Ohio University’s Innovation Center will launch two new programs this year with the goal of eventually producing and selling a new “digital media” product.
The center, located at 340 W. State St., aims to help OU students market their innovative ideas through the programs, one of which will be held during Spring Quarter, and the other in June.
“We want entrepreneurs — anyone from artists, graphic designers, software programmers to journalists with writing skills,” said Jennifer Simon, the center’s director. “We are really looking for a wide array of individuals that can bring all sorts of skills to the table.”
In the past, startups such as CreMedia, a video production and website design company; Lightborne Lore, a digital games and animation production studio; and Parabox Studios, a video game development company, have made use of the center’s facilities. In the 2010 fiscal year, the center’s clients had a total income of $22 million.
The Innovation Center is holding a Startup Weekend from April 20 through 22 for interested entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to fruition.
“It’s going to be a long weekend, but it will be a lot of fun and will offer a lot of excitement,” Simon said.
In 54 hours, students will pitch their ideas, form teams, create business plans and gain wisdom from various industry and business executives.
A group of Innovation Center representatives attended a similar weekend in Columbus to get a feel for how they wanted to run theirs, said Bernadette Fechko, a senior studying marketing and one of the Center’s interns.
“We worked with the facilitators there and took notes to look at what we can change and do differently and to learn what we wanted to do the same,” Fechko said.
In addition to planning Startup Weekend, the Innovation Center is organizing a 10-week boot camp, called the Innovation Engine Accelerator, that begins June 18.
“It is a program focused on a digital media company,” Simon said. “We are shooting for new and emerging entrepreneurs to be a part of it.”
Simon said the program is mentor-based: Each team is provided with two mentors, executives or industry experts, who will give participants advice at least two hours per week. Five teams can earn up to $20,000 in funding each.
“We want participants to meet milestones and be successful,” Simon said. “They get $10,000 at the midway point and if they are meeting what they are supposed to be doing, they will be granted additional funding.”
Startup Weekend tickets are available on the Innovation Center’s website, innovateohio.com, and cost $49 for students. Applications for the Innovation Engine Accelerator can be found online and are due by May 1.
bc822010@ohiou.edu
