Innovation at USC

Innovation at USC

Special Events Edition!

USC Stevens Institute has a ton of great events coming up – and we wanted to make sure you had the scoop!

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*EVENTS*

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Social Innovation Fast Pitch and Showcase

October 29, 2008 from 4:00 pm – 7:30 pm

In an effort to build awareness and visibility for local nonprofits tackling some of this city’s toughest problems, and to contribute to the innovative, vibrant culture in the Los Angeles area, Los Angeles Social Venture Partners (LASVP), the Social Enterprise Institute (SEI), and the University of Southern California have partnered to host the first-ever “Social Innovation ‘Fast Pitch’ and Showcase.”

Taking place on October 29, 2008 at the University of Southern California, the goal of the Social Innovation Fast Pitch is to identify, reward, and celebrate innovative nonprofits in the Greater Los Angeles area that demonstrate significant potential for impact and social problem-solving. The participating local nonprofits, selected because of their innovative approaches to creating social change and their ability to powerfully communicate their vision, will compete for a total of $20,000 in funding.

Entrepreneur of the Year – Marshall School of Business

October 30, 2008 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Richard Rosenblatt, Demand Media, shares his journey with a time for Q&A. Free for all interested students, but you MUST RSVP to attend. Please RSVP for the Forum via email claudia.morataya@marshall.usc.edu, fax (213)740-2976 or bring it to the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies Program office at Bridge Hall One. For questions, call (213)740-2659.

Meet the Innovator: Mr. Shibulal, Co-Founder and COO of Infosys

November 7, 2008 from 2:30pm-3:30pm

HNB 100 Auditorium

SD Shibulal is the Chief Operating Officer and one of the seven co-founders of Infosys Technologies, Ltd. - a global consulting and software services powerhouse. Shibu has over 25 years of leadership experience in the area of IT Outsourcing, spanning across sales, delivery, operations, technology and management. He has played a pivotal role in the Infosys journey and a signal role in the evolution of the Global Delivery Model, which is now the de facto industry standard for delivery for outsourced IT services. Shibu will discuss the journey of a student from being an engineer to a leader and the aspects of personal excellence required to make this transition. Refreshments will be served.

“First Look LA” UCLA – Caltech – USC Investor Event

November 12, 2008 from 10:30 am - 4:30 pm

A collaboration between USC Caltech and UCLA, LA’s three major reseach universities join forces to present the second annual “First Look LA,” a unique, invitation-only sneak peek at some of the most promising research and emerging startup opportunities from the partner universities. Hosted at UCLA on November 12, 2008, this event is sure to support, nurture and stimulate our unique culture in Southern California, while furthering LA’s position as a center for start-ups and emerging technology. Visit the website for more info and to register:

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**NEWSBITES**

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USC LAUNCHES “MATCHYARD” ON FACEBOOK

Are you student looking for a team for a class project? Or an entrepreneur who needs to find a computer programmer? Perhaps you are an animator looking for a new project to work on, or you are starting a non-profit and need a team. In an effort to serve the team-building needs of students, faculty, and staff, the University of Southern California has launched MatchYard, a first-of-its-kind web-based Facebook application that allows students, faculty and staff to connect with other interesting people, ideas, and projects.

As part of the launch of MatchYard, the highest rated project on the site will win $1000 and an all-expense paid, in-person meeting with legendary venture capitalist (and USC trustee) Mark Stevens at Sequoia Capital. The contest will run through November 14, 2008 and winners will be announced the week of November 17, 2008.

Project:Possbility Takes First Place at 2008 Student Innovator Showcase!

What do an open-source collective focused on designing free software for disabled persons, a videogame that can help you learn Korean, and do-it-yourself computer generated imagery all have in common? For one thing, they have the potential to dramatically change the way we live, work, and play. And for another, they are just some of the cutting-edge ideas USC students presented during the 2008 USC Student Innovator Showcase and Competition on Friday, Oct. 10 during Trojan Parents Weekend 2008.

This year’s first place team, Project:Possibility, presented for the first time during last year’s showcase. Project:Possibility makes a positive impact on the lives of many by creating free software for the disabled community. Stanley Lam, Undergraduate, USC Marshall School of Business and Prateek Tandon, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, accepted the award for Project:Possibility’s unique model to creating a more accessible world. Since last year, Project:Possibility has become more than a project, it is a movement -- reaching it mission and vision across town to UCLA and other universities across the country.

Learn to be an Innovator - Check out USC’s “Innovatorship” Program

The USC Stevens Institute for Innovation is piloting a new program in Spring 2009 that will place USC students in internships with local innovative start-ups companies who are looking for high level talent to help them achieve their goals. Innovatorships aren’t your run-of-the-mill internship. They are specially designed professional experiences for student innovators seeking to make an impact in the world with new ideas. To learn more about the program and participation requirements please visit the USC Stevens Institute site at http://stevens.usc.edu.

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***CONTESTS AND COMPETITIONS***

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Race to BE.

The Race to BE. is the centerpiece event for Global Entrepreneurship Week USA and is cosponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence. The Race is a nationwide competition that encourages young creative artists in the fields of film, music and fashion to become entrepreneurs. The competition targets 18 to 29 year olds interested in film, music and fashion who want to become young entrepreneurs. From Oct. 2 through Oct. 31, applicants may apply online at www.racetobeusa.com and submit a sample of an existing creative work to compete. Five finalists from each category will be selected from the online submissions and will bring their portfolio of completed creative work to the event where they will compete in an onsite challenge. Each genre’s competition will be held in its respective artistic center.