iQ Kick-Off Reception – Monday 5:30PM - 6:30PM Storrs Campus: School of Business Board Room (3rd Floor) IQ Workshop 1 Monday – 7:00 PM Storrs Campus: ITE C80 February 20 - iQ Workshop 2 Monday – 6:30PM Storrs Campus: School of Business Student Lounge March 6 - iQ Workshop 3 Monday – 6:30PM Storrs Campus: School of Business Student Lounge March 20 - iQ Workshop 4 Monday – 6:30PM Storrs Campus: School of Business Student Lounge March 29 - Application Deadline -- 11:59pm Eastern Wednesday April 10 - Finalists announced Monday April 22 - Finalists present to judges Saturday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Storrs Campus: School of Business Room #106 April 24 - Top three winners announced Monday April 25 - Awards Dinner (Tuesday) 6:00 PM Reception; 6:30 PM Dinner and Program - Announce 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners & iQ InQbator invitations. Storrs Campus: UConn Foundation Board Room May 10 – June 16 iQ InQbator business incubator/accelerator programCal Poly iQ 2017 - Competition Schedule
- Thursday Feb. 16th: Final iQ Information Session. Students are encouraged to come with questions about their applications.
- Friday March 3rd: Applications due at 11:59pm - Saturday April 29th: Final Presentations and Awards BanquetiQ Kicks Off Inaugural - Cal Poly Startup Connector - Silicon Valley - November 17, 2016
Cal Poly Startup Connector Silicon Valley
The premier startup networking event for all Cal Poly Alumni and Annual iQ/CIE Company Founder's Reunion, November 17, 2015. Brought to you by Innovation Quest, in partnership with Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) - Cal Poly Entrepreneurs Club - Cal Poly Alumni Association (CPAA) - Cal Poly Advancement - Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Who should attend: Entrepreneurs with new Startups Angel Investors to finance Startups iQ/CIE Company Founders Mentors and Advisors to help Startups Job Seekers to work for Startups CPSU Alumni interested in Cal Poly Startups Schedule: 5:30 Networking and socializing hour – drinks and snacks 6:30 Welcome and Keynote 7:00 A New Generation of Cal Poly Companies: An overview of the 2016 contest winners and new Cal Poly companies from IQ and CIE 7:30 Cal Poly Startups – Key Lessons Learned / Q&A: Moderated Panel Discussion with iQ/CIE Cal Poly companies in industry today 8:15 Networking and breakout sessions: Cal Poly Startups that are looking for - Area A: Investors; Area B: Mentors and Advisors; Area C: New Employees or Co-founders 9:30 Conclusion For more information contact: iQ@InnovationQ.orgUConn iQ 2016 Winner “I Was Surprised That Someone Hadn’t Invented This Yet”
UConn senior Stephen Hawes’ debuted as an entrepreneur several years ago, working diligently to perfect his...to read more - CLICK HERE
Cal Poly's Innovation Quest Competition Awards $30,000 to Student Starups
SAN LUIS OBISPO — An interdisciplinary team of four Cal Poly students earned the $15,000 first-place prize in Cal Poly’s 13th annual Innovation Quest (iQ) Competition for their startup Mantis Composites, a company that is developing carbon fiber 3-D printing technology to provide full service design-to-manufacturing of high performance...for the complete intriguing article - CLICK HERE
Cal Poly's 13th Annual Innovation Quest Competition 2016 Winners Announced
Congratulations to the winners of Cal Poly’s 2016 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 Award went to Mantis Composites, Michael Chapiro, Team Lead 2nd Place $10,000 Award went to DroneFox, Luke Fox, Team Lead 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to ObserVR, Jason Cheng, Team LeadUConn 2016 Innovation Quest Competition Winners Announced - Celebrating UConn-iQ's 5th Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of UConn’s 2016 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 Award went to Protectiscope, Elizabeth Pouya, Team Lead 2nd Place $10,000 Award went to Atlas Arm, Stephen Hawes, Team Lead 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to mBiotics, Stephanie Knowlton, Team LeadUConn 2016 Innovation Quest Competition Winners Announced - Celebrating UConn-iQ's 5th Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of Cal Poly’s 2016 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 Award went to Protectiscope, Elizabeth Pouya, Team Lead 2nd Place $10,000 Award went to Atlas Arm, Stephen Hawes, Team Lead 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to mBiotics, Stephanie Knowlton, Team LeadUConn - Innovation Quest Announces 2016 Finalists
After a thorough judging process using 31 mentor evaluators, the 2016 UConn Innovation Quest Competition Finalists have been chosen and are listed below by iQ Application Entry Number. Because of the extremely competitive nature of the competition, an additional 5 teams have been added to the list of Finalists, now 20.
