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We lately had the privilege of teaming up with the USC Iovine and Younger Academy (IYA), making Microsoft the official cloud and AI supplier for student-led AI innovation by means of their flagship program, Innovation Quest.
Once I was invited to assist kickoff Innovation Quest on behalf of the Microsoft for Startups workforce, 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 might be altering how we clear up issues and construct companies.
USC IYA has laid the proper basis to assist the following 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: Sources for Success
Beginning at present, Innovation Quest individuals 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 offers a wealth of sources, technical assist, and steerage.
- Mentorship from a community of over 1,600 Microsoft specialists throughout engineering, advertising and marketing, and gross sales.
Our assist goes past expertise; we’re dedicated to guiding these scholar founders by means of the whole startup journey, from their first brainstorm to tackling the complexities of scaling a enterprise.
Innovation Quest: From Ideation to Impression
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 abilities and AI capabilities that units the inspiration for achievement.
- Ignite Grants: Chosen groups obtain funding and mentorship to develop Minimal Viable Merchandise (MVPs) throughout classes like Gen AI, social influence, and innovation-driven tasks.
- Annual Enterprise Showcase: This system culminates with a Enterprise Showcase in April, the place student-led groups current their options throughout three tracks—Social Impression, 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 stated this partnership provides college students entry to the identical instruments and mentorship that high startups get pleasure from. In at present’s fast-paced panorama, AI will not be solely a disruptor however an enabler, and we’re excited to assist these college students leverage its energy to deal with essential points and scale impactful options.
Trying 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 provoking others to push the boundaries of what’s potential with AI.
I walked away from the launch occasion extra energized than ever, satisfied that the way forward for innovation will not be 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 assist.
In case you’re curious to be taught extra or need to get entangled, be happy to succeed in out to iyaiq@usc.edu. I can’t wait to see what the following few months maintain for these innovators.
