Mines Students and Families,
Whether you have just committed to Mines or have been with us already, I want to introduce you to a fantastic resource on campus – the McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
The McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) was started with a generous gift by Charlie and Judy McNeil to enable curricula and programming across campus designed to foster creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit amongst the Mines community. This center serves as a catalyst for bringing students’ ideas to life and giving them the tools to test those ideas. Whether you have a new design concept or want to explore the entrepreneurial side of engineering, the McNeil Center will have just what you need.
Here are a few key aspects of the McNeil Center you should consider:
1. Innov8X Course (EDNS 544/444; open to all students): This course introduces students to concepts and tools used to accelerate the design, validation, and adoption of innovation. During this time students will learn how to identify, frame, and research problems that we are facing in today’s world. They will then get the chance to collaborate in teams on how to approach the situation and innovate a solution.
2. Mentorship and Networking: The McNeil Center offers students access to mentors from a vast network of experienced mentors, successful entrepreneurs, and industry leaders. These people will be able to provide guidance, advice, and support as the students navigate entrepreneurship. This is a great tool to help students learn the processes involved in innovation while being able to work and connect with people who have experience in the field already.
3. Challenges and Events: The McNeil Center and Innov8X Studio put on many challenges and events to help students network and take their engineering education to the next level. The challenges are brought to the students by companies and industry professionals. In these challenges, the students will be given a real-world problem, that they will need to collaborate on and develop a solution to present to a panel of engaged judges. This past semester BPX Energy partnered with Innov8X on a challenge for the students. Each challenge comes with a prize at the end, but the true prize is in the connections made. The companies, represented by team members interested in the solutions, will give their time to meet and help the students. This opens doors to networking and one on one time with people in Industry. The events also bring in tons of networking possibilities for students. Whether it be through asking a panel of start-up founders questions or just going from booth to booth asking successful entrepreneurs about their careers, students get a first-hand chance at expanding their knowledge and deepening their connections. With the experiences offered, our students can show deliverables based on real interactions with industry/gov that involve real-world problem solving giving them a leg up in job finding.
As you explore the McNeil Center, remember that entrepreneurship is not limited to starting a business. Rather it can be a mindset that will help you on any path you choose. Take advantage of this amazing opportunity to network, learn, and expand beyond the typical bounds of engineering. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish.
Check out what’s coming next with our new buildings and events at
innovation.mines.edu
Shannon Skinner
Mechanical Engineering ‘26 | Innov8X Intern