A lot of business lessons were taught at the latest E2 Challenge this summer, lessons organizers hope will lead to a more vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem based in both the new economy and the city of Detroit.
"We hope to create a viable entrepreneurial community and getting students interested in running their own businesses," says Eric Stief, program coordinator for
E2 Challenge. "We want to create an entrepreneurial buzz on campus."
The
Wayne State University event features six students running four start-ups in a competition geared toward making them ready to create revenues and attract outside investment. The winners receive financial support and a summer-long mentoring program to develop their business ideas.
One of the winners was LifeCode Health, which is co-founded by Melissa Hui and Steve Markovitch. The duo is creating a smart-phone application that will allow its users to track chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease. The application will track vital signs and profiles in a variety of zones, ranging from dense urban neighborhoods to remote rural areas. The idea, which is a two-time finalist at Microsoft's national
Imagine Cup competition, is to create a virtual clinical environment anywhere in the world.
This is the second year of the competition, which is funded by Michigan Initiative for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Wayne State University. It is held in
TechTown.
Source: Eric Stief, program coordinator for E2 Challenge
Writer: Jon Zemke
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