Clarkson Ignite: Ignite.

Clarkson Ignite cultivates entrepreneurial mindsets and innovative skill sets in the Clarkson community. The North Country Regional Business Plan Competition (NYRBPC), The Shipley Center for Innovation, and the Ignite Graduate Research Fellowship Program offer resources and guidance to help students and faculty utilize these mindsets and skill sets to solve today’s problems and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges. 

North Country Regional Business Plan Competition

Clarkson Ignite hosts the North Country Regional Business Plan Competition, in which college students compete for cash prizes based on their innovations, business plans and ideas.

Hosted annually by Clarkson University, the North Country Regional Business Plan Competition (NCRBPC) is one of 10 regional competitions held across New York State. The competition brings students together to compete in a semifinal regional competition each spring. The top teams from each of the 10 regions advance to the final round of the state competition in Albany.

Since 2010, over 2,500 student teams from colleges and universities have pitched their ideas and ventures in these events. More than $2,800,000 in cash and in-kind prizes have been awarded to student entrepreneurs across the state. The winners are selected by an esteemed panel of judges including venture capitalists, angel investors and other public and private investors, investment bankers, experienced entrepreneurs, and leaders from business communities. 

To learn more about the North Country Regional Business Plan Competition and to submit your application to compete, see our dedicated website for details.

NCRBPC Website

Ignite Research Fellowship Program

The program aims to drive innovative research that can potentially impact society at the national and international levels. Proposals are vetted by external experts and 12 semi-finalists pitch head-to-head in a “Shark Tank” style competition. Winners are selected to receive funding to recruit and support highly talented PhD students to help pursue these innovative research projects.

Clarkson Ignite hosts a faculty competition as part of the Ignite Research Fellowship Program, in which faculty pitch their research ideas to panelists for funding.
2019 Fellowships Include:

The Bob ‘78 and Marcy Ziek Ignite Research Fellowship

The Karel Czanderna and Dan Shirkey ‘80 Ignite Research Fellowship (2)

The Lawrence ‘57 and Antoinette Delaney Ignite Research Fellowship

The Rajan ‘82 and Ragini Raghavan Ignite Research Fellowship

The Shipley Center for Innovation

Clarkson Ignite hosts an annual Ignite Fest and oversees The Shipley Center for Innovation

The Shipley Center is an on-campus resource that helps students develop their innovative ideas and entrepreneurial endeavors. Shipley’s team provides students with a wealth of business expertise and guidance and through idea generation, business formation, customer development, marketing, branding and much more.
 
The Shipley Center for Innovation also runs The CUBE, a student-only business incubator on Clarkson’s campus that any student can qualify to enter, and the Shipley Center offers Ignition Grants to help any qualified student achieve their business goals. Additionally, the Shipley Center offers a series of workshops each spring to help students prepare for the North Country Regional Business Plan Competition.
 
If you would like to learn more about the Shipley Center for Innovation or you would like to begin working with us now, please contact us here.

Shipley Center website