McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
EDNS 544/444 | DSCI 598 | SPRS 598 | MNGN 566
Fall 2024 Course Offerings
Innov8x Ignite (INNO 244)
- Intro to our Innov8x course (INNO 444/544)
- Designed for underclassmen
- Use course deliverables to stand out in internship interviews
- Foster the early development of an entreprenuerial mindset
- Work on open-ended problems, practice investigation problems
- Learn how to influence executives and practice professional communication
Follow the link below and search for INNO to register now!
Innov8x Studio (INNO 545)
- Lab class available as extension of Innov8x
- Includes summer residency program where teams focus on developing innovative solutions
- Have the opportunity to launch startups or innovation initiatives and gain traction
- Scholarships are available
- Prerequisuite: Any introductory entreprenuership course (1-3 lab hours depending on the commitment
Follow the link below and search for INNO to register now!
Course Details
Innov8x introduces concepts and tools to accelerate the design, validation and adoption of innovations in support of creative problem solving. Using an entrepreneurial mindset, we learn how to identify and frame problems that beneficiaries and stakeholders face. We attempt to design and test practical solutions to those problems in collaboration with those who experience the problems. We apply beneficiary discovery, pretotyping, business model design (social, economic and environmental), constrained creativity, efficient experimentation, and rapid iteration. While resolving challenges involves technical solutions, an important aspect of this course is directly engaging beneficiaries and stakeholders in social contexts to develop solutions with strong impact potential. Innov8x is grounded in collaborative creativity theory at the intersection of organizational behavior (social psychology), design principles, entrepreneurship and innovation management.
Dates/Times:
Fall Semester: Late August to Early December
Spring Semester: Early January to early May.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM US Mountain time.
Alternative meeting times are available to accommodate those with conflicting athletic schedules and in different time zones. Office hours cover different time zones as well.
Enrollment:
In Mines Trailhead, you can register for Innov8x course in several cross-listed sections. REGISTER HERE
Innov8X Course Listings:
EDNS 544/444
Data Sciences Graduate Program: EDNS 544
Mining: MNGN 566
Space Resources: EDNS 544
Advanced Manufacturing Masters Program: Innov8x counts as an advisor-approved credit
*Note: Credit for Innov8x is at the discretion of the issuing department.
Course Instructors
Dr. Sid Saleh:
Teaching Associate Professor of Economics & Business, Associate Director for the McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation,Senator for Mines Faculty Senate, andChair for the Mines Research Council
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidsaleh/
Dr. Sebnem Duzgun:
President of Faculty Senate for AY of 2021-2022, Professor of Mining, and Fred Banfield Distinguished Endowed Chair in Mining Engineering
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebnem-duzgun-895ba224/
Past Problem Examples
For Past Problem examples scroll down this page to “Innov8x In the Past”
Course Mentors
See our current list on our Resources page: https://innovation.mines.edu/partners/
Dates and Enrollment
- Enroll now – Please visit Mines Trail Head to enroll.
- Acceptances – Ongoing
- Team Formation – Ongoing
- Innov8x Scholarship Application Deadline – 1st day of classes
FAQs
If after reading through this and the details tab you still have questions, or if you are interested in a particular topic and would like more information, please email Dr. Sid Saleh.
Problems
Are you aware of a community problem you would like to solve in this course with a team of students?
Bring it to class! As a student, you have a unique outlook on problems that your professor or problem sponsor may not be aware of in our communities. This class was created to help students become agents of change and to make a difference in someone’s life.
** If you are not a student but are interested in providing technical advice to a team, email Dr. Sid Saleh (shsaleh@mines.edu) letting him now which of the specific problems you are best suited to advise on, your company, position, LinkedIn profile, and contact info.
Can I support someone else’s problem?
Yes. Please choose one or two problems to bring to class or our information session. You can also email the problem and any associates to Dr. Sid Saleh (shsaleh@mines.edu).
Do I have to be a US citizen to take this class?
No, all nationalities are welcome.
Do I have to have previous experience with a problem topic?
No prior experience is required. The class has a set of problem sponsors and Mines mentors to assist the teams (see the teaching team section.)
How do I find teams?
