Back to Blog November 01, 2018 in

MSU Takes Coveted GCEC Prize for Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation

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On Saturday, October 19, 2018, MVCA member, Michigan State University – represented by the MSU Hatchand MSU Undergraduate Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Spartan Innovations – received 2018’s Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Center’s (GCEC) prestigious prize for Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation.

Spartan Innovations’ Lori Fisher and Paul Jaques

Competing against nationally recognized entrepreneurship centers, Michigan State’s program took center stage with Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship. GCEC’s annual awards showcase and celebrate the very best of university entrepreneurship, recognizing top entrepreneurship programs in seven categories.

“This award is six years in the making,” said Paul Jaques, director of student and community engagement at Spartan Innovations. “Our team is laser-focused on creating value-driven academic programming, collaborative incubation spaces, and a summer business accelerator—all of which cultivates a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem at Michigan State University that serves our students, faculty, and researchers committed to creating new ventures.”

Hosted by DePaul University and Illinois Institute of Technology, the 2018 GCEC conference was held on October 18 through the 20 in Chicago. The annual event focuses on entrepreneurial ecosystems across the nation that support starting and building businesses. GCEC received over 180 nomination proposals, was attended by over 600 leaders in university entrepreneurship, and represents more than 250 universities.

Lori Fischer, Spartan Innovations’ program and student manager, served as lead for a panel on student perspective and leadership. She was joined by student startup founders, Bri Makaric (BRITE Bites), Bailey Paxton (AgileCare Solutions), Ashton Keys (Ninety6), and Katie Musial, director of outreach for MSU’s student organization, Women in Entrepreneurship. “At Spartan Innovations, we are committed to providing our student and faculty entrepreneurs with the mentorship and financial support they need to thrive.”

The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation received GCEC’s 2017 award for Outstanding Contribution to Venture Creation.


About MSU Hatch

The MSU Hatch is both a coworking space and incubator for Michigan State University students, who are ready to take their business ideas to the market. MSU Hatch members share a common workspace at the MSU Innovation Center. The program takes advantage of the resources and services provided by Spartan Innovations, including access to capital investment, conference rooms, office equipment, and business development support. For more information, please visit msuhatch.com. 

About Michigan State University Undergraduate Entrepreneurship & Innovation

The goal of Michigan State University’s Undergraduate Entrepreneurship & Innovation is to create a culture of entrepreneurship. We focus on helping prepare students with the right skills for the professional environment they will experience in the 21st century, whether they choose to start a company or not. MSU Undergraduate Entrepreneurship & Innovation exist as a resource for students, faculty, and alumni, as well as an ecosystem for entrepreneurial activities. Find out more about how MSU is cultivating the spirit of entrepreneurship at eship.msu.edu.

 About Spartan Innovations

Spartan Innovations provides the educational and financial support necessary to turn Michigan State University research technologies into successful Michigan businesses and spearhead entrepreneurship and venture creation across Michigan’s economy. For more information, visit spartaninnovations.org.