The next phase of the competition is the Live Presentations Phase on Saturday, April 23rd. 2016 UConn-iQ FINALISTS Entry # Entry Project Name 2 Photo-sensing Electroluminescent Necklace 4 Venyou, LLC 5 Smart Glove 10 SquareOne 16 #D Printer For Creating Domestic Utilities 19 Invasive Plant Solutions 20 mBiotics: rapid, on-site disease diagnostics usingmagnets 21 Golf Sand Bunker Training Mat 22 Low Cost Audiometric Device for Hearing Loss Screening 29 Wearable phonocardiograph for real-time, continuous heart monitoring 31 The Storyteller Society 32 FutureMail 33 Atlas Arm 52 Stethoscope Hygiene 55 Exchange 59 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Monitoring System 68 Incentivized Sports 72 Low cost imaging system for early detection of the most common cancer among women (breast cancer) 73 Smart Scrubs 74 ShrimpBrightCal Poly - Innovation Quest Announces 2016 Finalists
Cal Poly announces the finalists for the 2016 Innovation Quest Competition. With 155 applicants representing 433 teams from across the colleges at Cal Poly, the Innovation Quest Competition continues to inspire students to dream, create, and innovate. After a difficult review process from alumni, friends, and faculty/staff of Cal Poly, twelve finalists have been chosen. The finalist teams, which truly represent the variety and interdisciplinary nature of a polytechnic university, are:
Brandplug: Software that allows marketers to pay social media celebrities for promotion in content on their social media accounts based on the amount of impressions or engagements their promotional content generates. Bubble: A mobile app that aims to provide quick, once a day exercises to help users increase real interactions with family, friends, and strangers as well as develop a healthier state of mind. Current: To prevent sexual assault on college campuses, Current has developed a phone case with a built-in stun gun that automatically calls the police, texts a user’s emergency contacts, and activates the phone's video camera to identify suspects afterward. DroneFox: Employing a hierarchy of countermeasures, DroneFox detects, identifies, and intercepts unauthorized drones. Hemp-Shiv Nanoparticle Composite Insulating Material: We are creating a hemp-shiv nanoparticle insulating material that is both carbon-negative and carbon sequestering, that can replace current insulation in commercial and residential projects. Mantis Composites: Provides a full service design-to-testing platform that allows our customers to create a new era of high performance machines and devices with stronger, lighter, and more intricate composite parts than current technologies allow. ObserVR: A virtual reality application that allows a user to stream multiple 2D videos in a 3D environment, creating an immersive experience by allowing them to self-producing gameplay and increasing their interaction with what they’re watching. Pivot: We are helping independent sustainable waste management firms lower fuel costs and increase operational efficiency with a smart network of dumpster volume sensors paired with GIS-powered route optimization software. Quench: The only company that keeps customers fully hydrated without adding any contaminants to your water, we track hydration with our smartphone app and a revolutionary water displacement disc that measures the amount of water leaving your bottle Saffron: A mobile app regional marketplace that allows experienced and qualified chefs to connect and sell their specialty, homemade creations with foodies looking for the most delicious and exciting food trends. Smart Irrigation: We are revolutionizing wine-grape growing by reducing water consumption and simultaneously improving crop quality by providing growers with a smart network of soil moisture probes and precision valves all in pursuit of making the best bottle of wine. U-Farm: The U-Farm is a fully-automated and sustainable vertical farm for urban environments. Dr. Thomas M. Katona Director Cal Poly - Innovation Quest, Asst. Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Biomedical and General Engineering Dept.UConn Launches 5th Innovation Quest
Students, Teams, Ideas Soaring to New Levels, Mentors Say
Graduate nursing student Samantha Nesbeth wants to find a way to use genetics, instead of hair transplants, to help men and women regrow thinning hair. “When you lose your hair, you see yourself as a read moreAre YOU Ready? UConn iQ Kicks Off its 5th Anniversary Competition.
Happy New Year!
We are looking forward to the start of our 5th year. The iQ buzz on campus has already started. We are expecting another exceptional year of innovation. Our success is driven by your dedication to our students and the help, advice, and mentoring that you provide them. Thanks for all that you have done in the past and thanks for your commitment to their future! Best regards, Rich, Keith and the UConn iQ Team 2016 Innovation Quest Key Dates February 15 iQ Kick-Off Reception – Monday 5:30PM - 6:30PM Alumni House IQ Workshop 1 Monday – 7:00 PM Storrs Campus ITE C180 February 22 iQ Workshop 2 Monday – 6:30PM School of Business Student Lounge March 7 iQ Workshop 3 Monday – 6:30PM School of Business Student Lounge March 21 iQ Workshop 4 Monday – 6:30PM School of Business Student Lounge March 30 Application Deadline -- 11:59pm Eastern Wednesday April 11 Finalists announced Monday April 23 Finalists present to judges Saturday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Storrs Campus Laurel Hall 101 April 25 Top three winners announced Monday April 26 Awards Dinner (Tuesday) 6:00 PM Reception; 6:30 PM Dinner and Program Announce 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners & iQ InQbator invitations UConn Foundation Board Room May 11 – June 17 iQ InQbator business incubator/accelerator program InQbator Dates (All Wednesdays except Session #6) (School of Business Room #203 for all 6) Session #1: May 11th Session #2: May 18th Session #3: May 25th Session #4: June 1st Session #5: June 8th Session #6: June 17th -- Investor Presentation Day (Friday)Cal Poly iQ DayOne Response Wins Honored Silicon Valley Laureate Tech Award 2015
According to the American Red Cross, providing clean drinking water is the number one challenge in disaster zones. Each year more than 255 million people are affected by natural disasters, and without access to clean water they face potentially life-threatening waterborne illnesses....
DayOne Response developed a lightweight, family-scale water treatment device with an all-in-one design for collection, transport, treatment and storage of local water to create safe drinking water...Working with domestic and international partners, including CARE International, the U.S. Marine Corps, and WorldVision International among others, the Waterbag has been deployed to more than 20 countries, providing 7 million liters of clean water for disaster relief...more - CLICK HERE How it works and, at the end of the video, the smiling faces it helps in stressful times of worldwide disaster relief. video - CLICK HERECal Poly iQ SureStop Brian Riley Wins (Under 35) U35 BRAIN Award
UConn iQ Companies Winning additional Awards-Funding
Smpl Bio is creating a bioinformatics platform technology that enables researchers to gain insights into the nature of genes and proteins, thereby expediting creation of new diagnostics, better drugs, and superior therapeutics. The investment was approved for up to $500,000 in funding. full story
Parrot MD received a "silver" division award.full storyInnovation Quest 2016: Are you Ready?
The Cal Poly 2016 Innovation Quest Competition Begins!
Get ready and tune up with all the Cal Poly CIE events. Why not...YOU! CLICK HERE for a short video clip of last year's highlights. We Believe in the Possibilities of...YOU!UConn iQ 2015 1st Prize Winner Dan Dvoskin of Autobeacon Wins another Award
Rocky Hill, Conn., Sept.14, 2015 – CTNext, Connecticut’s innovation ecosystem managed by Connecticut Innovations, today announced the award winners of the most recent Entrepreneur Innovation Awards (EIA), which were held on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Infinity Music Hall, located in Hartford, Conn.
The finalists, who are Connecticut-based companies and entrepreneurs, presented their innovative project ideas at a Shark-Tank-style event for an opportunity to secure awards of up to $10,000. Winners included: Imperium Technologies (West Hartford): Developing Autobeacon, an electromechanical device to ensure responsible driving by teens and young adults by providing preventative technologies to promote safe driving...UConn iQ 2015: What's the Big Deal? What's the Big Idea?
