Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Register for the Summit

Join us! Be part of a growing community focused on advancing clean energy, developing the workforce of the future and creating a healthier, more sustainable path forward for us all.

Students from all areas of study are critical to these important conversations and their registration fees are complimentary.

Register for the Clean Energy Fair Here

Note: register for only the Engagement Fair or the full Summit. Student participation is welcome and encouraged.

The Center for Career Development has many resources available to students, including meeting with a career coach who can help you prepare for this engagement fair.

Accelerate UConn is UConn’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Site and its mission is to catalyze the transition of new scientific discoveries and capabilities from the lab to the marketplace. Participating teams will receive an introduction to the most critical elements of the I-Corps Curriculum and Lean Launchpad methodology. Over the course of this virtual 5-week program, teams will learn how to determine the market opportunity for their product or technology.

Participants will learn how to:
- Develop new ways to communicate the value of their product or technology
- Understand the structure of the market they are entering
- Develop strategies for generating demand for their product or technology
- Identify next steps needed to launch their venture
- Identify customers most likely to bring first revenue

Teams will receive:
- 5 weeks of training on the Business Model Canvas and Customer Discovery Process
- Coaching from industry experts and access to next step resources
- $2,000 to support customer discovery and development of minimum viable product
- Assistance identifying additional team members

Applications for the Fall 2023 cohort will close on Monday, October 9, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.

For more information and to apply please visit: https://ccei.uconn.edu/programs/accelerate-uconn/

Have a business idea? Looking for seed funding to help you get started? Get Seeded provides UConn students across all schools the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a live virtual audience who then votes on which ideas are funded. Students that are selected to pitch have an opportunity to earn up to $1,000 in seed funding for their idea as well as support from other students who may be interested in joining their business venture.

Don’t have an idea yet? Not ready to pitch? Just want to watch other students pitch? Get Seeded pitch nights are open to the public and are a great way to network and connect!

Here’s how it works:

1. Interested students can apply to pitch an idea at one of our “Shark Tank style” pitch nights
2. Selected participants will then pitch their idea for 5 minutes at one of our virtual pitch nights to members of the audience
3. At the end of the night, the audience votes for their favorite ideas
4. The top 3 teams of the night will win $1,000, $750 and $500 respectively, in non-dilutive seed funding towards their new business venture or idea!
5. In April, the top five teams from our pitch nights are invited to pitch at Demo Day, where teams can win up to $5,000 in seed funding!

2023-2024 Pitch Nights

• October 10, 2023 at 6pm

• November 2, 2023 at 6pm

• December 6, 2023 at 6pm

• January 30, 2023 at 6pm

• February 22, 2023 at 6pm

• March 20, 2023 at 6pm

Demo Day: April 16, 5pm

Apply to pitch at Get Seeded HERE: https://ccei.uconn.edu/getseeded/

Teams are selected up to one week prior to the pitch night.

RSVP to attend an upcoming pitch night HERE: https://ccei.uconn.edu/getseeded/

Get Seeded Pitch Competitions are coordinated by the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI) at UConn. CCEI was founded in 2007, and is a focal point for entrepreneurial activity within the University. CCEI supports student, faculty, staff, and alumni entrepreneurs across all academic departments, schools, and colleges. For more info: ccei.uconn.edu

Research Connections, part of UConn’s annual Month of Discovery, is intended to expose primarily first and second year students to UConn’s rich landscape of research through meaningful interactions with faculty, staff, graduate students, peers, and other key partners. Research Connections can involve offices, departments, and initiatives from across campus, spanning any discipline or area of study.

All students are welcome at this event. If you require any accommodations to attend, please email shannon.ahearn@uconn.edu. Learn more about Research Connections and prepare for the event: fyp.uconn.edu/researchconnections

This is an Honors Event. Categories: Academic & Interdisciplinary Engagement OR Career, Professional, & Personal Development.

#UHLevent10590

The Wolff New Venture Competition features live pitches by the top startups coming out of UConn, and gives away over $50,000 in non-dilutive funding to the startups each year.

The legwork for the Wolff New Venture Competition begins in the spring, where 10 startups are hand selected by an independent panel to participate in the CCEI Summer Fellowship Program. Here, CCEI works to strengthen the support for the university’s top entrepreneurial teams and take them beyond business concepts and towards market readiness.

