“Enlightening, Useful and Conversational” are just a few words to describe TechConnect.

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (IEI) partnered with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the second time to host their semiannual innovation and technology two-day workshop, TechConnect Idea to Invoice Workshop, on Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1. The two-day workshop brought scientists and technologists together with business professionals to develop strategies to move tech innovations to market success.

The IEI hosted a successful TechConnect in fall 2014, with 90 attendees including Temple University students and faculty, Philadelphia business executives and representatives from Mayor Nutter’s office. Along with returning participation from the Philadelphia Mayor’s office, this year’s TechConnect had over 100 registered attendees with participating organizations including Comcast, Greater Philadelphia Senior Executive Group, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Boeing, and other technology giants.

TechConnect kicked off at 5:30 p.m. by assembling multi-functional teams around a number of technologies. The workshop then followed a technology commercialization roadmap, leading teams with the active support of business mentors, through each stage of the process.  Workshop attendees had the option of working on their own technological innovation or a technology provided by one of our partners.

A participating MBA candidate who attended TechConnect shared, “the most important value addition was the people I met along the way. It is because of the people that events such as these are so awesome.” Sr. Technology Commercialization Specialist of NASA found the event to be “very informative and useful.”

Andrew Maxwell and IEI Managing Director, Robert McNamee, led presentations throughout the conference speaking about topics including new product development, innovation science, technology to job mapping, corporate challenges, and much more. The workshop took place in the MBA Commons on the 7th floor of Temple University’s Fox School of Business, Alter Hall and concluded at 8:30 p.m.

The IEI Institute is looking forward to the next TechConnect workshop, which will place fall of this year. Stay tuned for more details on iei.temple.edu/techconnect.

All photos taken at this event were from Temple SMC Senior, Saeed  Briscoe. Click here to learn more about IEI.

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