Invention To Venture: Inspiring Technology Innovation And Entrepreneurship

United States colleges and universities have a tremendous untapped entrepreneurial resource in their students and faculty. Despite the emergence of substantial and effective programs in entrepreneurship instruction, many students who are interested in entrepreneurship, particularly in engineering and the sciences, are not reached through these courses. To address these students' needs, and provide opportunities for building community and connections between the academic and entrepreneurial worlds, a new workshop series has been developed. Invention to Venture (I2V) is a one-day workshop in technology-driven entrepreneurship for students, faculty, regional entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders. The series is being developed at universities around the country. Invention to Venture is based on several successful models for start-up bootcamps, including the Flight School produced by Joseph Steig for Mass Ventures, a regional technology economic development organization, and the highly successful Technology Startup Boot Camp, conducted for several years at the University of Maryland. The series was further developed by the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) in collaboration with regional partners and consulting firm Grayhead Associates. Invention to Venture provides an opportunity for participants around the country to learn technology entrepreneurship basics, build their networks, and develop plans for moving their ideas forward. The NCIIA and its member institutions intend to make Invention to Venture an effective extracurricular outreach vehicle based at select college campuses across the country. This paper describes the structure, process, and outcomes of the 2003-04 series, which by June 2004 will have reached over 1,500 students, faculty, and other participants at locations from coast to coast.