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.

Newsroom
  • All Articles
  • Media Relations Contact
  • Expert Guide
  • Points of Pride
  • Magazine
  • Social Media
    1. UNG
    2. News

    Contest seeks inventors who could advance to state competition

    October 10, 2018
    The innovateUNG Pitch Challenge will send its winner to the Georgia InVenture Prize event in April.

    Article By: Clark Leonard

    Dr. Ruben Boling is looking for students who are ready to invent the next big thing.

    The University of North Georgia's (UNG) director for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is seeking contestants for the innovateUNG Pitch Challenge. The contest will highlight the growth of entrepreneurship and innovation at UNG and allow students to show off their innovations in a university-wide competition.

    "I know that we have some creative, innovative students at this university, and I know that they would love the opportunity to demonstrate that ability and let others know what we're doing here at UNG," Boling said. "This is going to be an avenue for that."

    In the challenge students will pitch their creative innovations in front of experienced and successful entrepreneurs and financial experts in an effort to win cash and other prizes, plus an opportunity to compete in the inaugural Georgia InVenture Prize event in April.

    A mix of internal and external judges will determine the top two prizes, while voting at a designated time during the competition by viewers attending the event and watching online will determine the People's Choice award.

    The winning pitch from UNG will be innovative and have market potential. It will also come from an inventor with passion who could turn the idea into a business. The winner of the UNG contest will receive $2,000, while second place will earn $1,500 and the People's Choice winner will collect $500.

    Students can work individually or in teams of up to five people as part of innovateUNG. Registration is open through Dec. 28. Contestants must be full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students from any of the colleges on UNG's five campuses. They can register for the contest online. Boling expects there to be a large number of applicants and encourages students to register as soon as possible.

    The preliminary round is Jan. 9, the semifinal round Jan. 23 and the final round Feb. 20.

    Sponsored by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the state contest will include participants from the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia. The Georgia InVenture Prize finals will be televised.

    UNG will provide coaching for its winning team ahead of the state competition, as well as offering a course on pitching for all five finalists. Boling said that training, education and coaching will be valuable for pitch contest participants.

    He said momentum has been building for UNG students and graduates seeking to start their own businesses. One of those efforts is the Entrepreneurship Lab where they can use resources to help their businesses. An entrepreneurship undergraduate minor and concentration, plus a graduate-level certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation have also helped.

    "This is the perfect time for us to launch this contest," Boling said. "We've been working for almost two years on building the entrepreneurial ecosystem here at the university. One of the things we were lacking was a splash that's going to bring the excitement to the university as a whole. InnovateUNG will provide that splash."

    The Georgia InVenture Prize competition is modeled off the InVenture Prize at Georgia Tech, which began in 2009 and is billed as the "American Idol for Nerds" and the nation's largest undergraduate invention competition. It has also spawned the ACC InVenture Prize and K12 InVenture contests.

    For more information on the UNG contest, contact Boling at ruben.boling@ung.edu or visit the innovateUNG Pitch Challenge website.

    Contact the Author

    Cyber students excel on national level

    Cyber students excel on national level

    UNG cybersecurity students achieved impressive performances in competition and research events throughout the spring semester.
    Event highlights impact of Cumming Campus

    Event highlights impact of Cumming Campus

    UNG hosted its inaugural Cumming Campus Backyard Bash on May 11. The event showcased the campus's impact and offered the community a chance to see progress on the campus expansion.
    Two business degrees add online option

    Two business degrees add online option

    UNG's Mike Cottrell College of Business is now offering management and technology management bachelor's degrees online in addition to in-person offerings.
    U.S. News ranks MBA, education programs

    U.S. News ranks MBA, education programs

    UNG's graduate degrees in its College of Education and the Cottrell Master of Business Administration have earned recognition on the U.S. News Best Graduate Schools list.

    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