2011 I-69 Collegiate Innovation Challenge

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The annual I-69 Collegiate Innovation Challenge celebrates its fifth event with five new student winners!

  • Angelina Lindahl
  • 765-662-0650
  • alindahl@grantcounty.com

Marion, IN - The Grant County Economic Growth Council celebrated its fifth annual I-69 Collegiate Innovation Challenge this past weekend with five new student winners: Chris Bourgea, Anderson University, Katie Brummett, Indiana Wesleyan University, Katrina Helmer, Huntington University, Rachel Jonker, Taylor University, and Aaron Sall, Ball State University. Students were awarded the $500 gold coin prize for their business idea, Alere. Alere's presented mission was to provide an international relocation service for corporate client's top immigrant employees and their families ease the transition to their new culture.

This year's winning team was one of the five teams that competed at the I-69 Collegiate Innovation Challenge this past weekend at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, Indiana. Each team was made up of one student representative from each of the participating universities. The students were placed into teams Friday afternoon based on the Basadur Creative Profile, a problem-solving assessment and collaborated for less than 24-hours on a for-profit business solution to a provided social problem that dealt with the challenges of immigration in the United States.

"Participating in the I-69 Collegiate Innovation Challenge was a wonderful experience." shared student winner Katie Brummett, "The event provided me with a great opportunity to work collectively with students from differing universities in order to produce an innovative and creative solution to a current social problem. It was truly an unforgettable and greatly rewarding experience."

Saturday afternoon, student teams presented their solution to a panel of designated judges from companies Young at Heart, Ginovus, Cambridge Capital Management, Duke Energy, and Pro Prints Gear. Following the presentations, judges selected a winning team following specific criteria that measured items such as: innovation, profitability, and market potential.

The I-69 Collegiate Innovation Challenge's purpose is designed to encourage entrepreneurship among students along the I-69 corridor, provide networking opportunities for students and judges, generate creative ideas, and allow for collaboration between the five universities. This year's event was sponsored by: AT&T, Duke Energy, Vectren, IEDC, IMPA, Indiana Michigan Power, Taylor University, Ball State University, Anderson University, Huntington University, and Indiana Wesleyan University.

The first I-69 Collegiate Innovation Challenge began in 2006.