Entrepreneur Resources:

Clubs

Pitt Student Ventures Club

Pittsburgh Student Ventures, formerly known as the Pitt Private Equity and Venture Capital Club, was founded in 2018. As one of the few clubs on campus dedicated to bridging the gap between the classroom and professional world for students of all majors, Pittsburgh Student Ventures offers the educational resources and networking opportunities to grow your professional brand and increase employment opportunities. Pittsburgh Student Ventures is more than a business club, it is about understanding the entrepreneurial process and applying analytical thinking techniques to succeed. With networking events, competitive case competitions, and an intimate learning environment, members of all backgrounds and experiences can expand their knowledge and propel their career.

GET CONNECTED TO AND LEARN MORE ABOUT PITT STUDENT VENTURES

Entrepreneurial Tools

Legal

  • Trellis Template Library™ by Pitt Alumni Startup Trellis Legal

The Trellis Template Library™ is designed to empower you to tackle your basic business legal needs until you can afford an attorney. A Trellis Template is legal without the “legalese” and contains detailed comment boxes breaking down each paragraph so you not only know how to fill out your template, but understand it, and use it to better your business. Check out their FAQs for more info. Don’t see your need yet? Don’t worry, Trellis Legal is continually updating and releasing new templates as they grow!

Browse the Trellis Template Library™

 

Pitt Innovation Institute’s Inventor’s Guide

The Inventor’s Guide is a new resource that has been developed for Pitt inventors interested in learning more about how to navigate the commercialization process and provides information on:

  • Protecting your invention
  • Determining if it is ready for commercialization
  • Choosing the best path to market
  • Marketing your invention
  • Creating a startup
  • Partnering with an existing company
  • … and more!

View the Inventor’s Guide

 

Pitt Library System’s Entrepreneurship Resources

Looking to dig into some research for your big idea? Check out Pitt Libraries’ entrepreneurship resources! They have tools to help you uncover trends and insights about various industries, companies, and consumers as well as provide helpful business planning templates! Not to mention, Pitt has their own Entrepreneurship Librarian who is a great resource to help students with their startup research activities!

Go to Pitt Library System’s Entrepreneurship Resources

 

Pitt Makerspace

Available to all Pitt students, faculty, and staff, the Pitt Makerspace is an invaluable resource for design and fabrication. They offer trainings, workshops, and seminars to foster a collaborative and creative environment. If interested in joining Pitt Makerspace, visit their website for more information on training and the onboarding process.

Go to Pitt Makerspace’s Website

Pitt Competitions

The Big Idea Center isn’t the only place on Pitt’s campus that hosts student innovation and entrepreneurship competitions! Check out these annual competitions that are held throughout the University of Pittsburgh:

 

Michael G. Wells Student Healthcare Competition – hosted by Pitt’s Innovation Institute

Usually applications due in August; held every August through October

The Michael G. Wells Student Healthcare Competition is open to all students (undergrad to postdocs) who are working on Pitt research projects or intellectual property. Entrepreneurial students are supported by a faculty member and given the opportunity to pursue their entrepreneurial interests, build their resume, and get involved in Pitt’s impactful new technologies. The competition awards $40,000 in prizes to help advance discoveries toward commercialization.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MICHAEL G. WELLS STUDENT HEALTHCARE COMPETITION

Global Health Case Competition – hosted by Pitt School of Public Health’s Center for Global Health and Pitt’s Global Studies Center

Usually applications due in October; held every October through November

Are you interested in tackling a real-world global health challenge? The Global Health Case Competition is where you will collaborate in an interdisciplinary, fast-paced competition designed to push your problem-solving skills to the limit. You and your team will dive deep into a meticulously researched health-related case, crafting a multidisciplinary solution within a set budget and timeframe. With expert-led sessions on key topics like program planning, budgeting, and research, you will be equipped to excel.

Not only will you compete for cash prizes, but the top team will also have the chance to represent Pitt at the prestigious Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition. Past Pitt teams have consistently ranked in the top 3.

Undergraduate & graduate students from all disciplines are welcome. You can earn OCC and Global Distinction credit. Undergraduates in Pitt’s Honors College can receive Honors OCC credit for participating in the competition.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GLOBAL HEALTH CASE COMPETITION

 

SHRS Innovation Challenge – hosted by Pitt’s Innovation Institute and Pitt’s School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences

Usually applications due in March; held every April through June

Cutting-edge technologies play a crucial role in driving innovation within the field of rehabilitation science. Progress in domains like information and communication, activity tracking, transportation, physiological sensing, and robotics, to name a few, contribute to enhanced results, increased efficiency, reduced expenses and improved products and services that improve people’s lives.

The SHRS Innovation Challenge is designed to move these pioneering early-stage discoveries from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences towards the market in tandem with the Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps).

*Students are welcome and encouraged to participate on teams led by a faculty member.*  

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHRS INNOVATION CHALLENGE

The Pitt Innovation Challenge (PInCH®) – hosted by Pitt CTSI

Usually applications due in May; held every May through October

The Pitt Innovation Challenge (PInCh®) is a program supported by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and designed to generate innovative solutions to challenging health problems by mitigating risk and providing financial and administrative support to move ideas forward. The PInCh program stimulates the translation of novel problem-focused research into the community by giving researchers a venue to be creative, develop new ideas, and work with people beyond their usual sphere of collaborators.

The PInCh program recognizes—even celebrates—that solving challenging problems sometimes requires risky solutions. This program aims to mitigate that risk and support some of the early work necessary to move a few of those “wild ideas” forward. Each of the winning teams receives an award for direct costs and project management support to help execute a 12-month project to take the team’s solution one step further along the path of development.

*Teams that enter must include at least one University of Pittsburgh faculty member, but can include individuals from other educational institutions or non-academic organizations such as community groups or businesses.*

Upcoming External Opportunities

The Big Idea Center has built out an all-encompassing portal highlighting more upcoming external event opportunities happening in Pittsburgh and beyond. Check it out!

VIEW ALL UPCOMING EXTERNAL EVENT OPPORTUNITIES