Intellectual Property
Join us for an engaging and informative workshop designed to demystify the world of intellectual property (IP). Whether you're an entrepreneur, artist, inventor, or simply curious about protecting your creations, this session will provide you with the essential knowledge to navigate the complexities of IP.
Learn about the different types of intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Discover how to safeguard your innovations and leverage IP to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. Our expert speakers will share practical tips, real-world examples, and answer your burning questions.
Don't miss this opportunity to empower yourself with the tools to protect and maximize the value of your ideas. Register now and take the first step towards becoming an IP-savvy creator!
This event will be hybrid - both in-person at the University of Minnesota and online.
Customer Discovery 101
When you have an idea for innovation, customer discovery is the first place to start. Can you find someone who needs your idea and is willing to pay for it? This workshop will get you started.
Objectives
- Determine specific customer roles
- Define the ecosystem
- Outline specific questions for problem interviews
- Practice and critique interviewing examples
Founder's Day
A showcase of entrepreneurship and innovation from across the University of Minnesota.
Join fellow alumni and the broader entrepreneurial community as we celebrate innovation and entrepreneurship across the University of Minnesota campus. Learn about innovative projects led by students and faculty to develop new products, test new business concepts, and launch new startups.
This year will feature the MVP Challenge, showcasing 25 projects from classes and labs across the UMN sharing their prototypes to solve significant social, medical/health, environmental, and manufacturing problems. Recent technology startups spun out of the UMN will also be featured, alongside students' new products and startup companies' development in experiential entrepreneurship courses.
The event will also announce entrepreneurship student/teacher/faculty awards and recognize the 2026 University of Minnesota Entrepreneur of the Year - Ryan Broshar, Founding Partner of Matchstick Ventures and co-founder of Beta.MN and Twin Cities Startup Week.
Immediately after the program, join us downstairs in the Toaster Innovation Hub for refreshments, and meet our 15 current MBA and undergraduate student teams participating in experiential courses and leading startup companies.
Women Innovators Conference
The annual Women Innovators Conference is a professional development summit designed to help women innovators connect the dots between their ideas and achieving a positive, significant impact. This event will inspire, inform, and connect women students, faculty, and business professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) to strengthen and extend the diverse talent pool of women innovators in the Twin Cities.
The Women Innovators Conference is open to anyone to attend, but is centered around UMN faculty, postdocs, research staff, students, and early-career professionals.
Early Stage Funding Webinar
Join the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship and MIN-Corps for a free live webinar panel exploring early stage funding options featuring industry experts. Hosted in October, open to anyone.