Changes

Texas A&M has a large Innovation innovative and Entrepreneurial entrepreneurial ecosystem . We have a variety of resources aimed at reaching both graduate and undergraduate students, as well as it faculty. However, many of the more developed programs are limited to graduate students due to the fact that funds are easier spent on students that are very serious about their pursuits. Undergraduate programs are not non-existent, but simply younger and less robust. Student body awareness is an issue that plauges these newer events as well as an uncertainty of what our campus wants to develop in order to increase the I&E mentality. Knowing what students would want to attend is ranked somewhat of a shot in the dark, hampering the development of new programs. That being said, programs are being developed with modest success by the sixth largest engineering faculty. The ultimate pathway to growth in student auidience sizes can be found in student-aided promotion and program development ( i.e. University Innovation Fellows). The Texas A&M University 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>&nbsp; = UIF Involved: Brendan Cooper This project is aimed at developing an additional undergraduate program that helps to increase the conversion rate between ideation and startup businesses. There exists a program within Texas A&M called Aggies Invent in which students participate in Americaan all-inclusive innovation weekend. They have are tasked with deciding on a need that requires a lot solution, and are then expected to diagnose the issue and develop an early stage solution. Through this avenue of resources creative incitement, groups and ideas are created that are primarily used by faculty have genuine business potential, and graduate students could be taken to further stages of development. Currently it is very difficult to gather the neccessary momentum to proceed into a business venture. This is because of the maturity several issues: 1) Students are unmotivated/ get discouraged not knowing what to do next 2) School is demanding 3) Students become doubtful of their research products' or seriousness of seeing their idea throughown potential 4) The group has bad chemistry/ not all members wish to continue These are issues that need to be minimized in order to effectively promote the ideas that have true merit. Therefore, there  Our plan is to develop a gap secondary event or program that comes in undergraduate involvement 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. == Milestone #1: == Research needs to be conducted within the existing Aggies Invent program in the vast amount 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.''' &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Types of resources due input expected: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What program would they like to their lack see? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; How would you rate your group effectiveness? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Do you think you will continue developing your idea? '''2) Particpate in an Aggies Invent weekend.''' &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Types of confidence takeaways expected: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Did our group expect to continue? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Why did or being unaware didn't we? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What obstacles did we face? '''Dates:''' October 23-25: Research conducted for participants of an Aggies invent, base line interviews. Week of November 2nd: Conduct Follow up interviews to determine how many groups did infact continue and why. November 20-22: Particpate in Aggies Invent weekend. == Milestone #2:&nbsp; == Construct a model for the resources innovative group's lifecycle. Data that are readily available was gathered in the research phase needs to thembe compressed into a general template or diagram that expresses exactly what a group faces at any point in the Texas A&M Startup timeline. The primary way this gap can This lifecycle will be filled is through students equipping other students mostly concerned with the knowledge early development and strength of a group's motivation. '''1) Develop the physical model.''' '''2) Present this model to faculty to triangulate where this secondary program would be most beneficial.''' '''Dates:''' December: FInish model and confidence they need present to use these resourcesfaculty.

Creating a student organization, Innovation Leadership Council, will be the group of students who are knowledgeable December (after semester): develop comprehensive plan 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 when we can implement a faculty member who will support them as to build a council of faculty members to turn totest event.

At first, the organization will be used to continue building a model of what each major perceives the innovation and entrepreneurial gaps are within their major and what resources are available to fill that gap. All of these resources will then be consolidated into one place where all students can easily access and understand them. There are four stages that students can go through to reach their full potential. When the council is knowledgeable of all available resources on campus, they will begin to seek ways to engage students in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The council will engage students through four stages== Milestone #3: Excitement, Education, Creation and Support, and Continued support. These stages are meant to: build personal interest in innovation and entrepreneurship, give students the confidence to begin their journey to have a startup company, help them launch their business or organization, then to connect them with all the resources they need to be independent.==

These strategies are primarily focused on equipping undergraduate students with With the correct information in hand, now comes the knowledge they need time to follow a great idea from start try to finish through using build the resources already available at Texas new event and/or program. A&Mprogram 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.

This presentation demonstrations &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The event should resemble the gaps and solutions same basic structure as written belowits parent event: Aggies Invent, but with a few twists.

Bellow is a lead model that helps determine '''3) Reserve the gaps and how resources needed to fill themcomplete the event.'''

[[File:Tamu Lead model'''4) Invite teams that have participated in Aggies Invent in the past (max 10 teams).jpg|center|400px|Tamu Lead model.jpg]]'''

'''Team LeaderJanuary 2016:''' Graham, DeanComplete ideation and start drafting the program structure.

'''MilestonesFebruary 2016:'''Reserve the resources and host the event.

*Faculty advisor = Project 2: <span style="font- 12/13*Student Leaders go through training - 12/13*Write organizations constitution - 12/13*Become recognized student organization by university&nbspsize:smaller;- 12">SpaceX Hyperloop Design Competition</13span> =

== Tactic #2UIF Involved: Build Council Team ==Carson Muscat

To influence innovation and entrepreneurship on Our university has been given an&nbsp;amazing opportunity to host a grand large scale, you need to build a diverse council from many different majors throughout campus. This will allow event focused around fostering 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 businessand entrepreneurial spirit within student minds.

*Determine which majors will benefit the council most - 11== Milestone #1:<br/13*Contact faculty to recommend outstanding students - 11/13*Interview students - 11/13*Build council team - 12/13> ==

'''Milestones== Milestone #3:'''==

*Inform council team Help run the importance of faculty support - 12/13*Council team gains faculty support from each major - 12/13event to perfection come January 2016.

= From Education to Creation & Support Project 3: TAMUHack integration =

Bellow is an example Currently, one of the methods 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 goals of the councilwin prizes.

[[File:Tamu Methods GoalsAt the moment, the event is completely student-organized and the university does not provide a significant amount of sponsorship or coverage to it.jpg|center|400px|Tamu Methods GoalsThe funds for the event are raised through industry sponsors.jpg]]

== Tactic #1: Educate Students I believe the event could be expanded to Bring out Their Creativity in Innovation ==include more people, and there could be additional ways to integrate more engineers, rather than computer scientists.&nbsp;

'''Team LeaderTo begin the process of change: '''Council team

*Brainstorm what students want to learn - 2) Join the board and aid with organization and sponsor/14*Create events/competitions where students can be creative - 2/14*Inform students of events sponsored by other organizations - 2/14fund acquisition.&nbsp;

== Tactic Milestone #2: Creation & Support ==

Creation and support is where most student projects never move After I've joined, we need 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.following steps/goals:

*Obtain support from various resources on/off campus - 1/14*Find 3) Arrange a maker space - 2/14*Encourage dedicated student teams to take their projects to meeting between the next stepI & E steering council of A&M with the TAMUHack board.

== Tactic Milestone #3: Provide Resources to Build Independence for Innovative Students ==

It is not enough for innovative students to create a startupAfter we've arranged / integrated TAMUHack with our I&E expansion, but they need continued support to back them up even after college. They need we can then begin 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.process

'''Milestones= Project 4:'''U-Ignite Video Competition =

*Gather support 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 specific 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 &nbsp;Modules for Introduction to Engineering freshman course 2) Establish student teams - 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*Help build -Follow up with competitor to see if any are interested in pursuing their network so they can be independent ideas - 3/14Work with contestant as well on campus resources to bring ideas to life Delivery date: TBD