1. Innovation Living-Learning Community The students living in the Innovation LLC are freshman and sophomores interested in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Invention to Venture (I2V) A workshop that teaches technology entrepreneurship and provides a framework for moving ideas forward.
Idea to Product (I2P) Early-stage technology commercialization plan competition that aims for unique product ideas with clear market demand that use innovative technologies.
Silicon Valley Workshop Workshop that includes visits with startups and leading technology companies to expose students to firms in various stages of a startup lifecycle.
Lemelson-MIT Illinois Student Prize A $30,000 prize is awarded on an annual basis to a student who has demonstrated remarkable inventiveness.
Cozad New Venture Competition (CNVC) A competition designed to encourage the creation of new sustainable businesses in the Champaign-Urbana area.
VentureLab The outcome of this program is a more competitive action plan and provides a set of tools to help grow businesses for years to come.
TEC Courses & Certificates Designed to add value to an engineering degree by exposing students to commercialization concepts.
Entrepreneurs in Residence Provides students with direct interaction and mentoring from prominent entrepreneurial alumni.

2. TEC’S ROADMAP TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP
For those further along with their innovations, an in-depth NCIIA
workshop is offered called VentureLab. VentureLab is a highly
experiential program developed to enhance the success of
TEC is an interdisciplinary program in the College of Engineering business ideas.
at the University of Illinois engaging a vast pool of faculty,
students, and alumni to provide the education, experiences, and In addition, TEC offers courses in entrepreneurship and certifi-
resources that students need to become the next generation of cates designed to add value to an engineering degree by expos-
world-changing visionaries, leaders and entrepreneurs. TEC has ing students to business and technology commercialization
developed a roadmap for students to follow that greatly concepts. An Entrepreneur in Residence program also
increases their chances for starting a successful enterprise. provides students a glimpse into the entrepreneurship
landscape with the reward of direct interaction and advice from
This roadmap begins with the Innovation Living-Learning prominent entrepreneurial alumni.
Community (LLC). The students living in the Innovation LLC are
freshman and sophomores interested in innovation and entre- By providing this roadmap to entrepreneurship, we are inspiring
preneurship. The program includes on-site classes and students to become innovative leaders and empower them to
workshops revolving around the themes of creativity, innova- change the world around them.
tion, and entrepreneurship.
What types of students participate in TEC’s programs?
For those interested in entrepreneurship basics, TEC administers
an NCIIA Invention to Venture (I2V) workshop annually that Green Light Planet; founded by Patrick Walsh
teaches technology entrepreneurship and provides a framework http://www.greenlightplanet.com/
for moving ideas forward. Greenlight Planet is combining cutting-edge technology with
innovative distribution networks to commercialize low-power
For students in the idea stage, TEC administers a campus round LED lanterns. The new lights are bright, long-lasting, and practi-
Idea to Product® (I2P) competition. I2P® is an early-stage cal. But more importantly, they are affordable enough that villag-
technology commercialization plan competition that aims for ers in places like rural India can purchase them immediately in
unique product ideas with clear market demand that use innova- cash, meaning the technology can profitably scale to help
tive technologies. The goals are education and developing the hundreds of millions.
next generation of technology entrepreneurs.
Illini Prosthetic Technologies (IPT); founded by Jonathan Naber
Another program offered by TEC and the College of Engineering http://www.supportipt.org/
is the Silicon Valley Workshop. This is a technology entrepre- IPT is a non-profit organization that believes every amputee can
neurship workshop that includes visits with startups and leading have access to affordable prosthetic care. Their current focus is to
technology companies to expose students to firms in various deploy a highly affordable and off-the-shelf prosthetic arm for
stages of a startup lifecycle. below-elbow amputees living in developing nations. They seek
to partner with various aid organizations which can purchase,
The Lemelson-MIT Illinois Student Prize for $30,000 is distribute, and fit their product to amputees.
awarded on an annual basis to a student who has created or
improved a product or process, applied a technology in a new IntelliWheels Inc.; founded by Scott Daigle
way, redesigned a system, or demonstrated remarkable inven- http://www.intelli-wheels.com/
tiveness in other ways. IntelliWheels Inc. is a startup that created IntelliWheels AGS
(short for Automatic Gear-Shift). Packaged as a set of two wheel-
For students developing a business, the Cozad New Venture chair wheels, IntelliWheels AGS replaces your current wheelchair
Competition (CNVC) is designed to encourage the creation of wheels. IntelliWheels AGS automatically changes gears by
new sustainable businesses in the Champaign-Urbana area. The sensing how you are pushing your wheelchair. Similar to the way
CNVC encourages the development of the entrepreneurial spirit that people ride bicycles, gear shifting can make going up and
and mindset through teamwork and competition. down hills, over long distances, and over rough terrain more
ergonomically efficient.
*Hundreds of students participate annually in TEC’s Cozad New
Venture Competition. One of Cozad’s past winners just received $1 *Each year, more than 800 students enroll in TEC’s courses and
million in funding to further their innovation and change the world approximately 2,000 students participate in TEC’s programs.
in communication services.
*Hundreds of millions of people are being impacted daily by
Quote from student participant: “We see Cozad as a spring board projects that began here at TEC.
for future development of our company. We have a lot of really great
ideas that are swirling around right now and Cozad and the prizes
that we won will allow us to realize some of those ideas.” For more information, please visit tec.illinois.edu.