On a Thursday in October at the new Lassonde Studios, dozens of excited students gathered, many bringing with them new inventions and ideas. The event is known as Get Seeded, it’s held several times a semester, and students from across campus are invited to join the fun, learn about new inventions and eat free food.
Students who have new ideas but need a little help getting started can present their projects at the event to request funding. Students apply earlier in the month and are given several opportunities to sharpen their proposal before the final event where students get to vote on teams and decide who receives funding for that month.
At the monthly final event, the student audience silently votes on each team by using their phones, tablets or laptops and can even give teams feedback on their ideas. One of the co-presidents of Get Seeded, Jared Pieper said, “A lot of people provide good, constructive insight and sometimes even help students make connections to help further their ideas.”
With the support of Zion’s Bank, Get Seeded has an annual budget of $150,000, allowing it to support countless amazing student creations every year. These creations have included the Jefferson Pen, which digitally records writing on any surface; ActiviGame, an interactive projector game; and EMS Trauma Report, a program that helps streamline trauma patient treatment — and many more. Students can find the rest of the list from the spring winner’s here.
For those more interested in participating in the actual event, Pieper said,“[Get Seeded] usually funds 8-12 students each month at the final event.” This means that students have an even greater chance of getting chosen for the month — with dozens of student teams being funded every year.
Even student teams that don’t get chosen to pitch their idea find Get Seeded can still be a great experience that leads to new and improved concepts for the future. And students aren’t limited on the number of times they can apply. “If students don’t make it through,” Pieper said, “they are encouraged to use the feedback we provide to improve and reapply next month.”
If you’re interested in more details, go to the Get Seeded webpage here, where you can find out how to apply, what the process involves, and what the judges are generally looking for. Or, if you just want to hear about some of the cool new inventions your fellow students are cooking up and eat some free pizza, then go to the Lassonde Studios for the next event!
