Incentive-Based Technology Start-Up Program for Undergraduate Students

This paper summarizes the partnership between Dakota State University (DSU) and the Lake Area Improvement Corporation (LAIC) that supports the Center for TechnoEntrepreneurism at Dakota State University (CT@DSU). Special attention is paid to the operational details of the CT@DSU involving: interacting and servicing student venture ideas, establishing a realistic timeline, developing a CT@DSU Board of Advisors comprised of DSU faculty and community business leaders, expanding partnerships with external entities to provide specialty assistance to student ventures, providing student entrepreneurs with the appropriate amount of training related to starting a technology venture, partnering with area technology entrepreneurs for lessons learned and best practices, and creating and executing a realistic milestone-driven approach to student venture incentives and capital injection. This paper provides a 90 day review of the formation of the CT@DSU, milestones reached, and future work yet to be undertaken.