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We not too long ago had the privilege of teaming up with the USC Iovine and Young Academy (IYA), making Microsoft the official cloud and AI supplier for student-led AI innovation by their flagship program, Innovation Quest.
After I was invited to assist kickoff Innovation Quest on behalf of the Microsoft for Startups staff, I’ll admit, regardless of having gone to highschool at their crosstown rival, I used to be utterly blown away by the expertise and creativity on show on the occasion in Los Angeles. I used to be struck by the fervour and drive as the scholars shared their visions of making significant change on the earth utilizing AI. These are the primary AI-native founders who’ve grown up with instruments which are altering how we remedy issues and construct companies.
USC IYA has laid the right basis to help the subsequent era of profitable founders, bringing collectively human-centered design, entrepreneurship, and communication to organize college students to make use of AI in significant methods. Microsoft for Startups is proud to supply best-in-class AI expertise to assist these graduates attain their full potential as founders.
Empowering Innovators: Assets for Success
Beginning at present, Innovation Quest contributors have entry to some unimaginable sources to assist flip their concepts into actuality, together with as much as $150,000 in Azure Cloud credit to speed up improvement.
- Entry to cutting-edge AI applied sciences like Azure OpenAI’s GPT-4 to construct strong options.
- Unique entry to Microsoft’s Founders Hub, which gives a wealth of sources, technical help, and steering.
- Mentorship from a community of over 1,600 Microsoft consultants throughout engineering, advertising, and gross sales.
Our help goes past expertise; we’re dedicated to guiding these scholar founders by your entire startup journey, from their first brainstorm to tackling the complexities of scaling a enterprise.
Innovation Quest: From Ideation to Influence
Innovation Quest is a complete program that equips scholar founders with the instruments and mentorship they should remodel early-stage ideas into real-world options. This system follows a structured journey:
- Bootcamp: A deep dive into entrepreneurial expertise and AI capabilities that units the inspiration for fulfillment.
- Ignite Grants: Chosen groups obtain funding and mentorship to develop Minimal Viable Merchandise (MVPs) throughout classes like Gen AI, social influence, and innovation-driven initiatives.
- Annual Enterprise Showcase: This system culminates with a Enterprise Showcase in April, the place student-led groups current their options throughout three tracks—Social Influence, Innovation, and Gen AI & Society—providing a platform to share their progress with buyers and trade leaders.
Tina Sharkey, Director of Innovation Quest, summed it up completely when she mentioned this partnership provides college students entry to the identical instruments and mentorship that prime startups get pleasure from. In at present’s fast-paced panorama, AI is just not solely a disruptor however an enabler, and we’re excited to assist these college students leverage its energy to deal with crucial points and scale impactful options.
Wanting Ahead
This partnership with USC IYA is just the start. We’re not solely dedicated to supporting these innovators throughout this system but additionally to connecting them with the broader entrepreneurial and tech communities. It’s about opening doorways, showcasing their unimaginable concepts, and galvanizing others to push the boundaries of what’s doable with AI.
I walked away from the launch occasion extra energized than ever, satisfied that the way forward for innovation is just not solely vibrant, it’s dazzling. These college students aren’t simply experimenting with AI—they’re shaping the long run, and I’m past excited to see the unimaginable issues they’re going to attain with Microsoft’s help.
Should you’re curious to study extra or need to get entangled, be at liberty to achieve out to iyaiq@usc.edu. I can’t wait to see what the subsequent few months maintain for these innovators.
