NMC Innovation & Entrepreneurship Hub

The Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (OIE) provides NMC students, faculty, and staff with encouragement, support, and resources to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and successfully pursue innovative ideas that positively impact our campus and community.

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  Funding support

  Every year, OIE provides students, faculty, and staff with the opportunity to apply for funding awards by proposing innovative ideas aligning to the NMC Strategic Plan.
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  Real-world learning

  OIE engages NMC students in real-world learning opportunities, including pitch coaching, a market day for student-run businesses, and problem-solving challenges with local businesses.
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  Community Connections

  OIE connects students who are interested in starting their own business to mentorship, startup support, and networking opportunities in Traverse City and the surrounding area.

 

Have questions? We're here to help.

Please sign up for OIE office hours by visiting My Success and selecting the "Innovation & Entrepreneurship Support" tile.

 

Fall 2026 Pitch Competition Application

Eligibility

NMC students are eligible to apply

Application Information

The application is currently open. Students have until Thursday, Oct. 15 to apply. We encourage you to apply! Here is a video explaining the application. 

NMC Pitch Competition

Proposals will undergo an initial review in late October, and top scoring proposals will move forward to a pitch competition held from 2:30-4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10 in rooms 106 & 107 of the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center. Garret and Dakota Porter, NMC Alumni and Co-Founders of ActionGlow, will be our guest speakers. Please RSVP to attend the pitch competition. We hope to see you there!

Funding Amount

Awarded projects will typically receive funding ranging between $500–$4,000 ($4K limit) from the NMC Foundation, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship Everyday Entrepreneur Program, and the Experiential Learning Institute.

Optional Pitch Coaching Workshop

Would you like to receive tips for successfully pitching an idea, presenting to an audience, and increasing your confidence in public speaking? Nick Beadleston, Executive Director of the Grove Community Incubator, will be hosting a pitch coaching workshop on Monday, November 2 from 5:30-7 pm in Scholars Hall, Room 209. Students do not need to participate in the OIE pitch competition to participate. All are welcome to attend!

Process

View the process for proposing an innovative campus idea aligned to the strategic plan here.

Current Funded Projects

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  NMC Uncrewed Competition Team

  Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) Program Coordinator, Tony Sauerbrey, has established a multidisciplinary student team to compete in the 2027 Uncrewed Triple Challenge at Camp Grayling, Michigan. This state-led competition challenges teams to design, build, integrate, and operate uncrewed systems across land, air, and sea. These systems will demonstrate autonomous capability, mission planning, coordination, and component integration.

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  NMC Competitive Flight Team

  NMC Aviation student Alex Modrzynski developed a competitive flight team to participate in the Region III SAFECON competition. Prior to this, the NMC Aviation program did not include competitive student flight teams. The SAFECON regional competition provides a unique opportunity for NMC aviation students to demonstrate excellence in ground knowledge, preflight planning, and precision flight maneuvers.

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  Prescribing the Arts

  Liz Celeste, the Dennos Museum Curator of Education and Exhibitions, launched an Art Rx Program. The program is open to all NMC students and will provide academic advisors, success coaches, and counselors with cards they can offer to students who may benefit from a restorative break and creative inspiration. Students have the opportunity to receive mindfulness tools and engage with the Dennos’ exhibitions, programs and events.

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  Reaching Adult Learners with CollegeAPP

  Kelly Yauk, NMC Marketing Director, and Krista McCarty, Extended Education & Training Marketing Coordinator, will use CollegeAPP, a data aggregation and modeling company, to enhance NMC’s understanding of prospective adult students in order to reach them with effective, engaging messaging. NMC will be able to reach more adult students, helping them grow their skills and providing them with opportunities for upward mobility.

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  Voyage on Inland Seas Schooner, Alliance

  Matt Hirsch, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute Coordinator, is leading a 3-day, 2-night student sailing experience for Marine Tech students on a schooner, in collaboration with the Inland Seas Education Association. By providing a multi-day voyage, students will have an opportunity to serve as both scientific and sailing crew. The goal is for students to not only possess technical skills, but to also develop seamanship skills, as part of an immersive maritime experience.

