Changes

= Invention Contest 10,000 Makes =

As a student innovator and entrepreneur, one of the most difficult things is taking that first initiative to get your idea out into the vast array of resources on campus. Much of what the University Innovation Fellows will be focusing on is the ease of access of these types of resources. However, many technically minded innovators may still feel that the intrinsic motivation that they currently have will not be enough. That is where an invention competition 10,000 Makes comes in. Much like''''' ''''''Startup Weekend,' Fall of 2015 marked the date of the first ever hardware hackathon hosted at the invention contest would be University of Minnesota. There were nine teams utilizing an entire day and a vast array of resources to build a weekend-long ideating, prototyping, validatingproject from the ground up. It went well, and pitching marathonevery team had a product to pitch at the end of the day. These events are captivating, It was obvious to observers and really participants how the event was able to foster the spirit of I&E in their participants. As a UIF, beginning to host an event like this would be a huge challenge, but one that would prove to be well worth the struggle. A contest like this could be Everyone walked away at the foot-in-end of the-door for all day feeling as if they had truly accomplished something, and each individual was more aware than ever of the other I&E resources that the U providesavailable on campus to turn their ideas into reality.

'''Milestones''' *Formulate a an updated and precise canvas for the competition for presenting to sponsors/partners*Obtain feedback from our current faculty backing*Begin to gain Get more faculty on board and promoting the project*Gain more student support*Land Follow up with our current corporate sponsorshipssponsors*Find space Expand upon the venue used this year to host (maker/creative spaces)include a wider array of the University's resources*Launch a pilot eventthe 2nd annual 10,000 Makes