Students inventions take center stage at U-M's 1,000 Pitches contest

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 | Source: Detroit Free Press

Could the bright ideas of some of Michigan's brightest young minds help turn the state's economy around?

Excerpt:

We've all got them -- those ideas that we know, just know, would make a fortune if we could get them to a store shelf.

Now, some University of Michigan students are hoping to tap into that genius. MPowered Entrepreneurship is challenging students to make their pitches -- whether for ideas they've mulled for years or an unexpected flash of brilliance.

"It's 'Hey, you're waking up at 3 a.m. with an idea. What is it?' " said MPowered president Lauren Leland, 20, of West Bloomfield.

The spiels range from the intriguing (sidewalks that capture kinetic energy from pedestrians) to the sensible (disposable dishrags for dorm rooms) to the silly (a robot clock that pummels you awake).

"Let's face it: In terms of an economic turnaround in the state of Michigan, there's no question it will come from the entrepreneurial sector," said Rich Sheridan, chief executive of the Ann Arbor-based software company Menlo Innovations, one of the program's sponsors. "If we're going to place a bet anywhere in Michigan, this is a great place to put it -- in wild, energetic, creative minds that aren't constrained by corporate thinking."

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