NOTE—Due to expected weather conditions, this event has been rescheduled to a new date: September 20, 5:30-8 p.m.

North Carolina State University’s flagship “Entrepalooza” event returns for an evening showcase featuring the latest ideas and innovations by university students, faculty, staff and alumni.

NC State Entrepreneurship has lined up a diverse selection of exhibitors for the Sept. 20 event to showcase their products and services, ranging from textiles to pet treats to transit. Also in the program is a “Minute to Pitch It” competition, which gives 15 students a time span of 60 seconds on stage to pitch their ideas to the audience. A $1,000 cash reward is on the table for the student who captures the audience’s attention best. Applications for this portion of the event closed last Friday.

Entrepalooza, now in its fourth year, is one of several startup events hosted by NC State’s Entrepreneurship program. Others include Global Entrepreneurship Week, coming up in November, and Lulu eGames, which was held last April.

“We launched Entrepalooza in 2015 to connect NC State and the Triangle entrepreneurship community,” says NC State Entrepreneurship Senior Brand Manager Macy Thomas. “The goal of the event is highlighting entrepreneurship and innovation at NC State in a fun, interactive way. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship at NC State through hands-on displays and demonstrations, entrepreneurial games and activities, and networking with students, faculty and alumni.”

This year’s event features more booths and exhibits than previous years, Thomas adds, “spanning multiple facets of entrepreneurship: tech, textile, social, arts, food/beverage, engineering and more.”

Here’s a brief look at each one:

  • 321 Coffee: A student-run nonprofit coffee shop supporting and engaging individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • Good Boy Dog Treats: A dog treat product made by grain left over from North Carolina breweries.
  • Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs: An NC State network of women entrepreneurs, innovators and professionals.
  • Cookie People: A long-running gourmet cookie brand based in Raleigh.
  • Betabox Labs: Pop-up mobile learning labs for schools and STEM education programs.
  • EcoPRT: An ultra-light, low-cost mobile transit system for urban and suburban environments.
  • Headbands of Hope: A Raleigh-based ecommerce headbands shop that helps raise money for children with cancer.
  • Hempsmith: A company that makes sustainable clothing out of hemp material.
  • NCSU Libraries: Network of libraries, study spaces, media facilities and educational resources at NC State University.
  • Paradigm Innovation: A strategic design studio headquartered in Raleigh, with operations across the U.S.
  • Reborn Clothing Co: A garment upcycle service based in Raleigh.
  • Retrieving Hearts: A provider of animal-assisted therapy to local nursing homes, hospitals and schools.
  • Miller Fellows: The latest class of startups in NC State’s Dr. Thomas Kenan Miller II Fellows Program, which supports NC State alum entrepreneurs for the first six months after they graduate so they can focus on their startups full-time.

Entrepalooza 2018 is free and open to the public. Around 1,200 attendees are expected, according to organizers.

It will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. on September 20 at Stafford Commons in front of Talley Student Union. If you’d like to attend, you can register here.

Check out previous coverage of Entrepalooza in TechWire’s archive.

https://wraltechwire.com/event/entrepalooza-2018/