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This 15-credit minor equips undergraduate students from any background or area of study with the necessary skills and experience to translate ideas into real impact in the arts, sciences, commercial, and social areas. Entrepreneurial education is focused on equipping students to “Be The Difference.” It is therefore a truly multidisciplinary activity that includes teachings from a variety of disciplines and focuses at is core on an approach that values immersive experiences.
The Graduate Certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship is a 12-credit program open to all master’s, PhD, and professional students in all schools and colleges at U-M. The program offers graduate students the opportunity to learn the tenets of innovation and entrepreneurship to complement the expertise they are acquiring in their primary degree programs.
In collaboration with International Programs in Engineering, these global entrepreneurship experiences are in-demand and student-focused. Local alumni networking opportunities and additional co-curricular opportunities are highlights in each location.
Each fall and winter semester CFE curates immersive treks to Michigan’s startup ecosystems for a select number of students to engage with founders, their teams, and, influential alumni! These 1-day trips are by application only, with day-of transportation and meals provided through CFE.
Various short videos designed to guide individuals through important entrepreneurial concepts where ever they are on their journey.
PROFESSIONAL
The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation is a statewide program that funds translational research applications in advanced transportation materials, robotics and autonomy, sensors, electric vehicle drivetrain/propulsion, software/controls/data, and advanced manufacturing processes. This hub is run jointly by the U-M Center for Entrepreneurship and the U-M Office of Tech Transfer, in partnership with Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
The Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund (MBVF) invests in biomedical startup companies with U-M licensed IP in the domain of therapeutics, devices, diagnostics, or health IT. The MBVF is a collaborative effort between the U-M College of Engineering’s Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE) and U-M Medical School’s Fast Forward Medical Innovation program (FFMI) program. The MBVF awards $50,000-300,000 to biomedical startup companies.
STUDENT
TechArb Student Venture Accelerator serves as the training ground for University of Michigan students to become tomorrow’s leading entrepreneurs.Portfolio companies receive premier access to expert mentors, tailored programming, material support, dedicated workspace and — perhaps most importantly — a community of like-minded, high-achieving peers. These resources comprise a critical component of entrepreneurial education, empowering students to take their classroom learning and put it into practice for real-world impact.
PROFESSIONAL
The Desai Family Accelerator was formerly a collaborative effort between The Center for Entrepreneurship and the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Ross School of Business. The Accelerator is a program open to U-M alumni startups for a 10-month cohort, looking to help passionate entrepreneurs take their early-stage ventures to external-funding readiness by leveraging The University of Michigan’s expansive network of people and resources.
ELP provides deep training and mentorship for a select cohort of entrepreneurial-minded students to develop the functional, managerial, and leadership skills that differentiate the good from the great entrepreneurs. A key experiential component of ELP is a summer internship placement at a startup where students work closely with entrepreneurial leaders outside the university to gain the critical skills and experiences they need to become leaders of innovation and entrepreneurship.
TechLab at Mcity is an incubator for early-stage mobility companies in the connected and autonomous vehicle industry. The incubator places a heavy emphasis on student learning by matching emerging transportation startups with students interested in applying classroom learning to practical technology development. TechLab is managed by U-M Center for Entrepreneurship, in partnership with Mcity.
A Company-in-Residence program that pairs emerging and scaling startups with top-tier graduate and undergraduate students studying a wide range of fields including computer science, data analytics, chemical engineering, material science, robotics, business, and sustainability.
As the University of Michigan’s hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, Innovate Blue helps turn ideas into action by supporting, connecting, and expanding the Michigan entrepreneurial network and community. With more than 15 programs and centers in entrepreneurship and more than 30 entrepreneurial student organizations, University of Michigan programs deliver one of the best and broadest engaged learning experiences on entrepreneurship.
U-M Tech Transfer is the University unit responsible for the commercialization of University research discoveries and reports to the U-M Office of Research while enhancing research discoveries to encourage licensing and broad deployment with existing businesses and newly-formed U-M start-ups.
Fast Forward Medical Innovation offers resources and support to world-class biomedical researchers at the University of Michigan, and across the state. Groundbreaking funding programs, dynamic educational offerings, and deep industry connections help biomedical researchers navigate the road to successful innovation and commercialization, with the ultimate goal of positively impacting human health.
The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity advances the knowledge and practice of entrepreneurship and innovation through a broad range of activities, including academics, symposium, competitions, and global community outreach. The Institute is the foremost resource for students and alumni of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business as they pursue entrepreneurial endeavors and private equity careers.
Mcity has established itself as a leading voice in connected and automated vehicles. With living labs enabling comprehensive testing, evaluation, and demonstration of connected and automated vehicles, as well as the technologies behind them, the safe, controlled conditions of the Mcity Test Facility provide the real-world environments of on-road vehicle deployments in Ann Arbor and beyond. This offers an essential combination of resources for ensuring the safe rollout of emerging mobility solutions.
UX Lab at the School of Information offers free consultation services to student entrepreneurs and local businesses with the goal of helping them incorporate a user-centered perspective into their ventures. Services include: consulting on customer discovery, evaluating the user experience of products or services, and advising on customer-facing designs. UX Lab also offers customized workshops related to user experience design.
INTERNAL
A student-led organization at the University of Michigan that offers workshops, mentorship, and funding for students to create self-directed projects that make a positive impact.
As the nation's largest public research university, the U-M Office of Research (UMOR) aims to catalyze, support and safeguard U-M research.
A home base for performing arts entrepreneurship, leadership, and career services. EXCEL Lab takes a personalized, collaborative approach to professional development by first exploring students’ individual visions and goals, and then connecting them with the resources they need to thrive.
Providing resources, counsel and connections for faculty and staff that facilitate industry partnerships and research funding.
A student organization of driven and passionate University of Michigan students with a platform to give back to the entrepreneurial community, and grow immensely both professionally and as leaders.
EXTERNAL
An economic engine within southeast Michigan cultivating a network of business and manufacturing excellence. Whether launching your first startup, a seasoned entrepreneur, or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Ann Arbor Spark's services can help you succeed. Concentrating efforts on four innovation-driving industries: automotive and mobility; life sciences and healthcare; data and information; and technology.
A uniquely inspiring tech hub designed to help members and the community thrive. An endeavor of passion, by tech entrepreneurs, for tech entrepreneurs believing Ann Arbor delivers compelling advantages to startups. Cahoots offers a home to companies looking for desirable downtown space and provides a central and purposeful hub for our vibrant tech community.
Collaborating with more than 100 economic development partners, markets Michigan as the place to do business, assists businesses in their growth strategies, and fosters the growth of vibrant communities across the state.
Envisioning a world in which science and technology innovators have the support, training, and access to networks and resources they need to solve the world’s most difficult problems.
Y Combinator provides seed funding for startups. All venture investors supply some combination of money and help. The most important thing Y Combinator does is work with startups on their ideas.