A prodigious entrepreneur, Niamh O'Donnell started selling art at seven and founded Pink & Smokey makeup brushes at 16.
Recognized for her business acumen, she advanced to promoting tech in San Francisco before joining Notre Dame's ESTEEM Program. Now a product manager at Ascend Learning, she explores AI and extended reality for immersive education. O'Donnell's journey showcases remarkable drive and innovation. |
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Professor Douglas Hall from the Department of Electrical Engineering
, in collaboration with The IDEA Center, received a $550,000 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his edge-emitting laser technology. This Partnership for Innovation - Technology Transfer (PFI-TT) award will fund device fabrication, prototyping, reliability testing, and a 10-week customer discovery program through NSF's Innovation Corps (I-Corps) initiative. The collaboration with Notre Dame's IDEA Center has been vital in advancing this technology towards commercialization.
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Vital View Technologies
(VVT) is a Medical IoT platform company developing breakthrough sensor technology that produces new insights to solve real-world challenges. With Healthcare as the beachhead market, Vital View Technologies is revolutionizing the hospital-at-home with a state-of-the-art monitoring platform to improve outcomes for chronically ill patients.
The company was 1 of 5 finalists selected from 425+ applicants for the Rally Healthcare IN-Prize Competition for a potential $1 million investment. Ray Fraser, Co-Founder and CEO of VVT pitched on Vital View Technologies’ VitalSense System during the Rally Conference in Indianapolis.
Rally stands as a pioneering cross-sector innovation conference, poised to recognize and invest in excellence across five diverse industries: Software, Ag & Food, Healthcare, SportsTech, and HardTech.
Heartfelt congratulations are in order for VVT, acknowledging their relentless dedication and hard work!
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Introducing a fresh addition to Innovation Station: "Community Connection." Here, we'll spotlight individuals and companies in the South Bend, Elkhart, and Mishawaka community who embody entrepreneurship and make a global impact. Our debut Community Connection features Anthony Pienta of the Altum Fund.
Located on the third floor of Innovation Park, 'FUN Row' is a hub where tenants and visionary investors unite with a common goal—to leave a profound global footprint. In this space, we find Anthony Pienta
and his company, Altum Fund. Anthony Pienta is the driving force behind Altum Fund, a family-led institution with its roots firmly planted in Chicago. Altum Fund actively champions philanthropy and impact investing, with a strong commitment to nurturing Catholic culture and pioneering entrepreneurial solutions to combat poverty-related challenges. Their dedication extends to the empowerment and education of the community.
But Altum Fund's impact doesn't stop there. They're deeply intertwined with various Notre Dame groups and departments, such as the School of Sacred Music. Altum Fund seeks out programs that may be challenging to fund, yet align with their expertise and passion. Moreover, they're actively engaged with the Wilson Sheenhan Center for Economic Opportunity, where they conduct groundbreaking trials to uncover effective strategies in the fight against poverty.
Anthony Pienta has held his role for four years, choosing to join Altum Fund because of its alignment with his personal focus and shared dedication to Catholic innovation. His unwavering commitment to making a difference is fueled by a profound desire to help others.
Here's an intriguing tidbit about Pienta: He's not only a dedicated leader but also a loving father of seven. In his spare time, he enjoys the picturesque runs through the stunning Notre Dame campus, a place where dreams, innovation, and community unite. |
Innovation Rally with Notre Dame alumni Jack and Hodges Markwalter
Fri. Sept. 15, 2023 | 12:00 1:30 p.m. | @ Innovation Park, South Bend, IN 46617
Innovation Rally events feature complementary lunch, innovative speakers, networking and an interactive showcase of emerging and cutting-edge Notre Dame startups and technologies. The second rally will feature, alumni Jack and Hodges Markwalter.
Jack and Hodges Markwalter are the co-founders of VIVA Finance. VIVA Finance is a mobile-first lending platform that offers loans underwritten primarily based on employment information, rather than credit history. The companies mission is to build an inclusive financial system by expanding access to affordable credit through its alternative underwriting model.
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Innovation Rally with Notre Dame alumnus Malcolm Johnson
Fri. Sept. 22, 2023 | 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. | @ Innovation Park, South Bend, IN 46617
This rally will feature Notre Dame alumnus Malcolm Johnson. Malcolm is the founder and CEO of Langdon Park Capital, a real estate investment manager focused on creating lasting social impact in historically underserved Black and Latino communities.
At the rally, Malcolm will share his entrepreneurial journey and his time as an NFL player. He holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business.
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Innovation Foundation: Empowering You to Drive Maximum Impact Program
Fri. Sept. 25-29, 2023 | @ The University of Notre Dame Campus, South Bend, IN 46617
Join the IDEA Center Future Group for this multi-day Innovation Foundations program designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of Notre Dame's acclaimed Unifying Innovation Methodology™, a comprehensive framework that integrates the world's greatest innovation tools into a single framework for decision-making.
In this multi-day workshop you will:
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Gain a comprehensive understanding of the structured innovation process, including its key principles, tools, and frameworks, that can be directly applied to any business problem or opportunity
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Develop the ability to frame the right questions and problem statements, identifying underlying challenges and opportunities for innovative solutions
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Learn how to design and conduct effective experiments, validate assumptions, and manage risks associated with innovation projects, enabling informed decision-making and mitigating potential pitfalls
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Problems That Matter
Sat. Sept. 30, 2023 | 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. | @ Innovation Park, South Bend, IN 46617
Do you have a problem that you want to solve but need help solving it?
How do you ensure you're addressing the "right" problem?
Do you know who needs this problem solved?
Is anybody else tackling this problem?
Problems that Matter is a fast-paced, cross-functional, creative, human-centered event designed to deep dive into an issue you really care about solving.
This 10-hour sprint gives you time and guidance to create a thorough pitch deck.
If you don’t have an idea yet but want to be part of a dynamic group, come and join a team during the event!
Teams ready to pitch ideas on Saturday afternoon will be competing for cash prizes!
This event is open to Notre Dame and St. Mary's students, high school students and community members of St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties in Indiana.
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In each newsletter a number of the IDEA Center's 150+ startups will have specific needs you may be able to help with. Examples include introductions to subject-matter experts or company advisors, recruitment, board seats or fundraising.
Please review the spreadsheet found here or at the link below for any potential help you may be able to offer.
If able to provide help, please reach out to Kunci Szentes. |
| The University of Notre Dame has a robust portfolio of technologies that are available for license. Explore them today.
If interested, or if you have questions, please contact Kate Gadacz. |
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