Roanoke College Innovation Challenge
Presented by Roanoke College's Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Innovation
The Roanoke College Innovation Challenge ("RCIC") has been established through a creative partnership between Roanoke College and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem to form a private industry innovation engine. Each summer, approximately ten to sixteen students from Roanoke College and other top academic institutions are offered the unique opportunity to participate in RCIC.
Past projects include a system that transforms the way devices are powered by eliminating the need for power cords and cosmetics and jewelry that change colors to complement a person’s attire or mood manufactured from a photochromic compound, solar-panel cell phone chargers, and many service-based businesses. The list of businesses we have worked with in RCIC is long and includes a number of local projects that remain active.
The sixteen participants are divided into teams and given the task to develop a comprehensive business model and plan for a new product or service innovation. With the help of faculty and industry mentors, students will research:
- Patent/intellectual property process
- Organizational structure
- Production
- Marketing
- Financial aspects
- Funding
- Product design
- Exit strategies
The projects incorporate knowledge and concepts from many different academic disciplines; therefore, students with divergent backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to apply.
Contact Steve Baker, Director of Roanoke CollegeInnovation Challenge, for more information.