== Overview =Project Pitch Video =
Texas A&M has a large Innovation and Entrepreneurial ecosystem as it is ranked the sixth largest University in America. They have a lot of resources that are primarily used by faculty and graduate students because of the maturity of their research or seriousness of seeing their idea through. Therefore, there is a gap in undergraduate involvement in the vast amount of resources due to their lack of confidence or being unaware of the resources that are readily available to them. The primary way this gap can be filled is through students equipping other students with the knowledge and confidence they need to use these resources.{{#Widget:Youtube|id=bD8pjGfm1PUA}}
Creating a student organization, Innovation Leadership Council, will be the group of students who are knowledgeable of all resources available on campus. Their primary goal will be to council other students to see an idea from start to finish. The council will consist of ten students from various majors around campus such as: Engineering, Agriculture, Biomedical, and Business. Each student will then be responsible for finding a faculty member who will support them as to build a council of faculty members to turn to.= Overview =
At first, the organization will be used to continue building Texas A&M has a model of what each major perceives the innovation large innovative and entrepreneurial gaps are within their major and what resources are available to fill that gapecosystem. All We have a variety of these resources will then be consolidated into one place where all aimed at reaching both graduate and undergraduate students can easily access and understand them, as well as faculty. There However, many of the more developed programs are four stages limited to graduate students due to the fact that funds are easier spent on students can go through to reach that are very serious about their full potentialpursuits. When the council Undergraduate programs are not non-existent, but simply younger and less robust. Student body awareness is knowledgeable an issue that plauges these newer events as well as an uncertainty of all available resources on what our campus, they will begin wants to seek ways develop in order to engage students in Innovation and Entrepreneurshipincrease the I&E mentality. The council will engage Knowing what students through four stages: Excitement, Education, Creation and Support, and Continued support. These stages are meant would want to: build personal interest attend is somewhat of a shot in innovation and entrepreneurship, give students the confidence to begin their journey to have a startup companydark, help them launch their business or organization, then to connect them with all hampering the resources they need to be independentdevelopment of new programs.
These strategies That being said, programs are primarily focused on equipping undergraduate students being developed with modest success by the knowledge they need to follow a great idea from start engineering faculty. The ultimate pathway to finish through using the resources already available at growth in student auidience sizes can be found in student-aided promotion and program development ( i.e. University Innovation Fellows). The Texas A&MUniversity UIF's are devoted to allowing these new and immensly important programs to flourish. We intend to be the bridge between the faculty that have the ability to appropriate the neccessary funding and the students that have aspirations for the campus environment.
= Project: <span style="font-size:smaller;">Second-Tier Idea-to-Startup Support Structure</span> =
UIF Involved: Brendan Cooper
{{#Widget:Prezis|id=6o6rbacgnmyc}}This project is aimed at developing an additional undergraduate program that helps to increase the conversion rate between ideation and startup businesses.
This presentation demonstrations There exists a program within Texas A&M called Aggies Invent in which students participate in an all-inclusive innovation weekend. They are tasked with deciding on a need that requires a solution, and are then expected to diagnose the gaps issue and develop an early stage solution. Through this avenue of creative incitement, groups and ideas are created that have genuine business potential, and solutions as written belowcould be taken to further stages of development.
== Innovation Leadership Council ==Currently it is very difficult to gather the neccessary momentum to proceed into a business venture. This is because of several issues:
Bellow is a lead model that helps determine the gaps and how 1) Students are unmotivated/ get discouraged not knowing what to fill themdo next
[[File:Tamu Lead model.jpg|center|400px|Tamu Lead model.jpg]]2) School is demanding
3) Students become doubtful of their products'''<u>Tactic #1: Form student organization - Innovation Leadership Council</u>'''or their own potential
There is a gap that needs to be filled in giving students an avenue to be innovative. Building a council of students who pave the way for others to be innovative would fill this gap. Students will be more willing approach a council of students for advice about their ideas of innovation and entrepreneurship where the council can then encourage them and point them in the right direction. 4) The council will constantly be up to date with what is going on in the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem and the resources available on campus group has bad chemistry/ not all members wish to help students.continue
'''Team Leader:''' Graham, DeanThese are issues that need to be minimized in order to effectively promote the ideas that have true merit.
