What is an Innovate-A-thon?

An Innovate-A-thon is a series of collaborative activities for creating something new and better, and putting it to work.  

There are three key Innovate-A-thon stages ...

1] CREATIVITY is the process of identifying pertinent issues, then formulating something to address them: a product, service, solution to a problem, process, method, venture, or ???  Creativity is the beginning of the innovation process, but not the end-all.

2] INNOVATION is creating something addressing a particular issue that is not just new, but also better. While "innovation" might have a revolutionary reputation, it has an evolutionary reality.  Most innovations are incremental improvements of something that already exists. 

3] ENTREPRENEURSHIP is the vessel that connects Innovation and Enterprise ... the process of putting something new and better to work making life better for others.

An Innovate-A-thon typically has a group of participants collaborating together toward a common goal in a predetermined period of time.  

Innovate-A-thon creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship principles have been quite useful in a variety of companies, business development support groups, nonprofit associations, universities, and other organizations for developing new programs, products, services, methods, operational models, business ventures, nonprofit organizations, and more.

This Innovate-A-thon.org website ...

We want to help make the world a better place by assisting creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs put something new and better to use!  People just like YOU!

We're continually adding to our toolbox of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship resources. 

Check out our RESOURCE SHOEBOX for some examples.

The Innovation Impact Roadmap ...

It started on the whiteboard in Jim's office at the University of Arizona ... a graphical outline of the syllabus for an entrepreneurship program he taught.  He wanted his students to see a top-level overview of the innovation and entrepreneurship process. A syllabus is sequential, but a roadmap is a "jump in somewhere and move around somewhere else!"

Think of it as a checklist of the elements you might want to visit as you develop your new innovation.  

The whiteboard version was fairly simple, but useful.  Students and colleagues took pictures of it for reference.  So, thought Jim, why not elaborate it just a little bit?  [OK, OK, so maybe a little bit more than just a little bit!]

Here's the latest version ... hope you find it useful.  

The .pdf, .jpg, and .png downloadable versions are HERE.

[An Ed2S.org Venture]

A Little Bit of Inspiration ...

RulesOfSome.com is an ever-growing collection of right-to-the-point tips, tools, and rules of some very smart and savvy people for creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

Check it out and see if there might be something there to make your day a little bit brighter, a little bit easier.  

[An Ed2S.org Venture]

Innovating is Competitive Creativity ...

CompetitiveCreativity.com contains a variety of material and notes from some innovation and entrepreneurship programs and classes taught at the University of Arizona.

Take a look and see if there might be something there useful to you creativing your new innovative venture.

[An Ed2S.org Venture]

Thank You, University of Arizona ...

The Ed2S.org group is honored to have four outstanding University of Arizona students as interns this summer, applying Innovate-A-thon concepts to the development of several projects. 

Thank you UArizona Student Engagement and Career Development (SECD) for connecting Ed2S.org with DAFNE, HAILEE, ISABEL, and NATALY!  

And thank you, D, H, I, and N with your great ideas for ...

WeAreAlmostHome.org ... a new organization providing services to help address key issues related to matching shelter, housing, and homes with people needing some extra help.

HereIsWhatIThink.org ... a place to post issues that you think need some attention, and what you think might be some good resolutions.

PetLostAndFound.org ... a new organization providing services to reunite little (and not so little) lost loved ones with their human, and vice versa! 

Mitigating Food Waste ... creative methods for reducing food-related waste through reusability and recycling to help resolve some food insecurity issues.

The Innovate-A-thon Game ... have some fun making something new and better. 

The Innovate-A-thon HS ... industry-sponsored extracurricular events for high school students.