The IDEA Hub is a campus-wide initiative for students, created to spread social and creative entrepreneurship at UCSC, Led by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED) . A network of incubation facilities, fellowships, seminars, workshops, and mentorships provide students space to critically think about the challenges facing society and propose pathways for meaningful intervention. The IDEA Hub is more than just a lab or mentorship program, it is a space where students are given the opportunity to collaborate with diverse interdisciplinary teams and develop ideas with technical knowledge to create projects with real-world impact. Participation in this program provides graduate and undergraduate students with the skills and capacity to conceptualize and execute their socially engaged ideas.
Labs
The IDEA Hub brings together a network of four independent incubation facilities, including the S-Lab, OpenLab, Everett Program, and Viz Lab. These campus workspaces, available to all Hub team members, provide access to hardware and software for hands-on development and innovation in design, manufacturing, communications, and data visualization.
Programs
Summer Showcase: June 7, 2017 (Application due May 19th, 2017)
Sell your idea at the Summer Showcase: June 7, 2017. The IDEA Hub is currently accepting applications from individuals and student teams. The Summer Showcase is an opportunity to pitch your original idea to the local tech innovation community. Winners of this showcase will be awarded cash prizes to seed their project.
Summer Fellowship (Applications due June 11, 2017) (link to call for proposals)
Apply now for financial support to help move your project past the proof of concept stage and seed your enterprise ideas. Graduate students can apply for a quarter length Graduate fellowship (including tuition and fees for Fall, Winter or Spring). Undergraduates and graduating seniors can apply for a 3-6-month fellowship.
Applications should include a one-page project proposal plus a work plan and budget. Some additional funds are available for project development. These fellowships are reserved for students working on projects that are past the idea stage, with these funds designed to move to implementation.
Teams
Students apply in project teams for an opportunity to participate in this year-long program. The IDEA Hub Teams will be primarily affiliated with an incubation facility that most closely matches their project needs (to facilitate mentoring) but gains access to all four incubation facilities. Teams will also be expected to participate in a series of seminars and workshops
and will have mentorship opportunities, and access to project seed funding.
To get more information on the Hub Team and become a team member, visit us at our Open House event in Fall 2017.