'''Milestones:'''Our plan is to develop a secondary event or program that comes in to re-inspire students and provided much needed guidance at the right time--just before most groups face an utter demize. There are several ways to achieve this, and a multitude of events that could be hosted to make the entrepreneurial process smoother on campus.
*Faculty advisor - 12/13*Student Leaders go through training - 12/13*Write organizations constitution - 12/13*Become recognized student organization by university - 12/13== Milestone #1: ==
Research needs to be conducted within the existing Aggies Invent program in order to establish a program that faculty and students agree would be mutually beneficial. Intentions:
'''1) Conduct interviews at an Aggies Invent weekend for groups that participate.'''
'''<u>Tactic #2 Types of input expected: Build council team</u>'''
To influence innovation and entrepreneurship on a grand scale, you need What program would they like to build a diverse council from many different majors throughout campus. This will allow the council to be informed on many different events/resources available all over campus. This will make the council all the more influential in how it can help students through whatever phase of innovation they're in rather it be engineering, agriculture or business.see?
'''Team Leader:''' Graham, Dean How would you rate your group effectiveness?
'''Milestones:''' Do you think you will continue developing your idea?
*Determine which majors will benefit the council most - 11/13*Contact faculty to recommend outstanding students - 11/13*Interview students - 11/13*Build council team - 12/13'''2) Particpate in an Aggies Invent weekend.'''
Types of takeaways expected:
Did our group expect to continue?
Why did or didn'''<u>Tactic #3: Gain faculty support</u>'''t we?
Faculty support is crucial. Faculty are the decision makers on campus who can supply the council with whatever resources they need to grow. They are able to advise the council on the course of direction they are headed and whether or not it will have a positive impact. What obstacles did we face?
'''Team LeaderDates:''' Council team
'''MilestonesOctober 23-25:'''Research conducted for participants of an Aggies invent, base line interviews.
*Inform council team the importance Week of faculty support - 12/13*Council team gains faculty support from each major - 12/13November 2nd: Conduct Follow up interviews to determine how many groups did infact continue and why.
= From Education to Creation & Support =November 20-22: Particpate in Aggies Invent weekend.
Bellow is an example of the methods and goals of the council== Milestone #2: ==
[[File:Tamu Methods GoalsConstruct a model for the innovative group's lifecycle.jpg|center|400px|Tamu Methods GoalsData that was gathered in the research phase needs to be compressed into a general template or diagram that expresses exactly what a group faces at any point in the Texas A&M Startup timeline. This lifecycle will be mostly concerned with the early development and strength of a group's motivation.jpg]]
<u>'''Tactic #1: Educate students to bring out their creativity in innovation) Develop the physical model.'''</u>
There is already a desire in many students to be innovative. The attraction is there, but the avenue needs some work. There are many resources already on campus but they only attract a specific crowd of students. The Innovation Leadership Council will be able '''2) Present this model to find which avenue will attract a diverse group of students from all majors faculty to work together. These avenues will challenge students to use what they already know from class, and to educate them on what they want to know. The overall goal with triangulate where this approach is to give students an environment where they can secondary program would be innovative to solve a problem on a teammost beneficial.'''
'''Team LeaderDates: '''Council team
'''MilestonesDecember:'''FInish model and present to faculty.
*Brainstorm what students want to learn - 2/14*Create events/competitions where students December (after semester): develop comprehensive plan of when we can be creative - 2/14*Inform students of events sponsored by other organizations - 2/14implement a test event.
== Milestone #3: ==
With the correct information in hand, now comes the time to try to build the new event and/or program. A program curriculum and event timeline needs to be drafted in order to make sure that the test event is well planned and perfoms the function that we are hoping it will perform.
<u>'''Tactic #2: Creation & Support1) Ideation of what the program needs to contain (using research as guide).'''</u>
Creation and support is where most student projects never move Things to the next step. Students are either afraid of failure or are unaware of the resources that it will take to turn their project into a startup company. That is where the council will come in. They will gather all the resources students need and simply point them in the right direction.remember:
'''Team Leader:''' Graham The aim of this event is to support the development of a business model and plan.
'''Milestones The event should resemble the same basic structure as its parent event:'''Aggies Invent, but with a few twists.
*Obtain support from various resources '''2) Draft the program based on/off campus - 1/14*Find a maker space - 2/14*Encourage dedicated student teams to take their projects to what is settled upon in the next stepstage above.'''
'''3) Reserve the resources needed to complete the event.'''
'''4) Invite teams that have participated in Aggies Invent in the past (max 10 teams).'''
<u>'''Tactic #3: Provide resources to build independence for innovative students5) Run the test program.'''</u>
It is not enough for innovative students to create a startup, but they need continued support to back them up even after college. They need the support of other companies or organizations who will give them financial and business advice to really lift their startup off the ground. This will give the students the confidence they need to be independent with their innovative design even after college.'''Dates:'''
'''Team LeaderJanuary 2016:''' Council teamComplete ideation and start drafting the program structure.
'''MilestonesFebruary 2016:'''Reserve the resources and host the event.
*Gather support for specific student teams = Project 2: <span style="font- 3size:smaller;">SpaceX Hyperloop Design Competition</14*Help build their network so they can be independent - 3/14span> =
UIF Involved: Carson Muscat Our university has been given an amazing opportunity to host a large scale event focused around fostering the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit within student minds. Texas A&M University and SpaceX have been working closely together to be able to host the SpaceX Hyperloop Design Competition. This event will bring a spotlight on innovation and entrepreneurial mindsets as students gather from around the country and world to develop innovative solutions to a future problem. The University Innovation Fellow program and the student body has an amazing opportunity to help this event be a spotlight to encourage the ecosystem not only on our campus, but also campuses across the globe. == Milestone #1:<br/> == Discuss and work closely with the Engineering Innovation Center to be able to make a positive impact on the competition and to bring something new to the table. == Milestone #2: == Coordinate with other representatives of the Texas A&M Student body to be able to bring a stronger student involvement and interest into the event. == Milestone #3: == Help run the event to perfection come January 2016. = Project 3: TAMUHack integration = Currently, one of the largest Innovation and Entrepreneurship events at our school is TAMUHack. TAMUHack is a 24h event in which students from multiple schools come to build a hack, pitch their idea, and win prizes. At the moment, the event is completely student-organized and the university does not provide a significant amount of sponsorship or coverage to it. The funds for the event are raised through industry sponsors. I believe the event could be expanded to include more people, and there could be additional ways to integrate more engineers, rather than computer scientists. == Milestone #1: == To begin the process of change: 1) Contact the TAMUHack board to let them know my intentions. 2) Join the board and aid with organization and sponsor/fund acquisition. == Milestone #2: == After I've joined, we need to take the following steps/goals: 1) Improve fund acquisition to increase attendance; 2) Have better media coverage of the event, and more publicity/advertising. 3) Arrange a meeting between the I & E steering council of A&M with the TAMUHack board. == Milestone #3: == After we've arranged / integrated TAMUHack with our I&E expansion, we can then begin the process of arranging / implementing all the goals. = Project 4: U-Ignite Video Competition = UIF Involved: Jean-Claude Faa The U-Ignite Video Competition is a one-minute idea pitch competition established in Fall 2014. It establishes a platform for students to submit a one minute video, detailing an innovation idea they may have, for a chance to win a grand prize. == Milestone #1: == 1) Establish Innovation and Entrepreneurship Modules for Introduction to Engineering freshman course 2) Establish student-led pop-up classes for students interested in further instruction on Innovation and Entrepreneurship 3) Advertise the U-Ignite Video Competition, and hold informational sessions Deliver date: December 14, 2015 == Milestone #2: == Launch U-Ignite Video Competition (January 2016) - Open video submission box - Open online voting and judging - Reward top submission Delivery date: April 2016 == Milestone #3: == Competition Follow-up -Follow up with competitor to see if any are interested in pursuing their ideas -Work with contestant as well on campus resources to bring ideas to life Delivery date: TBD = Related Links = [[Texas A & M University]] [http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Carson_Muscat Carson Muscat] [http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Faa Jean-Claude Faa] [http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Brendan_Cooper Brendan Cooper] [http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Jeff_Zhao Jeff Zhao] [[/Kanika Gakhar|/Kanika_Gakhar]] [[Category:Student Priorities]][[Category:Student Priorities]][[Category:Texas_A_&_M_University]][[Category: Student_Priorities]]{{CatTree|Texas_A_&_M_University}}