Kyle Mahoney '18 just finished his freshman year at UConn, but already he has created a therapeutic massage device that he believes will be a retail blockbuster.
Mahoney and his business partner, Chris Brown '15, were among six teams recognized as the best entrepreneurial ventures in UConn's highly competitive Innovation Quest. On June 19, they presented their ideas and prototypes to more than a dozen angel investors, who will now track their products' development and potentially fund their companies. "I always knew I was going to be an entrepreneur," said Mahoney, an exercise science major. "I've never wanted to work for someone else...for the complete intriguing article and VIDEO - CLICK HERECal Poly 2015 Innovation Quest Winners Announced - Celebrating Cal Poly-iQ's 12th Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of Cal Poly's 2015 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 "Innovation Quest" Award went to LiftGator Removable 2nd Place $10,000 Rich & Jackie Boberg Award went to App Scrolls 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to SENCE - Smart Water Meter The Parsons $10,000 Award went to Higea Inc - ferrofluid oil spill clean up method The QL+ $5,000 Award went to U-Turner Ergonomic Patient Turning DeviceUConn 2015 Innovation Quest Competition Winners Announced - Celebrating UConn-iQ's 4th Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of UConn's 2015 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 Auran J. Fox Award went to Autobeacon 2nd Place $10,000 Award went to SoulStones 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to Picaptcha Judges' Special $5000 Award went to StoryLineParsons to Support Cal Poly 2015 Innovation Quest Competition
PASADENA, CA (February 5, 2015) – Parsons is pleased to announce that it will contribute $10,000 to support Cal Poly’s 2015 Innovation Quest (iQ) Competition. Now in its 12th year, this campuswide competition is designed to encourage student innovators to pursue their ideas and get them funded. Parsons, in coordination with iQ, has also created a special award for the 2015 competition. The award—another $10,000 contribution—is geared toward innovative concepts that lead to an entrepreneurial venture in the architectural, engineering, and construction market.
“Innovation is a core value at Parsons, and Cal Poly’s iQ Competition represents innovation at its best,” said Chuck Harrington, Parsons’ Chairman and CEO. “This competition offers university students an opportunity to get their ideas, projects, and programming noticed, rewarded, and potentially introduced to the venture capital industry.” In order to enter the iQ Competition, student innovators are required to complete an application form outlining the innovative concept being proposed. Applicants are mentored through several workshops to learn entrepreneurial and presentation skills and fine-tune their ideas. Concepts that make it to the final stage will feature a high potential for commercialization, a demonstrable prototype validating the novel concept, and a business plan on how to take the product to market. These requirements provide the teams with a strong framework for continued pursuit of their endeavors beyond the iQ Competition. Parsons will be involved in judging as well as in selecting the finalists. “Historically, student participation in the AEC area has been underrepresented. The Parsons award will incentivize students to not only generate innovations in architecture, engineering, and construction, but to also consider the market value of those ideas,” said Tom Katona, Cal Poly’s iQ Faculty Director. He added, “It’s also wonderful to have corporate support for all our efforts to promote entrepreneurship across campus. Parsons’ support of our iQ operations will help Cal Poly inspire a generation of can-do innovative and entrepreneurial leaders.” In addition to supporting Cal Poly’s iQ Competition, Parsons is involved in Cal Poly’s initiative to become the leading supplier of cybersecurity professionals and has committed $100,000 to this effort over a 2-year period, which began in 2014.UConn - iQ Announces 2015 Award Candidate Finalists
Rich Dino, Unniversity of Conneticut:
"The Top 4 2015 UConn Innovation Quest Finalists have been selected by the UConn iQ Panel of Judges. They are (in alphabetical order): Autobeacon, Picapcha, Soulstones, and StoryLine. Congratulations to these teams and to all of the Finalists for your hard work and commitment to Innovation. And thanks to all the Mentors/Judges for your invaluable contributions to the success of all the iQ teams. We will announce the placement of these Teams/Projects at the 2015 iQ Awards Dinner on Wednesday evening, April 29th. We will also be announcing the Team invitations to participate in the 2015 Summer iQ InQbator. At the dinner, we will be recognizing the achievements of ALL of the 15 iQ Finalists who presented their ideas this past Saturday. ...We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday evening to celebrate the creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship of our outstanding students."Cal Poly - iQ Announces 2015 Award Candidate Finalists
Tom Katona, California Polytechnic State University:
"2015 iQers, Thank you all for the effort you put into making today an amazing success. On behalf of the entire Cal Poly Innovation Quest Team, we would like to humbly express our thanks for letting us be a part of your innovation process. The judges and outside observers were extremely impressed with your creativity, passion, and dedication to your projects/innovations. You made the judging process extremely difficult, and we expect great things from many of you in the future. After reviewing the 18 finalist presentations, the judges have decided to not only award the first place (Carson Chen Innovation Award), second place (Rich and Jackie Boberg Innovation Award), and third place prizes, but our corporate sponsors, Parsons and QL+, have also chosen teams within their domain of interest which they would like to recognize for their innovative and entrepreneurial ideas. Announcement of the specific awards will occur at the iQ Awards Dinner on May 2nd...Even if you are not receiving an award, please join us to celebrate all that you have accomplished during this year. The banquet is intended to celebrate the achievement you all have accomplished just to get to today's presentation. Without further adieu, the five award winners are listed below IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER: - App Scrolls - Higea Technologies - LiftGator Removable Lift Gate - SENCE - Smart Water Meter - U-Turner: Ergonomic Patient Turning Device Again, we were extremely impressed with all of the finalist teams this year and we encourage you to research, fine-tune, and continue to pursue the commercial potential of your projects utilizing the full range of resources that are offered to you through the Cal Poly CIE. It's interesting to note that one of the award winners above has previously applied to iQ two times without receiving an award, and their ability to stay focused on continuing, and pursuing their ideas has resulted in receiving funding through this years competition. Over the next 1-2 weeks I will be reaching out by phone to each of the finalist team leaders to provide feedback and recommendations from the judges. I can't express enough how proud the Cal Poly community was of the collective body of work that was displayed today. "Congratulations to the 2015 UConn iQ 16 Finalists!
After a thorough judging process using 31 mentor evaluators, the 2015 UConn Innovation Quest Competition Finalists have been chosen.
Good Luck in iQ Finalist "Live Judging" Presentation Day! In no particular order, the 16 Finalists are listed below: 1) Active Wearable Enabler (AWE) 2) PentaVac: An Innovative Multivalent Spray Vaccine against a Costly Poultry Disease 3) Picaptcha 4) SoulStones 5) Fantasy Invest 6) 360 SMR 7) Summit Music Application 8) StoryLine 9) Homejourney 10) Orunje-Healthcare on Demand 11) Parrot MD 12) Autobeacon 13) Nursing Innovation Project 14) Gigapixel Microscopy for Digital Pathology 15) Crime Scan 16) Last FilterCongratulations to the 2015 Cal Poly iQ 18 Finalists!
The following teams are the 18 Finalists for the 2015 12th Anniversary Cal Poly Innovation Quest Competition. They will compete for $30,000 in cash prizes and a special QL+ and Parsons award. Good Luck in iQ Finalist "Live Judging" Presentation Day!
(in no particular order) 1) 3DHOTFIX.com (3DHF) 2) App Scrolls 3) Dingbot 4) Higea inc. 5) High Spirits Distillery 6) LiftGator Removable Lift Gate 7) Mantis Aerospace 8) Mantis Composites 9) Pinventory 10) SENCE - Smart Water Meter 11) Sole Good 12) Stakeout 13) Superhive 14) The BigFoot Crutch 15) The Bottlefly, Inc. 16) The ThermoCore 17) U-Turner: Ergonomic Patient Turning Device 18) WhichWayCal Poly Innovation Quest 2014-15 Information - Facebook page
For the latest Innovation Quest buzz keep tuned to - https://www.facebook.com/CalPolyInnovationQuest2014 or CLICK HERE
Cal Poly Innovation Quest Info Session #1 - Meet Student Entrepreneurs
As Cal Poly - iQ kicks off its 12th year, see student entrepreneurs that learned to believe in themselves and started their careers owning their own destiny.
Hear them speak about their successes and how it can be "YOU!!!" video clip - CLICK HERE WHEN: Thursday, November 20, 2014 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM WHERE: Advanced Technologies Lab (ATL Bldg 7) Cal Poly Campus iQ...Empowering Young Leaders to Discover their Own Possibilities...Cal Poly Kicks-off 2014-15 Innovation Quest Info Session #1
"From Idea to Prototype to Company"
Why not? Why not...YOU! When: Thursday, November 20, 2014 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM Where: Advanced Technologies Lab (ATL Bldg 7) Cal Poly Campus For more information CLICK HEREUConn-iQ: No better app for the weekend than ‘Sobrio’
Imagine this: you drive to your friend’s house on a weekend night to hang out for a few hours and catch up. You don’t intend to drink that much because you know your limits, but it was a very stressful week and you want to let loose a bit. After a while you realize it’s getting late, or perhaps you are out of beer and decide a midnight pickup from a convenience store down the road sounds like a good idea.
You think you can handle the drive; after all you’re not that drunk. You’ll just... read more - click hereFrom Contest to Success: Following iQ Startups
The prize money is only the beginning…
Something that gives me an immense amount of enjoyment is the advising that I do with student startups from the UCONN Innovation Quest program. This program is a contest with real cash awards as well as a six week incubator program that puts the student teams directly in touch with startup experts as well as investors. Just having a cool or innovative idea isn’t enough to compete. The purpose of the iQ program is to create real businesses that have the potential to Read More...Cal Poly 2013 Innovation Quest Competition Winners Announced - Celebrating iQ's 11th Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of Cal Poly's 2014 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition! This year we celebrate Innovation Quest's 11th year anniversary at Cal Poly!
1st Place $15,000 Award went to AccuSpine by Sarthak Patel 2nd Place $10,000 Award went to Hydrex by Zoie Engman 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to Tandemech by Tobias ReaperUConn 2014 Innovation Quest Competition Winners Announced - Celebrating UConn-iQ's 3rd Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of UConn's 2014 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 Auran J. Fox Award went to HAPTITUDE by Morad Behandish 2nd Place $10,000 Award went to Reknown by Mai Hamdalla 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to Reflective Gestures by Mikhail RudinskiyCongratulations 2014 Cal Poly iQ 17 Finalists!
Congratulations! The following teams are Finalists for the 2014 11th Anniversary Cal Poly Innovation Quest Competition. They will compete for $30,000 in cash prizes and a special QL+ award. Good Luck!
(in no particular order) AccuSpine Beatstream DeCigs Ease of Gait Home2o (pronounced “Home 2 Oh”) Hydrex: Wearable Hydration Monitor iCHIP-it Lock N Load Liftgates Milk Pro Tubeless Sealant Music Putty PIGEON PISCIS (Pneumatic In-situ Soil Caving Index Sampler) Pocket Preschool Restroom Rater Sole Good Tandemech Engineering WineSavCongratulations to the 2014 UConn-iQ 16 Finalists!
Congratulations! The following teams are Finalists for the 2014 UConn Innovation Quest Competition. They will compete for $30,000 in cash prizes and an opportunity to participate in the iQ InQbator. Good Luck!
(in no particular order) Salve Visualization of Complex Equations STEMbuds Suspended Ceiling Spider Lock (SCSL) Smart Guns - Geosync Hunting Rifles Reflective Gestures Personalized fitness and education plans, and social network based on genes Minimally Activated Knee Brace Flashplan Reknown Eco-inspired and Hydrodynamic Underwater Energy Harvesting in Underwater Sensor Networks WalkOn Large-scale fabrication of lamellar scaffolds for bone repair EPIC Brew: Making Awesome Crowdsurf Mobile Launch HAPTITUDE: Haptics Software Development KitCal Poly-iQ 2013 Winners Common Fibers Launches their Company!
Ann Livingston-Peters, Gabriel Mountjoy, Tim Brophy and Myles Bradwell, 2nd Place Prize Winners in the Cal Poly Innovation Quest 2013 Competition, launches Common Fibers with an initial product line of three carbon fiber products using their patent pending technology. Congratulations!
