N.C. A&T to Host Regional HBCU Innovation Road Show

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Oct. 2, 2019) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will host the two-day Innovation Forward: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Invention and Startup Showcase beginning Friday, Oct. 4, at the Student Center.

The conference is designed to bring together top innovators and business leaders in North Carolina with students and faculty members to discuss business basics, branding, invention and entrepreneurship.

This initiative is funded by through a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant and focuses on building an inclusive innovative ecosystem that supports HBCUs. Iris R. Wagstaff, Ph.D., STEM program director for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), is the principal investigator.

The mission of the HBCU Invention and Startup Showcase is to provide resources and training to HBCU students and faculty to help leverage their STEM expertise to innovate, invent, and build sustainable businesses” said Wagstaff, an N.C. A&T chemistry department alumna. “We are thrilled to bring this event to Aggieland.”

Wagstaff partnered with ABC’s Shark Tank’s Brandon Andrews, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to bring this event to both North Carolina and the Atlanta area. Other partners include N.C. A&T alumna and visionary of the road show, Quincy Brown, Ph.D., and Neela White, AAAS project director.

For more information, visit Innovation Forward’s website.