It’s that time of year again! The OECD’s annual Innovation Competition is coming up on Saturday, 4 February 2023. We are thrilled to announce that we are offering a $6,000 grand prize for the competition winner a $1,000 second place prize. Additionally, all competition finalists will receive $250 to support their projects.
The Innovation Competition is open to all JSoM students. Whether you have a project well-underway or you just have a spark of inspiration and aren’t sure what to do with it yet, we encourage you to join us on December 7, 1:30-3:30pm for an information session to learn more about the competition. You are also welcome to stop by the OECD for advising/mentoring sessions to help you develop your project.
We look forward to seeing you and learning about your project!
IMPORTANT DATES
Wednesday, December 7 from 1:30-3:30pm: Information Session
Location: OECD – Merrill Hall, MU011
Work with members of the OECD to fine-tune your concept and to receive more details about the competition layout. If you are not available to attend the information session but are interested in participating in the competition, please email OECD student leadership team manager, Sarah McDonie at smcdonie@iu.edu, to set up an alternate time.
Friday, December 16: Statements of Intent Due
> Link to the Form
Tell us about your project: What is your concept? Why do you think it’s worth doing? This should not be a detailed proposal but rather a brief introduction to your project idea.
Monday, January 16: Applications Due
You’ll learn more about the application process at the information session on December 7. For now, here are some elements that you will include in your final proposal:
- Mission statement
- Vision statement
- Executive summary
- Project background
- Timeline
- Budget
Saturday, February 4: Competition Day!
This will be held in an event space in the Kelley School of Business. The structure of the day will include each participant giving a one-minute elevator pitch and a five-minute project presentation followed by questions from the judging panel.
If you have any questions between now and the information session, please don’t hesitate to email Alain Barker (abarker@indiana.edu) or Sarah McDonie (smcdonie@iu.edu). We can’t wait to hear about your project ideas!
FUNDING
Generous support for the 2023 Innovation Competition is from Jacobs School of Music donors, the IU Ventures fund, and the Kelley School’s Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
2022 WINNERS
On Saturday, February 5, the Project Jumpstart team hosted the 9th annual Innovation Competition in partnership with the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Kelley School of Business. With a total of nine outstanding presentations from Jacobs students, the competition was judged by Don Kuratko of the Johnson Center, Melissa Dickson of the Jacobs School, Travis Brown of the Luddy School, Monika Herzig of the O’Neil School, and last year’s competition winner, Charlie Edmonds.
Many thanks to the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Kelley School of Business for their continued generous support of the Project Jumpstart Innovation Competition since its inception. Read on for some words from this year’s winners!
THE PROJECTS!
Walker Smith | Maestro Molecules – 1st Place ($3,000)
What does a molecule sound like? While this may seem like an absurd question, undergraduate chemistry and music double major Walker Smith has combined his expertise in chemical research, electronic music, and scientific communication to take audiences on an immersive audiovisual tour of the molecular world. “The Sound of Molecules” educates and inspires diverse audiences by illustrating the interconnected beauty of science and music in novel and engaging ways. Appearing as Maestro Molecules, he and his business partner, WonderLab Museum, will bring educational performances to middle and high schools, universities, museums, and other venues around Indiana, and eventually beyond.
Kylie Dickinson | The Aviary Fashion Project – 2nd Place ($1,500)
The Aviary Fashion Project collaborates with a wide variety of instrumentalists to create a fashion brand based upon the ideals of sustainable and affordable clothing. The project offers musicians clothes that are personally geared towards different instrumentalists’ needs and that represent a wide variety of cultures and fashion influences. The plan includes a runway show premiering 12 outfits designed personally by Jacobs School of Music Students at the Eskenazi Museum of Art and the launching of a website where performers can personally design and order unique clothing or buy copies of past outfits at a significantly reduced cost.
Sage Hamm & Xinyuan Deng | InterArt Collective – 3rd Place ($500)
The InterArt Collective, a web-based creative hub and app, provides artists with an opportunity to collaborate by focusing on cross-disciplinary exchanges. The website design enables artists create their own profiles without having to undertake the stress and cost of making their own website. A second feature is forums where discussions are promoted within and across disciplines. Collaborative engagements are fostered, advertised, and organized by the InterArt Collective, giving new works an opportunity to be heard in a variety of settings. The InterArt Collective creates a more dynamic, relevant world of art and music.