To see a short video clip of the team, company and products… click here…to learn more, click on the “KICKSTARTER” menu tab to view a short video history. iQ…We Believe in the Possibilities of…YOU!Mothers of Invention - Toyota 2014 Award Tricia Compas-Markman founder DayOne Response
Women in the World - Tricia Compas-Markman, founder of DayOne Response, is one of the 2014 Mothers of Invention awardees.
The DayOne Water Bag is their premiere product — a product she invented to allow water to be collected, cleaned, and quickly available for drinking, after natural disasters strike. As a civil engineering student at Cal Polytechnic State University, she started the group Engineers Without Borders and began work building water treatment systems in Thailand. See the video... read more “That’s when I first recognized the need for clean water and what the access to clean water can do,” she said. Below is a video of the water bag being used in Haiti, where clean water was much needed after a 7.0 earthquake struck in...read more... Forbes article - click hereCONGRATULATIONS to UConn iQ Start-up "Secor Water!"
Cal Poly iQ: Innovation Quest kicks off with the first 2014 workshop for student creators
The Cal Poly Entrepreneurship Ideation Lab (EIL) was buzzing with excitement last Thursday, February 20th, as students gathered for Innovation Quest’s first workshop of the year. Young innovators from across the university came together to learn more about the application process and hear from past winners about how iQ allowed them to launch the business of their dreams. Oh, and did we mention there was free pizza?
video clip Past winners Andrew and Nicole Macaluso of SanTasti (now Evo Revitalizing Water), as well as Arlin Krigel of Spongecrete (now MegaMatter), spoke to the audience of roughly 75 students about their journey through Innovation Quest, and how it sparked their path to success. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without iQ,” said Nicole. She and her partner, Andrew Macaluso, won the $15,000 first place prize back in 2008. She credits the competition with giving SanTasti the “push” it needed to turn the product into a tangible, profitable business. She hopes that other students will find similar success, and encouraged everyone in the room to apply. “I wasn’t even sure that I was going to enter,” said Arlin Krigel, who won the $5,000 third-place prize in last year’s competition. Since winning Innovation Quest, Krigel’s business has evolved from its original plan for a more lightweight concrete material into a chemical solution for fire protection. A year ago, Krigel says he had no idea where he was going to be, and now looks back at the competition fondly. “This is the fun part!” he said. read about a successful student company This meeting was the first in a series of three information sessions/workshops designed to prepare students for the application process and help them build a team to further their ideas. The next workshop will be held on Wednesday, March 5th from 6-8pm in the ATL, Building 7, with the final workshop taking place on Monday, April 7th from 6-8pm in Building 180, Room 114. For more information, please visit the Cal Poly Innovation Quest Facebook page (facebook.com/CalPolyInnovationQuest2014), or sign up for the mailing list through this link: http://bit.ly/1euhOLAUConn Daily: Innovation Quest Kickoff Provides Unique Opportunity to Students
...iQ sponsors a $15 Thousand grand-prize contest to see who has the best, brightest and most marketable idea. The winner of this contest will gain recognition and seed money, both vital assets for a startup in any field. Second and third place will receive $10 and $5 thousand, respectively. In preparation for the contest, there will be four developmental workshops as well as a six day “start-up boot camp” in the summer, where students will hone the marketability of their products and refine their understandings of their models, as explained by Dr. Robert Dino, the director of UConn’s Innovation Quest and associate professor at the School of Business. “Nobody has control over ideas. They come from everywhere,” Dino said...
For the full article: read moreFeb 11th UConn Innovation Quest (iQ) Competition Kickoff
As we all know, fostering and encouraging innovation in today's young entrepreneurs is imperative in driving economic development. As the state's flagship university, it is our responsibility to develop programs and opportunities that support and encourage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship as a way to help all of our students and faculty enhance their capabilities and, in turn, boost Connecticut's economy.
With that in mind, we are pleased to announce UConn's 3rd annual Innovation Quest (iQ) Competition. The kickoff event is scheduled for next Tuesday, February 11th at 7:00PM in Gentry Room 131. The diverse portfolio of submissions over the past two years underscored the fact that ideas and innovation can come anytime, anywhere, and from anyone. Last year, more than 100 Undergraduate, Masters, and Ph.D. students across all campuses and 23 different academic disciplines, ranging from business and engineering students to others in the liberal arts, GeoScience, medicine, pharmacy, media, communications, and the humanities brought creative ideas forward. Therefore, getting the word out across the entire University is critical in ensuring equal access and opportunity. The iQ Program was brought to UConn at the encouragement of Keith R. Fox '80 (BUS), a longtime entrepreneur, executive, and philanthropist who offered to sponsor the program here at UConn after seeing its success at Cal Poly. The iQ kickoff event on February 11th will feature a team of current students, faculty and UConn alumni explaining the competition guidelines and instructions on how to enter and win up to $15,000 in cash prizes. For more information about iQ and to RSVP for the kickoff, students can search "Innovation Quest-UConn" on Facebook or go to www.innovationquest.org/uconn.UConn to Kick-off the 3rd Annual Innovation Quest Competition
You’re invited to attend the kickoff event on Tuesday, February 11th, at 7:00 pm in Gentry, Room 131. The iQ kickoff event will feature pizza along with a team of current students, faculty, and UConn alumni explaining the competition guidelines and instructions on how to enter and win up to $15,000 in cash prizes.
The diverse portfolio of submissions over the past two years underscored the fact that ideas and innovation can come anytime, anywhere, and from anyone. Last year, iQ students came from 23 different academic disciplines, ranging from business, engineering, the liberal arts, GeoScience, medicine, pharmacy, media, communications, and the humanities. Creative ideas from your own domain knowledge. Why Not? Why Not...YOU!Cal Poly Kicks-off the 2014 Innovation Quest Competition, iQ's 11th Anniversary
The Cal Poly 2014 Innovation Quest Competition Begins!
