Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Building a product or business on campus

 Cultivating ideas and forming businesses, all before heading out into the “real world.”

Have you come up with a solution to an engineering problem but don’t have the resources to put it into action? Do you have an idea for a new business but don’t know where to start? We can help with that. With curriculum and programming across campus designed to instill entrepreneurial and business principles, you can get your ideas off the ground and turn them into successful commercial entities all before graduation. So grab a mentor, make connections, refine your concept, learn how to make it viable and take advantage of all the resources to get your best ideas out into the world. At Mines, no idea is impossible. 

What to expect

class

Courses available to develop important skills in E&I

community

Opportunities to join initiatives, challenges and ventures

money

Funding and grants available to help launch new ideas

Open to

All Orediggers

When

Year-round

Where

Golden, Colo.

 

A student presenting their research to an audience.

Preparing students to be successful from the time they graduate to the time they retire, no matter which path they choose, is a fundamental part of a Mines education. As an Oredigger, you’ll be encouraged to pursue every idea, question every problem and take advantage of every opportunity to set yourself up for success now and in the future.

starOredigger reviews

idea

Morgan, Computer Science, Lakewood, Colo.

“This has been developing and getting better every year. The entrepreneurship part of Mines is growing and with an amazing support staff it will only get better!” 

idea

Avery, Engineering, Denver, Colo.

“Innov8x is a fantastic course for this. Honestly I feel like it covers material that is the biggest weakness for most engineering students – open-ended complicated problem-solving with teams where you need better communication skills.” 

idea

Celeste, Civil Engineering, Albuquerque, N.M.

“Concrete canoe provided me the opportunity to build a product; we did not sell it, but we “sold” our design to the Concrete Canoe Competition. We won the regionals competition, and now we are on our way to nationals! Making it to nationals is a big deal in the civil engineering world. Especially if you place well, more people in the community (and in ASCE) know about you, which helps for jobs!” 

idea

Torin, Computer Science, Grand Junction, Colo.

“I was heavily involved in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation department on campus since right after its initial creation. Courses such as Innov8X were extremely motivating for me and made me feel like I could really make a difference with my education. In addition, I am a University Innovation Fellow, which has been a wonderful experience if you want to get involved with campus change. Lastly, through the entrepreneurship club, I met many like-minded and inspiring individuals who are still great friends outside of school! I would recommend getting involved with the community if you have any interest whatsoever in E&I, as you’ll make some great connections and memories through it and possibly even a profitable and impactful business!”