Please add yourself by filling out the team formation survey. Also, make sure to go to virtual information sessions. A spreadsheet will be available to allow you to search for team members. The teaching team will help match groups that seem like particularly good fits, but expect to form a team using the team formation spreadsheet or interested friends.
Do I have to choose an idea that a sponsor is providing?
No. You can come up with your own idea and teaching team will strive to find an industry sponsor.
What if I want to propose an idea I have to a problem sponsor?
Contact the teaching team and we’ll connect you to a sponsoring industry.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE
What kind of support will our team have?
The teaching team consists of the lead professor, other faculty, one or more experienced problem sponsors for each team, and industry mentors. A mentor is an experienced investor, consultant or faculty assigned to your team. They’ve volunteered to help with the class and your team because they love hard problems facing emergency management. Their job is to guide you as you get out of the building and to interface effectively with your beneficiaries.
How often can we/should we meet with our sponsors and mentors?
Your mentors are expecting to meet with you at least every week face-to-face or via online. You can email them or meet with them more often if they have time.
Can I talk to a mentor not assigned to my team?
We do not assign mentors to teams. No one mentor has enough knowledge or expertise to address all your needs over time. Besides, you need multiple perspectives on any issue. At Mines, we implement collaborative mentoring. This means you will be mentored by multiple experts.
I have a busy schedule and my mentor can’t meet when I want them to. Can you do something about it?
Mentors have day jobs. Asking them to meet or reply to you ASAP is not acceptable. So plan ahead to allow for a reasonable amount of time for a reply or meeting. Be concise with your request and be respectful of their time.
I need help now.
You first stop is your teammates. Otherwise, email your instructors.
TEAM DYNAMICS
What roles are in each team?
Traditionally, each team member is part of the “customer development team”. You have to figure out how to allocate the work.
What if my team becomes dysfunctional?
Prepare to work through difficult issues. If the situation continues, approach the teaching team. Do not wait until the end of the semester to raise the issue.
What if one of my teammates is not “pulling his/her weight”?
Try to resolve it within your team. If the situation continues longer than a week, please approach the teaching team. Final grades will also reflect individual participation and contribution.
What kind of feedback can I expect?
Continual feedback weekly. Substandard quality work will be immediately brought to your attention
Innov8x problem spaces
Disaster Mitigation
Disasters, especially natural, are not predictable, and many times have severe consequences. FEMA, Colorado Homeland Security, the DOD, and many other government agencies are constantly looking for new innovations to assist in the preparation and response for these serious and impactful situations.
Sustainable Materials
Whether in housing, carbon fiber, shoes, or any other material good in our society, many industry members are looking for new and innovative ways to reuse, reduce, and recycle, all while trying to disrupt their industry to have a lasting impact on sustainability
Energy Transition
Companies around the world are looking for ways to change the poor habits of energy consumption, from technical solutions to new policies, human behavior and full transitions to clean and renewable energy sources. There’s a constant battle for innovation in both government and industry.
Big Data Utilization
Data collection and analysis is one of the largest growing needs in the world. From government policy changes to connecting resources and understanding cyber-security threats, data plays a vital role in efficiency, effectiveness, and direction for solutions to all kinds of problems. As more and more data becomes available, the question for many government and industry partners becomes how to understand what data is actually important, and what it tells them.
Health and Wellbeing
Our society is facing constant and unprecedented challenges regarding health and wellbeing. From pandemics to sleep apnea, a mental health crisis to improper nutrition and movement. From VF to Mines, many large organizations are looking for innovative ways to tackle such large impactful issues.
Environmental Sustainability
Drinking water shortages, traffic on the rise with ozone levels, and plastics filling far too much of our oceans, government agencies, universities, and industry members are all working hard at the many new challenges arising each day. From policy to human behavior, technical advancements to technical remediations, there are many ways to approach such large scale problems, making these issues even more open-ended.
Advancing Tech And So much more
Technology has been improving at enormous rates each year. How can we use these new technologies to create new innovations and disrupt traditional ways of doing things? From space debris clean-up and moon power, to virtual reality experiences and alternative construction methods, there are new ways to solve old and large problems better than ever before.
Innov8x in the community
Innov8x has hosted and received praise from many innovative leaders.
You must be logged in to post a comment.