February 20, Thursday - Workshop 1: Introduction & Team Building 6- 8 PM – Location EIL BLD 2 RM 206 March 05, Wednesday - Workshop 2: Motivation & Team Building 6- 8 PM – Location TBD April 07, Monday - Workshop 3: “Roll up the sleeves” Application Review 6- 8 PM – Location TBD April 11, Friday - Application Deadline -- 11:59pm Pacific April 25, Friday - Finalists announced May 3, Saturday - Finalists present to judges May 5, Monday - Top three winners announced May 17, Saturday - Cal Poly-iQ Awards & iQer Annual Reunion Dinner: Announce 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners and accelerator invitations. Get to know your fellow iQers as they come back each year for a reunion of ideas, advice, mentoring and just have fun getting to meet you!UConn 2014 Innovation Quest Competition Key Dates
February 11 - Kickoff IQ Workshop 1 Tuesday – 7:00 PM
February 25 - iQ Workshop 2 Tuesday – 6:30PM March 11 - iQ Workshop 3 Tuesday – 6:30PM March 25 - iQ Workshop 4 Tuesday – 6:30PM April 1 - Application Deadline -- 11:59pm Eastern Tuesday April 14 - Finalists announced Monday April 26 - Finalists present to judges Saturday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM April 28 - Top three winners announced Monday April 29 - Awards Dinner (Tuesday) 6:00 PM Reception; 6:30 PM Dinner and Program Announce 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners & iQ InQbator invitations Tuesday May 14 – iQ InQbator business incubator/accelerator program June 22 InQbator Dates (All Wednesdays except Session #6) Session #1: May 14th Session #2: May 21st Session #3: May 28th Session #4: June 4th Session #5: June 11th Session #6: June 20th -- Investor Presentation Day (Friday)UConn: Embracing Entrepreneurship
Innovation Quest (iQ) program teaches aspiring entrepreneurs what it takes to launch a company, drawing attention to the value of business skills regardless of academic discipline.
An idea can come from anywhere.
That is the message behind UConn’s Innovation Quest program, which recognizes aspiring student entrepreneurs—regardless of major or business experience—with monetary awards and a training program to help take their business ideas to the next level and beyond. The second annual program drew in more than 100 students across all disciplines and campuses this past spring—from music majors to bioengineers to business students—each hoping to take their proposal from “idea to prototype to company.”
The energy and excitement surrounding Innovation Quest is apparent among the UConn community. Adam Boyajian ’12 (BUS), one of the program’s first “entrepreneurs-in-residence” last year, returned as an alumni mentor for 2013. “I love the startup world and the pulse around people who have that entrepreneurial spirit,” he says. Hugh Tansey (ENG), also a program mentor, agrees. “It’s both satisfying to give something back to the university and also energizing and fun to participate with all the great new ideas being proposed.”
Making Connections to Drive Innovation
UConn’s vice president for economic development, Mary Holz-Clause, stresses that Innovation Quest is an important asset to the University of Connecticut to spur innovation, which is enhanced by bringing diverse thoughts and ideas together. “Through iQ we are able to connect an engineering student to work with a liberal arts major. This diversity of experiences and thought can help thrust a powerful idea or concept into a new product or service,” she says.
Robert McCarthy, dean emeritus of pharmacy, echoes this sentiment: “In my view, iQ accomplishes a number of goals beyond providing support for student entrepreneurs. One of these is bringing together individuals of varying backgrounds, something that we are focusing on in health care.”“We have creative students across the university that have brilliant ideas. Innovation Quest gives these students an opportunity to capitalize on those ideas, to learn from their peers, and to receive guidance and inspiration from alumni with the business acumen, entrepreneurial experience, and passion required to fuel a successful startup,” says John Elliott, School of Business dean. “Our alumni dedication to iQ is remarkable,” he adds. “Without their support this program wouldn’t exist at UConn.”
Idea to Prototype to Company: The Journey
Innovation Quest is supported by alumni mentors and “entrepreneurs-in-residence (EIRs)” who work closely with participants in two phases of the program – the Innovation Stage and the Summer InQbator.
Alumni Mentorship and Support
“Innovation Quest is about giving students the confidence to follow their dreams and ideas…to coaching them in the process of breakthrough innovations through the hard work of creating prototypes…to then inspiring the passion and mental toughness to create a successful company,” says Keith Fox ’80 (BUS). Fox, a longtime entrepreneur, executive and philanthropist, brought Innovation Quest to UConn after seeing its success at California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly). In addition to serving as a mentor, Keith provides financial support for the program and is integral to its success.
“My wife and I have been blessed and believe in giving back. We have set up our family foundation, focused on children’s health and education. Our giving is focused on children’s hospitals as well as educational opportunities to give young people an opportunity to follow their dreams,” says Fox. Mike Parelli ’12 (BUS) adds, “It is crucial for students to have mentors, and the mentor network that Innovation Quest is building will be invaluable for everyone involved moving forward.” Parelli, a former entrepreneur-in-residence, is now an active alumni mentor for iQ. “It was a great experience as a student and I was very appreciative of the successful alumni sacrificing their valuable time, which in turn has motivated me to give back my time. I think the commitment of the first wave of mentors has set the tone and inspired future mentors to come.” “Working with the mentors was a pleasure,” shares Eross Guadalupe ’13 (ENG), one of this year’s participants. “They genuinely wanted us to succeed and I cannot stress enough how much I appreciated them for taking time to help us learn what it takes to be successful as an entrepreneur.”Peer Guidance: Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Entrepreneurs-in-residence (EIRs) serve as a peer resource for the prospective startups, organize Phase One workshops, and help judge the Phase One competition. “As EIRs, we are required to have already completed the incubator program, so we understand the position that the other companies are in. We use this experience to put ourselves in their shoes and share what we learned throughout the process,” shares Tom Bachant ’13 (ENG). Bachant and Nadav Ullman ’12 (CLAS) are the founders of Sobrio, a mobile application that connects college students who need safe rides to designated drivers at their university. Last year, they participated in both phases of the inaugural Innovation Quest program at UConn. “As participants, we learned a lot about what it takes to start a company. In the inQbator, we had lawyers, accountants, and industry experts come and help us work through some of the challenges we were facing. This type of hands-on experience helped us with some essential aspects of building a startup,” says Ullman. Sobrio was named among the Connecticut Technology Council’s “2012 Tech Companies to Watch,” and is currently expanding to college campuses across the country.
