Recordings from summer 2023 are available here. Organized by University of Minnesota, with support from the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research.
Supports students as they develop skills, knowledge, and ventures. Build a founding team; compete with other UC Davis student entrepreneurs; and learn from industry experts.
The Mike & Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UC Davis helps researchers and students build the networks, knowledge and tools to communicate the value of their work, explore commercialization strategies, connect with industry partners, and design research programs that address and align with practical applications.
If you are a budding neuroengineering entrepreneur, check out the resources below.
1. Entrepreneurship Academies
The Mike & Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UC Davis provides 4 Entrepreneurship Academies annually. The objective of each academy is to teach scientists and researchers to evaluate their research and technologies for potential market opportunities. Academy workshops are designed to teach participants how to increase the rapid creation of value in new ventures, utilizing a set of well-developed tools and processes for moving rapidly between ideation, testing, and execution of new ventures and for employing network strategies for exploring and enhancing business models around core offerings.
2. Business Development Fellowship Program - apply by the annual deadline in late August
The year-long Business Development Fellowship program provides UC Davis graduate and postdoctoral students hands-on experience in developing business skills for a career in industry or to develop new business ventures. The program teams MBA students with researchers from a wide variety of disciplines to develop the commercial potential of cutting-edge research. The dynamic, interactive environment blends effective theory with hands-on participation and solution-driven innovation.
3. Leaders for the Future Fellowship Program - apply by the annual deadline in late August
This 9-month fellowship program is open to UC Davis Master’s and Ph.D. students as well as postdoctoral researchers in all disciplines who are interested in developing leadership, innovation and business skills while engaging in an experiential project or applied experience outside academia.
4. Big Bang! Business Competition and Workshop Series
The annual Big Bang! Business Competition is a three-part business competition and workshop series hosted by the Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UC Davis. The competition includes a first round, semi-finalist and final round of competition. Competition participants are assessed on criteria including an executive summary, a two-minute pitch video, and group in person presentation and Q&A session with a judging panel comprised of seasoned mentors and investors. Cash prizes will be awarded.
5. Big Bang! Workshops
The Big Bang! workshops are designed for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs. They provide the knowledge and tools you'll need to create the deliverables needed to compete in the UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition, the Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competitions—or begin any other entrepreneurial journey.
6. EQUIP Scholarship Program - competitive fellowship with a rolling application deadline. Apply as early as possible as applications may close before the final deadline.
EQUIP—Entrepreneurship Quest: Undergraduate Internship Program—is open to students in all majors and disciplines, from the humanities to the social sciences to STEM. Students from traditionally underserved communities are encouraged to apply.
This program is designed especially for undergraduates, providing training in innovation, leadership and design thinking—and prepares students for successful internships in startups and other leading-edge companies.
7. Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competition
The Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competition is an entry-level event—no business experience is necessary. It will help you define your business idea and communicate it concisely on a poster. This competition is open to all currently enrolled students at the high school, community college, undergraduate or graduate level. Apply during the Fall quarter. Cash prizes will be awarded.