11:00 AM
to 12:30 PM
Beyond the Business Plan: Building implementation into an entrepreneurship curriculum
3 Attendees
Location
Mason I
This session reports on an innovative entrepreneurship curriculum designed to facilitate the actual implementation of student business ventures as part of a core entrepreneurial curriculum across disciplines. The capstone experience in many university entrepreneurial programs revolves around the development and review of business plans in courses or competitions. This curriculum was created to emphasize implementation over planning. The courses are housed under the Center for Innovation at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. Beginning with a freshmen-level creative problem-solving course, students identify business ideas and build on them throughout the course sequence. Winners of a college business plan competition receive the right to launch their start-ups as part of the curriculum's capstone offering, a two-semester sequence entitled New Venture Creation I and II. Upon completion of this curriculum, all students can earn either a certificate or minor in entrepreneurship.
Tags Thurs 2E2
11:00 AM
to 12:30 PM
Building Startup Businesses through Commercializing Student Capstone Project Outcomes
7 Attendees
Location
Mason I
Michigan Technological University, in collaboration with MTEC SmartZone, has developed a program for targeted development of student-led startup companies based on outcomes of engineering capstone design projects. Under the SmartTrac program, student teams that include a cross-section of business, engineering, and communications skills form companies who conduct the necessary business and technical development activities to commercialize capstone project outcomes. In addition to basic underwriting funding for student stipends, the partners work together to find grant and investment capital from various sources. The SmartTrac model will be presented as well as experiences to-date in commercializing a hospital mattress that substantially improves the effectiveness of CPR. The technology was developed in a capstone project, has been patented by the university, and is licensed to a student-led company, CPRM Inc., which to-date has attracted nearly $200k in funding from various sources.
Tags Thurs 2E1
11:00 AM
to 12:30 PM
Determining the Right Framework to Improve New Technology Venture Processes
1 Attendees
Location
Mason I
Continuous process improvement (CPI) has improved product and business performance in many industries and business sectors. However, it has not been widely adopted in the new technology venture (NTV) sector. The resistance to CPI adoption has been attributed to the perception of insufficient payoff and protracted timelines. In addition, there has been a tendency toward heroic management of chaotic ad hoc processes in a rapid response environment with an overarching first-to-market imperative. Western Michigan University is developing a study to determine if CPI would improve product and business performance in this sector. This paper describes how and why new technology ventures may benefit from CPI initiatives that arose from the aerospace industry. If this study confirms the applicability and benefit in the NTV sector, findings could equip practitioners with a proven framework, CMMI®, to aid in systematically increasing the successful launch rates of new technology ventures.
Tags Thurs 2E3
