The Venture Edge

 I've just returned from one of my favorite conferences, the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators (NCIIA) conference in San Francisco, and I have to say that inventing to solve real world problems is alive and well.  Bravo to all the teams represented from universities around the U.S. who found ways to solve compelling problems both here and in emerging economies.

Coming to you from Washington DC where I was speaking at the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) annual conference.  Tonight was the highlightofthe conference, March Madness for the Mind.  Oops, can't call it that any more because the NCAA decided they didn't like the juxtaposition with their annual collegiate basketball tournament.  So this year, it's actually called Open Minds, a characteristic the NCAA can't claim.

For most people, March Madness is about basketball, but for entrepreneurs who create inventions that have social impact, March brings "March Madness for the Mind," an inspirational event sponsored by the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA).  NCIIA is a non-profit organization that supports technology innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education with the goal of creating experiential learning opportunities for students and ultimately socially beneficial businesses. I just returned from speaking at the 14th Annual Conference, which took place in San Francisco and I was impressed and inspired by the inventions I saw..