By Tina Hilding, Voiland College of Engineering & Architecture
PULLMAN, Wash. – Students interested in starting and running a technology-based business are invited to an informational meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, in Dana 15 at Washington State University. Refreshments will be served.
Through the Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Institute, students are trained in interdisciplinary teams to design and develop technologies while learning to work with fiscal and technical constraints, manage uncertainty and perfect presentation skills.
In spring of their junior year, participants from any discipline take the course Tech Ventures (ENRG 401), an overview of developing technology and a business model for a sustainable business.
In summer, students interact with CEOs and angel/venture managers and visit incubators and successful WSU alumni during a week in the Silicon Valley. This is followed by internships in the students’ areas of interest.
During their senior year, students from business, communications and engineering take a capstone class, working in small teams on a technology/business project. The course is especially relevant for students who want to be in management or start their own businesses.
Participants present their business plan to a professional audience during the fall and participate in the spring WSU business plan competition. Teams are encouraged to compete nationally, and winners receive startup funding and mentoring for their ventures.
For more about the institute, go to http://vcea.wsu.edu/entrepreneurship/.
Contacts:
Howard Davis, director, Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Institute, davish@wsu.edu, 509-335-6834
Tina Hilding, communications coordinator, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, 509-335-5095, thilding@wsu.edu