Phase One – Innovation
Phase One of Innovation Quest is about ideas, prototyping, and invention. Over the course of several workshops, teams work on prototypes, receive help with and submit their competition application, and discuss marketing plans. Of thirty-one teams that entered the 2013 competition, twelve finalists were chosen and presented their proposals for a chance to participate in the coveted Phase Two inQbator training program. Eight teams out of the twelve were selected, with the top three winners receiving cash prizes of $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000 to put towards the start of their business.
First place winner Mark Smith ’13 MS has developed an inexpensive, portable, and easy to use 3-D imaging solution that produces high resolution macroscopic images that can be enlarged to any size without degradation in the quality of the image. “I (like all scientists) have thousands of ideas but I lacked the business know-how and money to get started. Conversely, business-minded students needed a program to help with the idea. iQ brings all of these powerful minds together,” says Smith. “Our company, Macroscopic Solutions, was founded and was operating in under six months.”Phase Two – “InQbation”
Workshops
Innovation Quest winners and select runners-up have the opportunity to build their business as part of an accelerated training program called the inQbator. “Being in the inQbator was like learning a year’s worth of business courses in six weeks,” shares Alicia Echevarria ’13 MS. “The sessions were long and demanding but also extremely informative and beneficial.” The inQbator has also drawn UConn alumni who are specialists in fields ranging from entrepreneurship to patent law, who have donated their time and expertise to guide the students. “That is the beauty of iQ; we have mentors with expertise in a wide range of fields that can provide suggestions for the new companies. For example, I am an attorney and can provide legal advice and there are other members of iQ that can provide more specific information about financing, prototypes, or marketing,” says Jason Dodge ’80 (CLAS), ’83 JD. “I have participated in iQ for two years and I am amazed at the quality of business proposals that have come through the program,” he adds.Seeking Investment
For the final inQbator workshop session, teams are given the option to present their business and funding needs live to local investors. “At this stage of Innovation Quest, we want to see these businesses and ideas starting to make their way from innovation to commercialization,” says Rich Dino, director of the UConn Innovation Quest program. This year, seven entrepreneurial student teams pitched business ideas and funding requests to investors on Friday, June 21 at the UConn School of Business. Seeking financing for startup costs including patents, licensing agreements, product development, and funding go-to-market strategies, the teams eagerly presented their product pitches, business plans, financial projections, and investment needs to a group of enthusiastic supporters. Among the audience of investors, alumni mentors, EIRs, and program administrators was UConn Provost Mun Choi, a proponent of the program since it came to campus last year. “The iQ program enables our students to pursue creative and innovative concepts to develop breakthrough companies. We’re grateful to the alumni who provide mentorship and practical advice to our student teams that will lead to higher likelihood of market success,” says Choi. Among the supporting data to convince investors that their companies will generate positive returns, students presented proofs of concept, market analyses, financial statements and projections, cash flow estimates, pricing structures, revenue models, timelines, distribution plans, and exit strategies. “All of the teams and their business plans were excellent. I was impressed with the depth of thought that went into the business strategies and also with their presentation skills,” says Nat Brinn, a partner at Vital Financial LLC venture capital investment group. “UConn has great talent. I say this in comparison to all of the groups and universities that we interact with across the country... The intellectual property coming out of UConn is top notch and this program also allows the university to capitalize on the IP and develop a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.” “I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the students, their ideas, work ethic and dedication. Being an entrepreneur requires a great deal of brain power, willingness to take risk, and dedication to their idea. It is not for the ‘faint of heart,’” says Dave Pepin ’66 (BUS), ’70 MBA.Life after iQ
“The [iQ] experience was invaluable,” says Matt Cremins, an MS candidate in the School of Engineering. Cremins’ company, Secor Water, came out of an idea he developed with fellow engineering students Yanbing Guo, Joseph Mummert, Jeffrey Peterson, and Thuy Pham, providing clean, green, customizable water delivered to customers through a network of commercial water dispensing stations. “iQ has given us the confidence to push through and develop the prototype,” he adds. The company is set to launch on the UConn campus this fall.A Culture of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
When asked what advice they would give to budding entrepreneurs, three common themes emerged from mentors, investors, and iQ participants:Trust in yourself and put in the hours.
“There is no room for doubt. And there is no substitute for hard work,” says Pepin. “Trust yourself and when starting your venture surround yourself with people that see the same opportunity as you and are willing to work just as hard to achieve success,” adds Frank Milone ’92 (BUS), a founding partner in FML, a full service accounting firm located in Glastonbury, Connecticut.Network, network, network.
“…Get out of the classroom, dorm, office, and talk to as many subject matter experts and potential customers as you can (not 10 people but 100+ people), says Mike Wisniewski ’06 (BGS), ’10 MBA, an investment analyst at Connecticut Innovations.Focus on the potential customer.
“See if people want what you’re creating,” suggests Boyajian. “Capital providers are interested in funding companies that are focused on serving a market that has well-defined unmet needs and the potential to gain customers and revenue rapidly,” adds Brinn. “IQ requires teamwork. It takes leadership and involvement of the university staff and faculty, as well as the volunteer mentoring from talented and interested alumni, and the risk taking from angel investors…to create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship…as well as a culture of giving back from successful alumni. I hope this program and process becomes engrained into the UConn culture for decades to come,” concludes Fox.Cal Poly 2013 Innovation Quest Competition Winners Announced - Celebrating iQ's 10th Anniversary
Congratulations to the winners of Cal Poly's 2013 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition! This year we celebrate Innovation Quest's 10th year anniversary at Cal Poly!
1st Place $15,000 Rich and Jackie Boberg award went to Monster Creative by Jacob Johannesen 2nd Place $10,000 Award went to Fiber Flex by Ann Livingston-Peters 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to Spongecrete by Arlin KrigelUConn Geoscience Student Wins 1st Prize in Innovation Quest Competition
The words ‘scientist’ and ‘entrepreneur’ may not evoke the same mental image, but in the case of Mark Smith, they are a perfect fit.
