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School:University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

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The Innovators Expo was also important for the UWM community to be exposed to other components on campus. The business, engineering, freshwater science’s, art and more all have some innovation and entrepreneurial activities happening.  The event is a seed that has been planted, hoping to grow within an active entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem leading up to programing and events to be housed in the new Lubar Center for Entrepreneurship on campus.

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When & Where

UWM Golda Meir Library Conference Room

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Supported

The event was made possible by Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business, UWM Research Foundation, Student Startup Challenge, and University Innovation Fellows. Each entity kicked in funds to support however the Fellows put in sweat equity.

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Who Showcased

There were five teams that represented the I-Corps program and seven from Student Startup Challenge. Two teams from our Design and Visual Communications program, four from the business school, one national team winners of the maker’s competition, and one from Big Idea Tournament. In addition to winners, there were five student organizations, one entity called the App Brewery and a high school group Student Startup Challenge has partnered with through the year. The Lubar School of Business and the UWM Research Foundation also had tables to showcase their winners.

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Panther Bucks

While at the event, guests were given fake money worth three million PantherBucks. Their duty was to invest in ideas they felt were “good.” All money could be given to one team or split up among teams. The winner with most money in their box at the end of the night is the winning PantherBuck winner and receives a real $100.

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Name Badges

In addition to the badges, people that were attendees of the event were able to fill out a written name tag that had printed with the logo and event branding.

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Short Program

Key stakeholders on campus for innovation and entrepreneurship spoke about their support for the ecosystem.  These stakeholders included Pathways members Ilya Avdeev and Brian Thompson as well as the UWM Chancellor Mark Mone, and business school dean Kanti Prasad.  Their insights and discussions showcased entrepreneurial activity on campus, competitions, new startups, and building activities for a brand new entrepreneurship center.

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''Organizing Expoers''

We had to get all the participants names (to be etched on the wood name badge), emails and other important details like the name of their startup, short description, logo. We were also very persistent about confirming their participation. The organizing team found that it was best to have participants fill out a google form for all of this information.

When discussing details with the presenters, we stressed the importance that they “own their space.” Each participant was given a four foot table space and they were advised to bring computer monitors, posters, displays and so on. While planning the space, it was important to know if a participant was expecting a space near an electrical outlet.~~ ~~Pre-Meeting (Pop-Up)

The organizational team planned a meeting for all the participants. It went over details of the night, set up time, and expectations. Additionally we hosted a Pop-Up class which is a platform we have established at UWM. They are two hour classes open to anyone focused on startup/entrepreneurial topics. After the expectation portion of the meeting, our Pop-Up commenced focusing on large crowd showcasing.~~ ~~Setup and Preparation

On the day of event, the space was open to all of the expoers to come and set up their space the way they would like. The setup began at 1 and open until 4:30pm. Someone who was “in charge” of the event was there throughout the duration of the setup time.

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Final Thoughts

This event was impressive. This event was definitely a highlight for the UWM community for all stakeholders. We learned that we needed to adjust a few things, but overall, it was a successful event.</div></div></div>

Ndgreen

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