Purdue Northwest to host the Innovate WithIN Region 6 Finals

Purdue Northwest and the Society of Innovators at PNW will host the Innovate WithIn Region 6 Finals during a virtual event on April 20. Innovate WithIN is the most elite pitch competition in the country for aspiring high school innovators and entrepreneurs.

Purdue University Northwest and the Society of Innovators at PNW will host the Innovate WithIN Region 6 Finals during a virtual event to be held from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20.

Innovate WithIN is the most elite pitch competition in the country for aspiring high school innovators and entrepreneurs. Student contestants have an opportunity to win $25,000 in funding, tuition and other prizes.

“We are excited about the Northwest Indiana Innovate WithIN region, because it went from being the smallest competition in the state to the most robust. It has also produced the last two state winners. Clearly, Northwest Indiana is a testament to what a community coming together to support its youth can accomplish to foster innovation in the region,” said Don Wettrick, founder and CEO of STARTedUP Foundation.

Ten teams were selected from more than 250 regional applicants to compete live in the Northwest Indiana Region 6 competition for a chance to win $1,000 and participation in the state finals.

“Innovation and entrepreneurship are core values at Purdue Northwest. It our pleasure to be able to support students from Northwest Indiana as they take part in this competition,” said Kenneth C. Holford, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at Purdue Northwest. “We are excited to see how these students apply their knowledge to solving real problems faced in our community.”

“Purdue Northwest, Innovate WithIN, and the Society of Innovators at PNW have been working hard to make this year’s event really special for our local finalists,” added Sheila Matias, executive director of the Society of Innovators and Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest. “These students are innovators, and this world needs more people like them.”

Purdue Northwest is offering additional incentives to participants and winners of Innovate WithIN who enroll at the university:

• A one-year (non-renewable) full tuition scholarship will be offered to first place winners (at the NWI regional competition), once the winner is enrolled as a full-time student at PNW.
• A one-year full tuition and room and board scholarship will be offered to first place winners at the state competition, once the winner is enrolled as a full-time student at PNW.
• A $250 book scholarship will be offered to any Innovate WithIN participant who registers as a full-time student at PNW.
•  Students whose teams place (first, second or third) at the regional and/or state competition will have an opportunity to intern with the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest or the NWI Small Business Development Center, if they enroll as a degree-seeking student at PNW.

The region finals are open to the public. Registration is not required. More information can be found at www.innovatewithin.org/region-6. The virtual event will be livestreamed on the Innovate WithIN Facebook page at www.facebook.com/innovatewithinindiana.

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest (PNW) aims to contribute to economic and community development throughout the region as the champion of innovation in Northwest Indiana. For more information about the Society of Innovators, visit www.pnw.edu/soi.