Blum Center for Developing Economies
Big Ideas
News

Big Ideas Grand Prize Pitch Day Showcases Inventions of Top Student Teams

The Big Ideas Contest at UC Berkeley was launched in 2006 to democratize entrepreneurship and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among students. By supporting a diverse network of innovators from all academic fields, the contest aimed to break traditional boundaries and foster holistic solutions to global challenges.
Blum Center
April 18, 2019
1 min

In 2006, the Big Ideas Contestlaunched at UC Berkeley to catalyze and support an interdisciplinary and diverse network of student entrepreneurs to develop game-changing innovations. No longer would entrepreneurship be ensconced within just engineering and business schools and accessible to only a few. The time had come to “open-source” entrepreneurship to include the range of perspectives and interdisciplinary expertise necessary to develop well-rounded solutions to the world’s greatest challenges.

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Host and Fellow Responsibilities

Host Organizations

  • Identify staff supervisor to manage I&E Climate Action Fellow
  • Submit fellowship description and tasks
  • Engage in the matching process
  • Mentor and advise students
  • Communicate with Berkeley program director and give feedback on the program.

Berkeley Program Director​

  • Communicate with host organizations, students, and other university departments to ensure smooth program operations

Student Fellows

  • Complete application and cohort activities
  • Communicate with staff and host organizations
  • Successfully complete assignments from host organization during summer practicum
  • Summarize and report summer experience activities post-fellowship