Skip to Main Content Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Footer
UNG Logo
  • Info For...
    • Accepted Students
    • Current Students
    • Parents & Family
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Business & Community
    • International Students
  • Quicklinks
    • Directories
    • myUNG
    • Academic Catalogs
    • Athletics
    • Banner
    • Bookstore
    • Calendars
    • Campuses & Maps
    • Continuing Education
    • D2L
    • Employment / HR
    • IT Service Desk
    • Libraries
    • UNG Foundation
  • Admissions
  • Corps of Cadets
  • Academics
  • Cost & Aid
  • Student Life
  • News & Events
  • Athletics
  • About Us

Find the most up-to-date information on the Presidential Search site.

Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • Entrepreneurship
    Launch Pad
    Entrepreneurship Education
  • innovateUNG
  • StartItUp
  • About
  • Contact
    1. UNG
    2. Academics
    3. Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

    innovateUNG

    The innovateUNG Pitch Challenge is an annual event highlighting the innovativeness and entrepreneurial spirit of University of North Georgia students. Individuals and teams composed of full-time degree-seeking undergraduate UNG students will present unique business innovations before a group of experienced and successful entrepreneurs, financiers, and business professionals.

    innovate ung pitch logo

    Prize Tiers

    • First Place - $2,000
    • Second Place - $1,000
    • People’s Choice - $500
    • Potential Additional Benefits -
      • Pitch/Startup Training
      • Idea/Product Feedback
      • Professional Connections
      • Mentoring

    Watch the Pitch Challenge!

    Registered audience members (both on premises and online)
    can vote for a "People's Choice" innovator!

    Time:  Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
    Place:  Dahlonega campus, Dining Hall Banquet Room A
    Online:  innovateUNG Pitch Challenge Livestream on YouTube

    Register to View & Vote

    Contestant Qualifications

    • Current full-time UNG undergraduate degree-seeking students
    • Graduates within one year of graduation are also eligible as long as the idea for the innovation was initially conceived while enrolled as an UNG undergraduate student
    • Participants may be an individual or team of no more than four members
    • Teams can enter only one innovation in the competition
    • All team members must meet these eligibility requirements
    • innovateUNG Contestant Application Form

    Process Description

    Teams of one to four UNG students will introduce their innovation in a preliminary round to a panel of experts who will determine five finalists that will advance to a final round.

    At the conclusion of the final round, the top two competitors selected by the panel and one “People's Choice” competitor selected by the audience will be offered cash prizes, grants, scholarships, or in-kind services such as legal assistance for patent filings or other similar professional services. The top team may also be granted the opportunity to represent UNG at the Georgia InVenture Prize competition in the spring.

    Invention & Evaluation Criteria

    Innovativeness

    Is the idea novel? How does it compare to other ideas that address the same problem?

    Marketability

    Is there a demand for the invention? Will people buy it?

    Market Size

    How big is the market for the invention?

    Inventor Passion

    How driven is the inventor or team by the idea?

    Probability of Becoming a Successful Business

    Would someone invest in helping make the invention a reality?

    Additional Challenge Details

    • Intellectual Property

      Undergraduate students participating in the innovateUNG Pitch Challenge are not required to assign their intellectual property rights to the university, as long as, you are not performing research under a sponsored program or are not using significant resources of the university (as defined by UNG policies). If you have any questions, please contact innovateung@ung.edu

      The idea driving the competition is to recognize and celebrate the creativity and innovativeness of UNG undergraduate students. If you believe that your innovation may be patentable, please consult an attorney prior to the event. UNG’s intent is not to protect the rights of all parties including the student, faculty and others before, during or after this competition. Therefore, we maintain certain criteria for participants and their innovations to be included in the innovateUNG Pitch Challenge.

      In addition, if the winner(s) of the innovateUNG Pitch Challenge are to represent UNG at the Georgia InVenture Prize competition, intellectual property rules and regulations as determined by the Georgia InVenture Prize competition must be met. 

    • Honor Code

      By registering and/or competing in the innovateUNG Pitch Challenge any applicant and participant is bound by the UNG Honor Code and other rules and regulations of the competition. The Organizing Committee maintains the right to terminate eligibility of any applicant or participant if the intent and spirit of the competition is violated in any manner. The decision of the committee is final.

    • Organizing Committee

      Ruben Boling, DBA
      Director, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
      Associate Professor
      Mike Cottrell College of Business
      University of North Georgia

      Mariangela Vecchiarini-Piazza, Ph.D. 
      Assistant Professor
      Mike Cottrell College of Business
      University of North Georgia

      Jon Mehlferber, MFA, Ph.D.
      Professor
      College of Arts & Letters
      Department of Visual Arts
      University of North Georgia

      Andy Novobilski, Ph.D.
      Associate Provost for Research & Engagement
      Chief Research Officer
      University of North Georgia

      Kate Maine, Ed.D. 
      Vice President of University Relations and Chief of Staff
      University of North Georgia
    • Frequently Asked Questions

      Can I do anything I wish with the cash prize?

      Yes, but we strongly encourage you to invest it in your invention!

      Can I enter with multiple inventions

      No. Only one invention per student is allowed, regardless of team or individual status.

      Do I have to have a working prototype to compete?

      No, you do not have to have a working prototype or a prototype at all. Obviously it helps the judges and the organizers if you can demonstrate a prototype, but you can always explain your concept to the judges without a fully functioning prototype.

      Our invention was developed as part of a project class. How does this affect our ability to enter?

      This should not affect your ability to enter. Please indicate which class your idea resulted from during registration and the name of the course professor. The innovateUNG organizers may verify the disposition of the submitted intellectual property with the University of North Georgia Research Corporation.

      Should I keep an inventor's notebook?

      Yes. The organizers strongly encourage students to keep an inventor's notebook. To this end, one notebook will be provided to each student whose team has completed their Inventor Profile.

      An inventor's notebook is a written record of your invention and your progress in developing it. There are many websites offering guides to the proper keeping of an inventor’s notebook. When using your notebook, keep in mind these five simple attributes:

      • Notebooks must be permanently bound with consecutively numbered pages.
      • Use legible and permanent (inked) entries.
      • Use initialed (or signed) and dated entries.
      • Signatures should be witnessed for significant entries.
      • Witnesses need to understand the technology but would not be named as co-inventors.

      A patent can be litigated at any time during its life. Twenty to twenty-five years can elapse from the date of the initial concept to the expiration of an issued patent. It is therefore important to maintain your notebooks accordingly.

    Explore More
    Programs and Initiatives

    • LaunchPad
    • startItUp
    UNG Logo
    • Contact Us
    • Request Information
    • Quick Facts
    • Campus Maps & Directions
    • Student Consumer Information
    • Campus Safety
    • Emergency Information
    • Employment/HR
    • UNG Policies & Procedures
    • UNG Alumni Association
    • UNG Foundation
    • Ethics & Compliance Hotline
    • Human Trafficking Notice
    • Equal Empl. Opportunity

    © 2023 The University System of Georgia and the University of North Georgia.

    UNG follows the section 508 Standards and WCAG 2.0 for web accessibility. If you require this content in another format, please send an email to the ADA Coordinator.

    Use of military-themed imagery does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense.

    • Accreditation
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy Policy
    Establishing Connection...
    AskNigel