Students in Bauer College’s No. 1 ranked Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship recently transformed technology patents into businesses during the program’s signature IP Pitch Competition this fall.

Prior to the competition, students selected patented technologies from either the University of Houston or NASA in the program’s Strategy class. From there, student teams spend months working with the inventors, developing an understanding of the complex technology, doing customer interviews and strategizing how to pitch it as a marketable product or service.

Program Manager Chris Steward said this experience pushes students to learn how to work together and to navigate unfamiliar technologies. From the students' first pitch practice to the night of the competition, Steward said the teams saw a complete transformation in their public speaking and confidence.

“They're finding out what kind of leaders they are, what kind of teammates they are and what works best for them, "he said. “They often must have a lot of difficult conversations. I don't think they realize that they're growing so much, but they really are.”

During the competition, Wolff Center teams presented to a panel of judges and an audience, vying for the top prize of $5,000. This fall, team INFRAPATCH SOLUTIONS won first place, team ClearBore won second place, team PelleX won third place, and team CorRover won audience favorite.

Moments before hitting the big stage, Wolff Center students shared how the IP project helped advance them in their entrepreneurial journey.

Precious Collins

Precious Collins spent the IP project as Chief Marketing Officer for team CorRover, researching industry markets and pricing. She described their product as a device similar to a robot vacuum that is used for corrosion inspection on refineries.

Through research and conversations with the UH patent inventor, Collins said her team was able to understand the technology well enough to present it to an unfamiliar audience.

Collins credits her team’s CEO Adam Jhaver for building the group’s morale and culture prior to presenting.

“I want to build my culture better with my future teams because of how he built that with us,” she said. “It made us more comfortable explaining things to one another. If we didn't feel confident in something, we could tell him about it and he would help us build that confidence.”

Fe Andrews and Daniel Gwynne

On team Omni 360, Fe Andrews was the CEO, and Daniel Gwynne was the Chief Technology Officer. Their group’s product is a modular robotic inspection vehicle. Gwynne explained that while other products on the market may only be able to handle one inspection, theirs can be adapted to conduct multiple inspections.

From the start of the project to competition day, Gwynne said his perspective completely shifted.

“At first, you're discovering it, but slowly throughout time, you're realizing that you need to do it this another way,” he said. “You realize that we need to find a more efficient way to do this. We need a customer to want to buy this. We need to speak to more investors. A big part of that was going to industry experts and coming at them from this curious perspective.”

For Andrews, leading her IP team helped her overcome a fear of talking to large crowds.

“One of my worst fears has always been public speaking,” Andrews said. “Since we’ve done so much practicing it in class, I’m no longer nervous about being in front of a bunch of people.”

Maria Cadavid

Maria Cadavid led her team as the CEO of team Power Loom. Their group pitched a flexible battery that could be integrated into waterproof fabric. Her team specifically targeted outdoor gear and jacket companies with their pitch.

Cadavid said her biggest takeaway from the project was learning to pivot after her team switched technologies halfway through.

“Usually, this is a seven-month research assignment that includes a business plan,” she said. “Since we had to change, we all had to learn how to adapt. It was a good learning experience because now we can take on any other adaptation or challenge in the future.”

Ana Ramirez

Ana Ramirez was another IP CEO, leading team Structra. Their group pitched software that uses artificial intelligence to predict any delays that could impact the construction industry.

Her team’s technology was a student idea that won an AI Pitch competition.

Despite the ups and downs, Ramirez said she enjoyed how the project brought her team together.

“Everything from the late nights and staying up together to pitching in front of our classmates comes from a good place of wanting to see each other improve,” she said. “The competition is a way for us to come together and show all the work that we put in during the whole semester.”