ICE Challenge IdeaBounce® Takes Center Stage during Global Entrepreneurship Week
A panel of distinguished judges scored each team’s presentation.
On three occasions during the month of November, Villanova University students had their creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial skills put to the test. A 24-hour Android Hackathon was followed by the 24 HR Imagination Quest, and the month concluded with the ICE Challenge IdeaBounce®, presented by the Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE Center).
This year, for the first time, IdeaBounce® was a required activity for all first year students in the College of Engineering and the Villanova School of Business. Earlier this fall, students formed teams and were given one week to come up with their most creative, innovative idea for a new product or service. After each team pitched its idea to the class, students were tasked with voting for the top three ideas. The top teams were then invited to present at the ICE Challenge IdeaBounce® on November 20 as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
On the evening of the 20th, without the aid of notes or presentation materials, 19 teams each delivered a 90-second pitch in front of a panel of judges that included industry leaders, associate deans, and the deans of both schools—Gary A. Gabriele, PhD, Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering, and Patrick G. Maggitti, PhD, The Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the School of Business. Judges were asked to evaluate the clarity of the idea, the passion of the presenter, and the request for help (expertise, financial backing, etc.). Based on the judges’ scores, the top five ideas were announced, with each member of those winning teams receiving $100.
Students present their ideas during IdeaBounce 2013.
Taking first place for VSB was The Magic Carpet, a floor carpet that inflates to serve as a mattress for overnight guests. Turbo Trash 5000 was COE’s winning idea. This fully-automatic trash container can be programmed to take itself out and come back in on a regular schedule. The student leaders behind these two teams were Megan Sutton ’17 VSB and Thomas Gill ’16 ME, respectively. The three other winning ideas included Train Rooster, an iPhone app that uses location services to wake you at specific stops; deTXT, a product that prevents the driver’s phone from being used while the car is operation; and Concussion Detecting and Preventing Mouth-Guards, which will not only lower concussion risk, but also warn the athlete, coaches and trainers if a player sustains a concussive blow to the head.
Those students interested in taking their ideas to the next level are encouraged to enter the Villanova Student Entrepreneurship Competition (VSEC). Initial submission summaries are due January 27, 2014 and the final competition is held on Pitch Day, April 24, 2014.
The ICE Challenge IdeaBounce® was sponsored by the Ideas x Innovation Network, a program of the Chester County Economic Development Council.