The ECenter won the “2017 Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center Award” from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC)! The award honors an outstanding new entrepreneurship center that is five years old or less; the ECenter opened in January 2016. 

“The GCEC represents the best entrepreneurship centers across the globe with more than 250 members in 15 countries. “This award category was the most competitive with nearly 25 submissions,” said Brad Burke, executive director of Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers. “We are pleased to recognize the progress made by UNH in a very short period of time.” GCEC member institutions include University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rice University, Babson University, UCLA, and Northwestern.”

“I accept this award on behalf of the entire UNH team, alumni supporters, and the passionate idea-driven students who I get to work with every day,” said Ian Grant, director of the ECenter. “It is an honor to be recognized by our peers for the work we have accomplished in only two years. It has always been about helping students, faculty, and alumni become problem-solvers and idea creators first, and then supporting them as they take those ideas to the next level. We provide an exciting co-working facility for students to interact with each other, as well as fundamental engagement opportunities and innovative programs like i2 Passport, which rewards students for exploring ideas, innovation, and entrepreneurship with the ability to win $25,000 in cash prizes to help pay off student loans and tuition.” Read t he full story

We're thrilled to announce the addition of three new corporate sponsors: Goddard Technologies Inc., Que Acoustics, and Pierce Atwood LLP.

Bringing the total number of corporate sponsors to six, their support will help promote the ECenter’s mission of continuing to build the positive and supportive ideas, innovation, and entrepreneurial culture at UNH, for all students, faculty, staff, researchers, and alumni. The ECenter is honored these companies share its passion.

Goddard Technologies, Inc. , based in Beverly, Massachusetts, is a leader in product design and engineering in the greater Boston area. Their success is driven by an interdisciplinary development process that combines extensive and diverse engineering experience with manufacturable and creative industrial design solutions. Goddard's unique approach to product development motivates them to provide technical precision while providing new and unique user experiences.

 

Que Acoustics is a New Hampshire-based company that offers Bluetooth audio products such as earphones, headphones, and accessories. Que products are designed to appeal to consumers who want to move from high-end wired products to wireless. With a passion for audio quality, they combine great sound with premium construction and advanced features to offer headphones that satisfy the most demanding listeners.

 

Pierce Atwood LLP is a full-service law firm. Their Catalyst Program provides today's growing companies with the skilled legal services they need to become the successful companies of tomorrow. Their team has experience assisting entrepreneurs and startups in the following key areas: corporate governance, employee benefits, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, litigation (including patent litigation), securities, and venture capital. Read the full story

Summer is one of the best times for students to work on their entrepreneurial ideas and early stage start-ups and take them to the next level through the development of prototypes, business models and/or companies. The ECenter's Summer Seed Grant enables three UNH students to receive $3500 each to work on their ideas/early-stage start-ups over the summer instead of having to find a summer job. The Grant winners also receive weekly 1:1 mentorship, work space at the ECenter, and marketing consultation with RAKA.

All University of New Hampshire students are eligible to submit proposals. This also may be especially interesting to students that have enrolled in entrepreneurship courses and programs of study, students who are members of the entrepreneurship club, student participants in the Holloway Prize Competition and/or the NHSVIC, and students who participated in the Undergraduate Research Conference who aspire to commercialize their research.

The summer 2017 winners were Droppn and Sol Solution. Visit www.SummerSeedGrant.org for more information.