Innovators' Hub Conference
Project Olympus will host YII's fifth international conference at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA on April 3rd and 4th, 2009. More than 100 students will participate in the event.
Host
Objectives of the Conference
1. To educate students about the process of commercialization and provide them with practical knowledge that they can use as entrepreneurs or innovators inside companies.
2. To connect students to support networks of professionals, mentors, and advisors that can help them in the process of commercialization.
What is a Commercialization Marathon?
Innovators who successfully bring new ideas to market have an understanding of the process of commercialization and access to a wide network of knowledgeable advisors and supporters. The event teaches young scientists and engineers about elements that are crucial to the process of innovation: protecting intellectual property, identifying and researching a market, raising financing, design and prototyping, and developing a strategy for commercialization. There are no lectures. The sessions are highly interactive to engage the students and provide them with an overview of what it takes to bring new products to market.
YII has held four international conferences, each bringing together more than 100 innovators for a highly interactive event that teaches about commercialization and facilitates connections among student innovators and entrepreneurs, accomplished business leaders, and commercialization experts.
What Participants Say
"Conferences & seminars today have become so structured and predictable that is difficult to extract value beyond a handful of business cards. Anne's Young Inventors events are always a must for your calendar - expect great speakers and to learn something new."
- Eric Melin, Founder, Philanthropist.org
"The information presented was very informative and useful. After listening to the speakers, I have become more committed than ever to launch my start-up in the next 6-12 months."
- Vineet Sinha, MIT Graduate Student (http://people.csail.mit.edu/vineet)
"I enjoyed being part of the conference this weekend and just wanted to say thanks again. I thought you did a terrific job, the keynote speakers were very high profile and the audience was engaged. Well done."
- Paige Arnof-Fenn, Speaker, Founder and CEO, Mavens & Moguls
"Great job! The conference was a great success. Everything was top-notch and we were proud to be part of it."
- Ben C. Gabin, President, Young Entrepreneurs at Tufts University
"I LOVED being at the conference!"
- Panos Panay, Facilitator, Founder and CEO, Sonicbids