Long Beach State University holds an annual Innovation Challenge to support entrepreneurship. It provides mentoring and resources to teams of students who develop new business ideas. Over 40-50 teams participate each year. Teams submit business plans and four finalists present their ideas at an award ceremony. The winning team receives a $10,000 startup package of seed funding and donated business services to help launch their new company. The goal is to produce one new startup company each year and empower students from all majors to develop practical entrepreneurial skills through competitions and other programs.

1. LONG BEACH STATE UNIVERSITY’S
INNOVATION
CHALLENGE

2. THE GUIDING VISION

3. THE INNOVATION
INITIATIVE
• Producing one new company
each year with adequate support
• Interdisciplinary: Open to diverse
students from all majors
• Expanding practical entrepreneur
ability to hundreds since 2011
• Aligned with region’s economic
development goals

4. In Pursuit of Innovation
• Infusion of business and entrepreneurship
ideas into curricula
• Empowering engineering, business,
and design students to be catalysts
for creating innovation cells
• Tutorials, camps, and lectures
• Annual entrepreneur competition:
THE INNOVATION CHALLENGE
IN PURSUIT OF
INNOVATION

5. • Offered once per year
• 40-50 teams participate
• A mentor assigned to each team
• Select four finalists to present at the Award
Ceremony
• Winner takes the startup package: Everything the
new business needs in its first year of operation
THE
COMPETITION

6. The Prize Package
• $10K of seed funding
• Business-related services,
(donated by friends of the university)
• Legal: business set up
• Legal: securing intellectual property
• Accounting and tax services
• Marketing services/consultation
• Office space
• Communication services: web, phone
• Technical assistance/consulting
• Business cards, stationery, brochures, printing
THE PRIZE PACKAGE

7. All year around activities
• Summer entrepreneur boot camps
• Competition announced in early September with a series of Information
sessions
• A series of seminars and tutorials during Fall semester
• Teams have registered in October and November
• Each team assigned a mentor (selected from a pool of over 70
entrepreneurs)
• Deadline for submittal of completed business plans: February
• Down selection of final four: February
• Award Ceremony: Early April
ALL YEAR AROUND
ACTIVITIES

8. THE 2017 TOP TEAM
An innovative
solution to use
drones for parking
enforcement in open
parking lots.
Stellar Aerial Robotics

9. THE 2017 TOP TEAM

10. InFluids: The 2014 WinnerInFluids – THE 2014 WINNERS
• Led by ShahabTaherian and
Jeremy Bonifacio
• Provide clarity and insight
to pulmonary physicians on
most complex diagnostic
challenges through easy,
accurate and reliable
computer simulations.

11. InFluids – THE 2014 WINNERS

12. 2011: Phasor Cycles, electric motorcross bike
2012: Glydetech, magnetic technology for sliding doors
2013: Textbook House, text-trading website
2015: Luxnova, 3D bones
2016: Impetuum, virtual reality
controller (runner up)
2016: The Boxing Movement,
mobile gym for seniors
PREVIOUS TOP TEAMS

13. INCREASING PARTICIPATION
2011:
16 business plans
submitted
2017:
44 business plans
submitted

14. InFluids: The 2014 Winner
• Much higher level of awareness and know-how
• Teams possess expertise in engineering, design, and business
• Interdisciplinary collaboration between colleges of Engineering,
Business and Arts
• Mentors and judges from business and
industry expand influence into community
• Participant and mentor satisfaction
• Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
LEVELS OF SUCCESS

15. InFluids: The 2014 Winner
• Deans of colleges
• Faculty representatives
• Steering Committee members
• Mentors
• Judges
• Sponsors
A TRUE TEAM EFFORT
Individual Sponsors
• Michael Baghramian
• Gail Meredith
• Barbara Barcon
• Deborah Ferber
• Eric Schwartz

16. Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Awareness
Research and
Planning
Prototyping &
Proof of Concept
Business Plan
Business
Development
INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT THE
BEACH