Concordia is full of creative thinkers with a passion for making a difference in people’s lives. If you’re one of them, it won’t take much to connect with others who share your enthusiasm for thinking outside of the box and serving others by solving life’s problems. There are multiple examples of professors who believed so much in their students’ innovations that they put their own time, talents, and resources on the line to help develop the idea. Check out the list below to explore ways that you can plug into the entrepreneurial community at Concordia.
CU Launch
Started in 2014, CULaunch offers free business coaching to students with startup ideas. The multi-month program, held annually during the fall semester, concludes with a live pitch event, with seed funding offered to the top innovations.
Health Care Innovation Pitch
In this Shark Tank-like event, leading health care innovator teams pitch their ideas to a panel of renowned venture capitalist judges to win seed funding. Students have teamed up with Concordia professors to claim prizes. One of winning teams from the 2017 competition was comprised of three CUW faculty and a student. They claimed more than $20,000 in prizes.
Concordia Medication Management Accelerator
A joint effort of Concordia’s School of Pharmacy and Batterman School of Business, with financial support from The Dohmen Co., CMMA is a health care innovation accelerator that aims to address medication management barriers for patients with chronic illnesses. The 18-month program awarded more than $50,000 to teams in November 2017. The teams will continue to meet through next fall to hone their concepts and receive coaching and advice on implementing them.
Startup Week
Concordia plays a leading role in Milwaukee Startup Week, an annual entrepreneur-led event. The event brings together entrepreneurs, investors, corporate innovators, and local leaders to build momentum and celebrate Southeast Wisconsin’s unique entrepreneurial identity. The week, held annually in November, offers a variety of networking opportunities, seminars, and competitions.
Entrepreneur-in-Residence
The Batterman School of Business has contracted a well-known venture capitalist and startup advisor, Loren Peterson, to support Concordia’s budding entrepreneurs. Peterson holds regular office hours, and lends his expertise to any Concordia student or faculty member looking to move their startup ideas forward. Check the campus calendar for Peterson’s office hours.
CU Ventures Fund Management
CVFM is a group of students dedicated to equity research and real portfolio management. The students involved select and analyze securities to be added and managed in the portfolio. This program will provide students with tolls for comprehensive financial research and prepare them for careers in investment management.
CMAX
The Concordia Multidisciplinary AccXelerator is made up of professionals, professors, and students who are dedicated to designing solutions to the problems of today. The group aims to help Concordia students create their own businesses or join startup companies. Connect with them on Facebook.
I-Corps
While not specifically an effort of Concordia, several students and professors have taken advantage of the Milwaukee I-Corps program and found success in doing so. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Milwaukee I-Corps program offers researchers and entrepreneurs a chance to explore the viability of their technologies and ventures through direct engagement with the potential markets.
To learn more about any of the above initiatives, contact Dr. Daniel Sem.