Idea Wars: Innovation Challenge
Idea Wars: Innovation Challenge is a hack-a-thon style competition where students come up with an innovative business solution for a problem and then pitch it for the chance to win an award! We are looking for students to collaborate, create interdisciplinary teams, and develop innovative solutions to big problems. Sign up to participate and learn more below!
How to Participate!
To participate, students must:
- Complete this application by March 25. Sign up here!
- Attend a kickoff event on March 25.
- Form interdisciplinary 3-5 person teams during kickoff.
- Attend a mentorship meeting and get feedback on how to improve your idea and pitch.
- Pitch the solution on April 17.
Every student that completes the program wins a $100 Amazon gift card.
Important Dates / Competition Schedule
Kickoff
The competition begins Wednesday, March 25 with a session on how to come up with an innovative idea; a session on work well within teams across disciplines; learn about the problem prompts; and form teams.
Date: Wednesday, March 25
Time: 6 - 9 p.m.
Location: CBB 408, Executive MBA Lounge
Customer Discovery
This workshop will help you understand how your customer will inform your solution and how to conduct customer discovery.
Date: Wednesday, April 1
Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: CBB 328/330
Mock Presentation Night (Optional)
Come practice your presentation and get feedback on how to improve.
Date: Wednesday, April 15
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
Final Pitch
Students pitch their innovative solution to a panel of judges and given feedback.
Date: Friday, April 17
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
Award
Every student that completes the program would receive a $100 gift card to Amazon.
Judging Criteria
- Team explained the problem they have chosen.
- Team has described the solution so that a general audience can understand what they are working on.
- Team has identified and described a target market/customer and that the market is sufficiently sized to support the business/business idea.
- Team had identified an innovative solution to solve the problem.
- Team has identified a viable solution to solve the problem.
- Team has prepared a high quality pitch.
Pitch Requirements
- Teams have 6 minutes to present
- 15 Minute Judge Q&A
- 5 to 10 slides
- Sketch/Design of product highly encouraged but not required
- At least two team members in all workshops
- All team members must be current UH students
Idea Wars: Innovation Challenge is cohosted by Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, RED Labs and Founders’ Club. You can email lgonzalez@cougarnet.uh.edu for any questions about the pitch competition and can go to the WCE Founders’ Club website to learn more about the organization and how to become a member.