http:\/\/innovationquest.uconn.edu<\/a><\/p>\nAfter completing four workshops in February and March, participants can submit a formal application with their business idea. A panel of judges will select the most promising enterprises in April. Those teams will compete for $30,000 in startup funds and a chance to attend the university\u2019s Summer InQbator, a next-step entrepreneurship bootcamp.<\/p>\n
The 2024 iQ program will be led by Kevin Gardiner \u201906 MBA, an adjunct professor in both the School of Business and College of Engineering. Gardiner has served as an iQ mentor for several years and has held management and senior management positions at both startups and long-established companies, including Welcome Commerce, Macy\u2019s, and Oracle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would encourage students to apply even if they don\u2019t think they are ready to start a business or if they are concerned that their idea still needs some work,\u2019\u2019 Gardiner says. \u00a0\u201cEven if they don\u2019t win the top prize, they\u2019ll learn so much about starting a business and about themselves, and they\u2019ll have a lot of fun doing it.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have so many talented mentors in every discipline, from intellectual property to go-to-market strategy to product development,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cIf young entrepreneurs want feedback, they will find out quickly if their idea has \u2018legs\u2019 and whether they have the passion to pursue their business.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
It Takes More than A Good Idea and a Million Bucks<\/strong><\/p>\nOne of the greatest advantages of the iQ competition is that it welcomes all ideas\u2014whether software or medical devices, engineering technology or a much-needed consumer product, he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I want to see is passion in the presenter,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cI love that every year we see great ideas across the gambit.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Based on his business experience, Gardiner says that entrepreneurs need to be able to build a strong team to support them, and to inspire great people to want to work for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people think that a good idea and million bucks will make a company soar, but that\u2019s only a piece of the puzzle,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cI would bet on an A-Team with a B-Idea, over a B-Team with an A-Idea every time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gardiner is taking the helm of the popular program as two of its founders step back from leadership roles. Alumnus Keith Fox \u201980, a former senior executive at Apple and Cisco, brought the program to UConn, and entrepreneurship professor Rich Dino who educated, nurtured, and encouraged the students. Both men will remain engaged with the program. Their work has been credited for ushering in a deep commitment to entrepreneurship at the University, and contributed to creation of new entrepreneurship programs and institutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe iQ program came to UConn through the initiative and generosity of alumnus Keith Fox. It has flourished through the hard work of Professor Rich Dino and the amazing group of mentors and judges he has cultivated,\u2019\u2019 says David Souder, senior associate dean at the School of Business. \u201cNow it will continue to be an opportunity for hands-on learning that energizes students through the leadership of Kevin Gardiner, who has been part of that mentoring group for years.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cWe celebrate the successful companies that have grown out of iQ, but as educators, we are just as proud of how the program gives a wide range of students, across every school in the university, a chance to try out their entrepreneurial spirit and learn more about the entrepreneurial journey,” Souder says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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