After this eight week accelerator, the teams present their final pitches and the top startups are selected to compete in the Wolff New Venture Competition; chosen on a basis of venture viability and value added to the market.

At the event, a panel of venture experts then decides which teams are worthy of the $50,000+ in awards funding.

The doors will open for the event at 5:30pm with beverages and appetizers. The program will begin promptly at 6pm.

RSVP Here

2023 Wolff New Venture Finalists:

Andros

Ammonia synthesis reactors that are cheaper, safer, and more energy efficient than the traditional reactor. Laron Burrows, PhD Candidate, Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering; George Bollas PhD, Faculty, Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering; Jacob Crow, Undergraduate Student, Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering

Feel Your Best Self

Offering caregivers fun, easy-to-use products to help kids build emotion-focused coping skills to calm themselves, catch their feelings, and connect with others. Sandy Chafouleas PhD, Faculty, Educational Psychology, Neag School of Education; Emily Wicks, Staff, Ballard Institute of Puppetry, School of Fine Arts

Mud Rat

The world’s first eco-friendly surfboard core. Amelia Martin, Graduate Student, Plant Science, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources

Particle N

A cost-effective way to use precious metals in catalysts and similar mechanisms. Al Kasani, PhD Candidate, Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering; Reiner Reichenberger, Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering; Michael Dunn, Undergraduate Student, Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering

PUURE

An intimate apparel brand creating underwear made of organic and nontoxic materials that promote feminine wellness. Christina Phillips, Graduate Student, Business Administration, School of Business

Swipestorm

Swipestorm offers digital solutions for restaurant management, specifically tailored to quick-service restaurants. Their software suite replaces paper-based systems and generic software, and provides valuable insights for owners and managers. Nathan Catapano, Undergraduate Student, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Wolff New Venture Competition is coordinated by the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI) at UConn. CCEI was founded in 2007, and is a focal point for entrepreneurial activity within the University. CCEI supports student, faculty, staff, and alumni entrepreneurs across all academic departments, schools, and colleges. For more info: ccei.uconn.edu

The Experience Innovation Expo (EIE) is an opportunity for UConn students to discover the wide range of programs, resources, and activities facilitating entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity at the university. It is an experiential venue where students will have hands on opportunities to explore what’s available to them. Students who have been involved with Werth Institute member offerings will showcase their results and provide their perspective and ideas to fellow students.

Have a business idea? Looking for seed funding to help you get started? Get Seeded provides UConn students across all schools the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a live virtual audience who then votes on which ideas are funded. Students that are selected to pitch have an opportunity to earn up to $1,000 in seed funding for their idea as well as support from other students who may be interested in joining their business venture.

Don’t have an idea yet? Not ready to pitch? Just want to watch other students pitch? Get Seeded pitch nights are open to the public and are a great way to network and connect!

Here’s how it works:

1. Interested students can apply to pitch an idea at one of our “Shark Tank style” pitch nights
2. Selected participants will then pitch their idea for 5 minutes at one of our virtual pitch nights to members of the audience
3. At the end of the night, the audience votes for their favorite ideas
4. The top 3 teams of the night will win $1,000, $750 and $500 respectively, in non-dilutive seed funding towards their new business venture or idea!
5. In April, the top five teams from our pitch nights are invited to pitch at Demo Day, where teams can win up to $5,000 in seed funding!

2023-2024 Pitch Nights

• October 10, 2023 at 6pm
• November 2, 2023 at 6pm
• December 6, 2023 at 6pm
• January 30, 2023 at 6pm
• February 22, 2023 at 6pm
• March 20, 2023 at 6pm
• Demo Day: April 16, 5pm

Apply to pitch at Get Seeded HERE

Teams are selected up to one week prior to the pitch night.

RSVP to attend an upcoming pitch night HERE

Get Seeded Pitch Competitions are coordinated by the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI) at UConn. CCEI was founded in 2007, and is a focal point for entrepreneurial activity within the University. CCEI supports student, faculty, staff, and alumni entrepreneurs across all academic departments, schools, and colleges. For more info: ccei.uconn.edu