Students invited to learn entrepreneurial skills at Pomona Innovation Weekend
Western University of Health Sciences is partnering with Cal Poly Pomona and the Pomona Chamber of Commerce on the second Pomona Innovation Weekend, an intense three-day workshop where students learn how to turn an idea into a business.
Pomona Innovation Weekend, previously called 3-Day Startup Pomona, will take place Oct. 20-22, 2017 in the Bronco Student Center at Cal Poly Pomona. The event is free and open to all graduate and undergraduate students. The application deadline is Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.
Click here to view the website: http://cppilab.org/events/innoweekend/.
Click here to view a flier: http://webassets.westernu.edu/westernu-news/docs/PIW-Flyer-MO.pdf
The first day is spent developing teams based on the top ideas selected, said Cal Poly Pomona student Peter Nguyen, one of the student organizers of Pomona Innovation Weekend. Participants learn how to create a Business Model Canvas, a visual chart describing a firm’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers and finances. The teams then develop their business plans, conduct market research, meet with mentors and, on day three, present their final pitches to a panel of experienced entrepreneurs and professionals.
Health professions students from WesternU will work together with undergraduate students from Cal Poly Pomona and other universities majoring in business, engineering, computer science and other disciplines.
“This is a great opportunity,” Nguyen said. “It allows you to collaborate with different mindsets and different talents.”
WesternU is playing a pivotal role in the event. College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Professor Malika Kachani, PhD, DVM, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Assistant Professor Maryam Othman, MD, MPH, and CVM student Christina Trabanco are helping to organize the event. Several WesternU faculty and staff members also are serving as mentors and panelists.
“Last year’s event was really positive. All the teams got a lot of feedback from each other and from mentors and organizers,” said WesternU Center for Academic and Professional Enhancement Instructional Designer Adam Hain, who served as a mentor last year and will return in the same role this year.
“You could see that in the excitement coming off the teams. They had really great ideas and it was a really powerful experience,” Hain said. “I think they all got a lot out of it. People were excited to see their idea come to life.”
