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Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship engages people in design and innovation to build their capacity as innovators and creative problem solvers in their field.

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We are radical collaborators who engage students, staff, and faculty in design work in order to build their capacities as change makers and innovators both within their field and as contributors to the UMD experience more broadly. We do this work by offering courses, programs, workshops, and collaborative working sessions designed to meet the specific needs of our various audiences. We also collaborate and work side-by-side with groups and teams across campus that are looking for a ‘partner-in-experimentation’ in moments where they are reimagining aspects of their work.

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Whiteboarding in AIE Loft
UMD students evaluating information on whiteboard
AIE Loft Prototype
Two students test out prototype
Students Discussing Ideas
Students participating in a design thinking exercise
Dance Off
Students engage in a kinesthetic design exercise
Brainstorming Session
UMD faculty preparing for a team creative brainstorm session
Prototyping
Students, faculty, and staff getting ready for an innovation workshop led by IDEA247 students
Design Thinking Session
Students in the IDEA369 course synthesizing interview data from empathy interviews

Use Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to…

  • Find an entrepreneurship program

    The Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship’s work is grounded in design tools and methods to create engaging courses and programs, collaborative workshops, and meaningful partnerships that cultivate creativity, critical thinking, and innovation and entrepreneurship skills. Ultimately, our goal is to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at UMD that supports new ways of working and thinking. Take a class, request a workshop, use our studio classroom, or collaborate with us to creatively tackle a problem.

  • Find entrepreneurship events

    The Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship occasionally hosts innovation events open to the public. These events actively engage people in creativity and innovation tools and mindsets through hands-on design challenges. We also partner with departments and organizations on and off campus to apply these tools and mindsets to a particular real-world problem or challenge. Sign up for the Academy's newsletter to stay up to date with upcoming events.

  • Learn about entrepreneurship

    The Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship offers a variety of innovation courses open to students of all majors. Course offerings range from 1-credit classes designed to give a taste of creativity and innovation to 3-credit classes that provide in-depth practice with innovation and entrepreneurial tools and mindsets, how to apply them, and how to coach others using them. For more information on the Academy’s offerings, visit this link.