During the 2023-24 academic year, E&I enhanced and expanded existing programs under the Thought Into Action umbrella while piloting new programs and initiatives as part of Research Into Action and supporting the intersectionality of arts, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Staff members also focused on building and deepening relationships with other units and individual faculty and staff; additionally, the team had greater engagement with the regional entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Background
The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) was established in July 2022 as a new unit within the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty. The mission of E&I is to develop an inclusive community of accomplished and effective creators, changemakers, and problem solvers. This new office builds upon the university’s history of entrepreneurship, dating back to the establishment of Thought Into Action in fall 2009, while accounting for the expanded vision for entrepreneurship and innovation in 51Թ’s third century and positioning these activities directly in support of the University’s academic mission.
E&I has three focus areas:
- Thought Into Action: Facilitating the creation of real ventures and the development of entrepreneurial skills.
- Creativity Into Action: Enhancing the intersection of arts, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship on campus.
- Research Into Action: Taking 51Թ research, ideas, and expertise to audiences beyond academe.
Thought Into Action
In summer 2023, E&I enhanced the experience of the TIA Summer Accelerator, offering two forms for participation — fully in-person and hybrid — and adding a three-day capstone trip that includes startup site visits, customers and investor meetings, and a joint reception with Alumni Relations.
The office also developed new support and benefits for student ventures operating on campus through Campus Venture Initiative certification, in an effort to provide a business-friendly environment that helps students learn best practices and be successful in on-campus operations. The committee now includes representatives from ten offices across campus. Two ventures received certification, with three others receiving conditional approval.
E&I is also collaborating with Career Services to offer a new microcredential opportunity in Entrepreneurship Essentials through HBS Online; E&I provides additional funding to fully cover the cost of the program for any TIA participant, and offers advising and support to microcredential participants as they participate in the program.
This year’s TIA Incubator engaged the typical number of students, but feedback from entrepreneurs and mentors indicated that the program was less rigorous and satisfying than usual due to changes to participation requirements, less structured programming, and competing methods of communication. The team has identified the issues and is making changes for the year ahead.
In June, the office also held a reception during Reunion to mark 15 years of TIA, with approximately 40 alumni, administrators, students, and other supporters in attendance. Additional recognition of the anniversary will happen throughout the year ahead.
On the community collaboration front, the New York State grant that funds was renewed for another five years. The Hub established a temporary location at 8 Lebanon Street while the new mixed-use development project is under construction at 18–22 Utica Street. Advisors from the Onondaga SBDC, Mohawk Valley SBDC, and WISE Women’s Business Incubator are now available to provide free small business advising to students and community members.
Creativity Into Action
Throughout the 2023–24 academic year, E&I co-sponsored and co-organized interdisciplinary programs highlighting the intersection of arts, creativity, and innovation, including: an alumni-faculty panel discussion on the implications of artificial intelligence; a two-day campus visit by a chef who is pioneering sustainable insect-based cuisine; a campus visit by a podcaster-journalist that included a public lecture, teaching table, and class visits; and the ALANA Social Justice Summit, with the theme of Creativity and Innovation in Action, which included presentations by students from three TIA ventures.
During Homecoming, E&I launched 13 Machine, a uniquely 51Թ pop-up vehicle available for use by student ventures, dining services, and campus offices. In collaboration with Auxiliary Services and Communications, E&I repurposed a food truck purchased by the University during the pandemic, covering it in a uniquely-designed 51Թ wrap. The 13 Machine brings excitement and novelty to any moment on campus. Since its launch, it’s been used for a Commons snack break during Family Weekend, a Biology Department open house outside the newly renovated Olin Hall, and a wellness supply giveaway by Shaw Wellness Institute.
E&I, in collaboration with ITS and faculty colleagues, also launched a three-year pilot program to develop a cadre of student Innovation Fellows and launch a Studio on campus. The Innovation Fellows are students trained in design thinking who will lead workshops and oversee a student-led consultancy that trains students in design thinking and addresses community challenges. The first year of the program focused on training the first cohort of Innovation Fellows and preparing for the launch of the Design for America Studio in fall 2024.
Research Into Action
RIA is the office’s newest focus area, and most nascent. Much of the previous academic year and beginning of this year was focused on understanding the needs of faculty and areas of opportunity for impact. As part of this discovery effort, E&I took a team to a two-day workshop in fall 2023 organized by NSF at Union College on Supporting Undergraduate Institutions in Technology and Entrepreneurship Development (SUITED), where they engaged in exploration around a faculty member’s research, learned about regional TIP ecosystem, and formed connections to resources that support TIP activities.
As a result of attending this conference, E&I has identified TIP — technology, innovation, and partnerships — as the initial focus area underneath the RIA umbrella. TIP is a priority area for the National Science Foundation, which in 2022 established the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships to foster innovation ecosystems, accelerate technology translation and development, and grow the STEM workforce. Through NSF and other organizations, numerous resources are available to support the translation of research to the market and society. Through RIA, E&I will connect faculty to these resources — including experiential programs, intellectual property support, and funding opportunities (including foundations, grants, and venture capital) — to complement the University’s existing intellectual property and conflict of interest policies and patent process for faculty. TIP activities can also provide learning opportunities for students that allow them to engage with faculty research and develop entrepreneurial skills.
Following the SUITED Workshop, E&I supported Noah Apthorpe, assistant professor of computer science, and two 51Թ undergraduates as they participated in an NSF regional I-Corps program hosted by Cornell University. Regional I-Corps programs teach faculty, students, and other researchers how to evaluate the commercial potential of a technology innovation by using evidence-based entrepreneurship approaches. E&I provided funding for the two students and advising resources from E&I staff. This experience provided a blueprint for future participation by teams of 51Թ faculty and students. The office has also developed a relationship with the SU Innovation Law Center, which provides free and low-cost intellectual property analysis for entrepreneurs, including higher education clients.
Looking Forward
E&I has established the following key goals for 2024–25:
- Deliver a top-notch TIA Incubator experience and TIA Entrepreneur Showcase
- Increase student engagement and build community
- Develop TIA programmatic enhancements
- Deepen support for non-profits and arts entrepreneurship
- Strengthen faculty support and engagement
- Launch DFA studio and pilot ideation workshops
The office’s focus will be on achieving these goals, implementing the recommendations of the advisory board, and successfully hiring and onboarding the next entrepreneur in residence and a new part-time administrative coordinator. In addition, the team will move into Bernstein Hall this summer.