Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

What is The Neff Innovathon Competition?

The John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation's Innovathon Competition is a marathon of ideas to stimulate participants through local companies’ real challenges, to contribute to the innovation process and to promote and implement new and creative solutions for such issues. The Innovathon represents an ideal environment for sharing new ideas, evaluating teamwork attitude towards common goals, increasing your professional network and discovering new talents and opportunities.

The Innovathon is a case study competition, where participating teams of one to four Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ students compete to assist a local small business with various organizational challenges. The goal is to select one or more issues that the company is facing and provide practical and actionable recommendations for solutions. This experiential learning opportunity is a great way to take what you have learned in the classroom and act as a professional consultant, applying your business knowledge and expertise. More information coming for the 2024 Innovathon!

The Challenge

A live, in-depth interview will be held with the owner(s) of a Toledo-area small business. During the interview, we'll explore the company's challenges, which may include issues related to technology, processes, marketing, personnel or supply chain. Your role will be to analyze these challenges and offer feedback and consultation on one or more areas.

Upon registering for the Competition, you will be sent the link to the video interview. View this for in-depth insight into the company. This is where the competition really starts - use the owner's feedback, in their own words, to decipher challenges and select at least one to provide solutions to.

Your Role

Analyze the challenges and opportunities and recommend innovative solutions to help the company thrive. Please submit a report that is no longer than 4 pages and outlines how the company should change, adapt or innovate to solve whichever specific problem(s) you choose.

Prize Money

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

---

Ìý

Competition Timeline

To give you an idea of the expected competition timeline, below is the schedule for the 2023 Innovathon.

• Monday, Oct. 9, 2023: Registration opens.
  • Note: Upon registration, you will be sent the link to the video interview done with Complete Converting, Inc., which outlines the company's various challenges that you can address. Groups registering late will simply have less time to prepare their recommendations. So, it is encouraged to register early.
• Monday, Nov. 20: Deadline for the final report submission by teams.
• Monday, Nov. 27: Five (5) finalist teams are selected and notified to give live, in-person presentation to a panel of judges.
• Friday, Dec. 1: Final presentations and selection of the winner and runner-up teams; room and time TBD.
  • The five presenting teams will have 20 minutes each, including questions and answers from judges.

---

Reasons to Compete

• You will acquire highly useful skills for your professional career such as team-working, problem-solving and applying theoretical knowledge to solve real-life business challenges.
• Contribute with your own ideas in solving problems of common interest.
• Offer a local company a different point of view and creative thinking on how to address and solve a challenge that currently faces.
• Companies are constantly searching for candidates with experience and with problem-solving skills to reduce the challenges they face in the marketplace. Participating in this competition will expand your professional network and increase your visibility for potential employers.
• The Innovathon will receive coverage and internal and/or external publicity.
• The monetary award for winning the competition.

Who Can Participate?

All undergraduate and graduate students in good standing at The University of Toledo are eligible to compete. Participating teams may consist of 1 to 4 people maximum.

The required information for each participant is:

1. First name
2. Last name
3. Rocket ID number
4. College and major
5. Email

Ethical Standards

Students must prepare and must assure that submissions for this competition are completed in accordance with the highest ethical principles and values. There must be no violation of copyright laws, misrepresentation of someone else's work as your own, or any activity that would reflect negatively on the values of The University of Toledo. Any such activity may result in disqualification from the competition.

Questions?

If you have any questions, contact Dr. Marcelo Alvarado-Vargas at 419.530.2343 or marcelo.alvaradovargas@utoledo.edu. If emailing, please use the subject line "Neff Innovathon."