Smith, who will finish his Master of Science degree in geoscience later this summer, is the winner of this year’s Innovation Quest competition which recognizes aspiring UConn student entrepreneurs read moreUConn-Innovation Quest 2013 Winners Announced
Congratulations to the winners of UConn's 2013 Innovation Quest, Campus-Wide, Competition!
1st Place $15,000 Auran J. Fox Award went to Macropod Imaging by Mark Smith 2nd Place $10,000 Award went to PartsTech by Gregory Kirber 3rd Place $5,000 Award went to Seaweed Fertilizer by Timothy HiduCal Poly iQ 10th Anniversary 2013 Competition Finalists Chosen
Congratulations! In Cal Poly’s 10th Anniversary of Innovation Quest, the following teams are Finalists for the 2013 Innovation Quest Competition. They will compete for $30,000 in cash prize. Good Luck!
(in no particular order) MODMYMEAL - A Meal Modification App - Caitlin Hughes Protocases - Chris Polis Removable Lift Gate - Justin Russo PickMeUp - Daniel Lee Tweetonomics - Sunjay Dhama LunaLight - Daniel Patrick Idle Eyes – Vehicle Idle Monitor - Dayton Pickering StrengthPortal - Matt McGunagle Mezmr - Dallas Brown Veg This Way - Kaitlin Munoz SeatWizz - Luke Bayard Reqi: Wiki-based requirement tracking - Tayler Jones Magnetic Chello - David Levi Passing Through – An Urban Exploration App - Brett Irwin VeriWash - Maxwell KelloggUConn iQ 2013 Competition Finalists Chosen
Congratulations! The following teams are Finalists for the 2013 UConn Innovation Quest Competition. They will compete for $30,000 in cash prizes and an opportunity to participate in the iQ InQbator. Good Luck!
(in no particular order) Cinch Spin University Skin Barrier SAM Structural Assessment Monitor ARCHIMEDI Scope World LoveMauh PartsTech DuraBioTech Heart valve Rehabilitation Knee Brace SECOR Water LL Adv Structural Seaweed Fertilizer LUDUSPRO Sports MACROPODSpeaking at TEDx, our own Trica Compas Markman of DayOneResponse
Pat and Matt of GRINDS 'tame' the Sharks! NOT!
UCONN's "Husky" seeks his Innovation Quest!
“GRINDS goes Shark Hunting!”
The 2013 Innovation Quest Competitions at Cal Poly and UConn begins Now!
Alums Share Business Expertise with Aspiring Husky Entrepreneurs
"2012 Innovative Companies for Middle America" 26 July 2012
From Patenting Inventions to Persuading Investors, Student Entrepreneurs Getting Hands-on Help
Cal Poly Innovation Quest 2012 Winners Announced
Cal Poly iQ 2012 Contest Finalists Chosen
UConn-iQ: A Big Boost for Budding Entrepreneurs
UConn-Innovation Quest 2012 Winners Announced
UConn-iQ 2012 Contest Finalists Chosen
The Best Risk They'll Ever Take
Innovation Quest Spurs Cal Poly Students’ Entrepreneurial Spirits By Galen Ricard
Cal Poly has quite an IQ – and not just in how bright its students are. It also has Innovation Quest – or IQ, as it's known – which is getting students and faculty to think like entrepreneurs. “Entrepreneurialism is a natural extension of the real-world orientation for which Cal Poly is known,” said Susan Opava, dean of research and graduate programs, “and IQ has been a catalyst for the creation of an entrepreneurial culture on campus.”
more...Innovation Quest Contest a Springboard for UConn Ideas
Nation's Governors Meet in Washington: Creating an Entrepreneurial Culture
Washington D.C., February 25, 2012 Governors from across the country gather in the nations capital this weekend for the National Governors Association 2012 annual winter meeting. One key topic of interest is on 'Creating an Entrepreneurial Culture.' Some key video clips attached. [Source: C-SPAN]
About the U.S. Governors Conference: Link text
CREATING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE: Link text
UConn-iQ Contest kick-off Information Workshop
Innovation Quest 2012 Contest, West to East: OPEN! Apply Now!
Innovation Quest comes to UConn in 2012! For Students Nationwide from West to East!
Cooley LLP hosts Ten iQ 2011 Incubator Companies in Silicon Valley
2011 iQ Incubator Companies presenting in Silicon Valley
2011 Innovation Quest Incubator Companies Complete Program
2011 Innovation Quest Contest Winners!
Application DEADLINE Approaching : FRIDAY, APRIL 1st
Your Own Workshop: Tuesday, March 29th
Innovation Quest 2011 Contest: OPEN! Apply Now!
IQ: Third and final Workshop
Innovation Quest: Second Workshop
2011 Innovation Quest Begins!
2010 Innovation Quest Contest Winners!
2nd Place Award: PolyGrasp Prosthetic Hand by Max Maloney
3rd Place Award: Gamers Portal by Miguel Gaeta
QL+ Award: Mobility Powered Wheelchair by Kimberly Todd
2010 Innovation Contest is now OPEN!!
Bob Biddinger, IQuest-to-IQueue Guest Speaker
Nathaniel P. Gallon, IQuest-to-IQueue Guest Speaker
Laura Pickering, IQuest-to-IQueue Guest Speaker
Rich Boberg, IQuest-to-IQueue Guest Speaker
Yvonne Hanlon, IQuest-to-IQueue Guest Speaker
Russ Bik, IQuest-to-IQueue Guest Speaker
Jo Anne Miller, IQuest-to-IQueue Guest Speaker
IQuest-to-IQueue Summer Entrepreneur Workshops
Session #2: 10 July 2009 Executive Summary and In Depth Market Analysis
Session #3: 18 July 2009 Financials, IPR and Legal
Session #4: 24 July 2009 Sales, Marketing, BizDev and Social Responsibility
Session #5: 31 July 2009 Business Plan
Session #6: 07 Aug 2009 Due Diligence Judging and Investors
Winners of the 2009 Innovation Contest
2nd Place, Electric Motor — Unique design for high performance electric cars, $10,000 Award went to Robert Ramm Mechanical Engineering & team
3rd Place, Renewable Electronics Packaging — Renewable electronics shipment packing system, $5,000 Award went to Alan Tepe Mechanical Engineering with Adam Stephen