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  VR Systems for Biomedical Engineering Technology

  Joe Deater, faculty member in Engineering Technology, purchased VR headsets and subscriptions related to biomedical training. Biomed Tech students work on and maintain medical equipment. Large devices, such as CT, MRI, and X-ray units, are difficult to have available to students. Students will now gain virtual, hands-on experience and have access to VR videos demonstrating working on, repairing, and manipulating these devices.

2026 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Events

Unless stated, all events listed below are free.

• October

  Grove Community Incubator: Queer Business Owner Roundtable
  October 7, 9–10 a.m.
  Event Information
  
  20Fathoms: Startup Office Hours
  Topic: Business Strategy & Advice
  October 8, 2:30–4 p.m.
  Schedule an appointment
  
  20Fathoms: SOAR Into Strategy: A Strengths-Based Approach to Strategic Planning
  October 9, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
  
  Grove Community Incubator: Filmmaker Friday
  October 9, 4:30 p.m.
  Event Information & Registration
  
  20Fathoms: Women in Tech Meetup
  October 21, 5–7 p.m.
  Event Information
  
  20Fathoms: Northern Michigan BlueTech Accelerator Demo Day
  October 22, 1–3 p.m.
  Event Information
  
  Grove Community Incubator: Office of Possibilities 200th Gathering Celebration
  October 27, 9–10:30 a.m.
  Event Information

• NOVEMBER

  NMC Student Pitch Coaching Workshop
  All NMC students are welcome!
  November 2, 5:30-7 p.m.
  Room 209, Scholars Hall
  
  NMC Student Pitch Competition
  November 10, 2:30–4:30 p.m.
  TJNIC 106/107
  RSVP here
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Community Resources & Services for Entrepreneurs

Unless stated, all opportunities listed below are free.

20Fathoms

• Startup coaching: Offered virtually and in person by appointment.
• Weekly Breakfast Lab: Startup workshops on specific skills or interest topics for individuals launching businesses. Thursdays from 9–10:30 a.m.

Grove

• Weekly Office of Possibilities (OOPs) community networking sessions. Tuesdays from 9–11 a.m.
• Grove Affinity Groups - Bringing together innovators with shared experiences and identities

Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

• Small business consulting services
• Small business trainings and events
• On-demand library
• Market research services

Northern Michigan Angels

• Pitch meetings: Northern Michigan Angels supports promising, early-stage companies in Michigan and the Northern Michigan Region. Interested companies can apply to pitch.

SCORE

• Small business mentorship. Offered virtually and in person by appointment.
• Virtual and in-person workshops, webinars and courses to assist individuals who are growing a business. Both free and low-cost options.

Traverse Connect

• Traverse City Young Professionals networking and professional development group.

In the News

NMC Resurrects competitive flight team after decades of dormancy

The Ticker, October 2, 2026

"A track and field meet for aviation." That's how Alex Modrzynski describes the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) regional competition that Northwestern Michigan College pilots will be attending this weekend. Modrzynski is a co-captain for NMC's competitive flight team, which relaunched this year after a lengthy hiatus. Now, NMC is set to compete as part of the NIFA Region 3 event in Bowling Green, Ohio.

NMC joins national entrepreneurship effort

The Ticker, September 23, 2026

Northwestern Michigan College joined nearly 350 community colleges around the country last week by signing the Presidents for Entrepreneurship Pledge of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE). By signing the pledge, NMC President Nick Nissley committed the college to undertake entrepreneurial practices that boost economic vitality in their communities.

OOPs 2.0: NMC Reimagines Its Innovation & Entrepreneurship Office

The Ticker, July 19, 2026

NMC is rebranding its Office of Possibilities, a program focused on entrepreneurship and innovation, with the goal of increasing awareness and engagement on campus. While the program... has spun off multiple success stories at NMC and across the community, college leaders say its identity has proven muddy and confusing for actual NMC students.