GVSU Gets Grant For Green Entrepreneurship Education
The Michigan Green Technology Entrepreneur Academy, an innovative new program hosted by Grand Valley State University, has been awarded a $61,000 grant to advance new clean technology ideas.
MI-GTEA is an innovative, intensive five-day course offered through Grand Valley's Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Seidman College of Business. It is designed as a springboard for moving clean technology ideas beyond the university lab.
The program is tailored specifically for science and engineering faculty, doctoral and post doctoral students who want to learn to commercialize their research, prepare for a career or take the first steps toward launching a new venture.
Grand Valley is partnering with Huron River Ventures and the Growth Capital Network to run the inaugural academy in Grand Rapids July 25-29. The program provides participants with:
* A practical understanding of how innovations move from the laboratory to the market
* The skills necessary to select, guide and advocate the commercial potential of their own research
* An introduction to a strong network of professionals who can help mentor and connect participants as they move forward
The grant was awarded by The Michigan Initiative for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, a consortium of all 15 Michigan public universities acting together to foster a new knowledge economy based on entrepreneurship and innovation. The consortium supports individual universities in their role as local and regional economic drivers for Michigan and encourages regional collaboration between universities, foundations, economic development organizations, government agencies and private enterprise.
"We're very excited to be awarded the MIIE grant and kick-start the inaugural year of the MI-GTEA program," said H. James Williams, dean of the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley. "This grant will position MI-GTEA to serve a wide breadth of science and engineering researchers to move their technologies out of the labs and into the marketplace -- creating jobs and new economies in the process."
For more information contact Grand Valley's Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at (616) 331-7257 or visit www.migtea.org.
