Innovation Forum is an annual competition and networking event designed to showcase the groundbreaking research of Princeton University's STEM and Humanities faculty, researchers, postdocs, and graduate students. The event aims to emphasize the broader societal impact of their work beyond academia.
This year’s Forum will open with a dynamic panel discussion between academic and industry experts exploring Princeton's role in fostering a robust innovation ecosystem and what it means to 'innovate in the service of humanity.'
Following the panel, participants will take the stage to present their novel projects to our esteemed judges, vying for a share of $60,000 in prize money.
John Payne, Head of Design at Public Policy Lab, a nonprofit service design consultancy focused on improving government services for all Americans, will deliver the keynote talk on Innovation and the Public Interest.
Attendees are invited to connect with the presenters at the demo station and networking reception, offering a unique opportunity to engage directly with cutting-edge researchers and innovators.
Schedule
- 10:00 am - Check-In
- 10:30 am - Panel Discussion - Design: The Foundation of Impactful Entrepreneurship
- 11:45 am - Topic-Driven Networking Lunch- A light lunch will be served in the Foyer with the opportunity to network through guided topic tables in MPR C.
- Table 1: Beyond Techno-Economic Entrepreneurship Frameworks: Should ventures be analyzed through historical, cultural, social, and political lenses?
- Table 2: Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Academic Cultures: Is there an opportunity for thoughtful, deliberate, and reflective entrepreneurship - one that doesn’t rely on a “rush to term sheet”?
- Table 3: Day Zero: IP and Entrepreneurial Foundations -Great ideas and truly innovative science/tech breakthroughs do not always equate to sustainable business ventures. What are the strategies for getting a venture off the ground.
- Table 4: Corporate Innovation: Evolution of the corporate perspective on academic research and startup ventures.
- 12:40 pm - Innovation Forum Opening Remarks
- 1:00 pm - STEM Presentations
- 1:45 pm - Keynote: Innovation and the Public Interest, John Payne, Head of Design at Public Policy Lab
- 2:15 pm - Coffee Break
- 2:30 pm - Humanities and Social Sciences Presentations
- 3:15 pm - Demo Station Reception and Award Announcement
The Innovation Forum is co-sponsored by Technology Licensing & New Ventures and the Humanities Council at Princeton.
2024 Participants
STEM
HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
- Excited Delirium: The Invention of a Disease by Aisha Beliso-De Jesús
- Performing the Peace by Chesney Snow
- Reimagining Gaming Blackness by Akil Fletcher
- School for Participation by Aaron Landsman
2024 Judges
April De Simone, Founder, The Practice of Democracy; Managing Principal NOMA, Associate AIA
Sashank Rishyasringa, Co-Founder & Managing Director, axio
Sabriya Stukes, Partner at SOSV; Chief Scientific Officer at IndieBio
Rob Van Varick, Chief Design Officer, Michael Graves Design
Grant Warner, Bank of America Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship; Director of the Center for Black Entrepreneurship
Who can attend?
Open to the public, the campus community, students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Lunch
and refreshments will be provided.
Registration is required.
Related People
Executive Director
Director of the Keller Center; Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering