Think. Make. Ignite.
That’s our motto at Clarkson Ignite, the innovation hub here at Clarkson University. Fueled by a passion for creativity and hands-on learning, we’re here to inspire and cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset in every member of the Clarkson community, including you!
I’m Ashley Sweeney, the Director of Clarkson Ignite. While planning ahead for the rest of the spring semester, I wanted to take a moment and tell you about the amazing opportunities we offer. I hope you enjoy what you read below!
The Dorf Makerspace
First things first, do you like working hands-on to create something cool? If so, the Dorf Makerspace will be right up your alley, as it’s the home for all things physical creation on campus. We have a wall of Prusa, Ultimaker, and Elegoo 3D printers, as well as vinyl cutters, laser engravers, glass fusion technology, and so much more – and it’s completely free for you to use! All you have to do is stop by and you’ll be able to make whatever you want that is both safe and appropriate. Don’t worry if you have a question – our specially-trained Maker Mentors, students who’ve taken their passion for hands-on learning to the next level, will be here to help. You’ll also be able to take part in weekly workshops focusing on making some really cool creations, learn about new equipment, and refine your skills!
Throughout your time at Clarkson, you’ll engage with the Dorf Makerspace in a variety of unique ways, starting as early as your first day on campus – in case you need rubber mallets and screwdrivers while setting up your dorm, we’ll have plenty for you to borrow! Maybe a course you’re taking asks you to use the space while working on a semester-long assignment, or perhaps you simply want to make a personal project in a state-of-the-art facility that fosters creativity. Regardless of the reason for your visit, the Dorf Makerspace is always available to help bring your ideas to life. All you need to do is take that first step through its doors, and you’ll be on your way to becoming your most authentic and innovative self.
The Makers’ Loft
What if you’re not a big fan of physical creation? What if you’d rather make something more digital in nature? Have no fear, as Ignite also features the Makers’ Loft, which focuses on doing just that, letting you produce media like podcasts, videos, songs, and pretty much anything you can think of! It’s also home to what we call “clean technology” – digital cameras, editing software, sewing machines, 3D scanners, and commercial-grade drones. At the end of the day, “making” is a lot more than just physical creation, and the Makers’ Loft is here to help you express your creative passions through whatever outlet you desire. As we like to say at Ignite, if you can dream it, then you can probably create it at the Dorf Makerspace or the Makers’ Loft.
Student Entrepreneurship
Hands-on learning is great, but what if you’d rather see the bigger picture and start your own company? As it turns out, Ignite is also the leading student entrepreneurship hub on campus – any student, regardless of major or year, can walk through our doors and receive help with product ideas, business plans, patents, LLCs, trademarks, and whatever else they have in mind! From our point of view, “student entrepreneurship” is about pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, and offering fresh perspectives on complex problems. So, if you have a venture that would benefit from invaluable mentorship, business incubation, and funding opportunities, we’ll help make it a realpresiEach business is different, and we get that! The support we offer to the entire Clarkson community is both personalized and unwavering – if you’re genuinely dedicated to bringing your idea to the next level, you can pitch to join our Cube student business accelerator. With the support of our close friends at the Shipley Center for Innovation, this highly competitive opportunity will help your trailblazing creations make a meaningful impact worldwide. But even if the Cube isn’t for you, you’re always welcome to pitch your ideas at the North Country Regional Business Plan Competition. That’s an annual event we host for local student entrepreneurs to showcase their ventures and engage with seasoned investors – with cash prizes always on the table. Better yet, winning teams can advance to the state-level competition, where the prizes are larger and opportunities are endless.
Ignite Project Expo & RAPS
After you learn something, there often comes a time when you want to show off what you’ve done with the outside world. We feel the same way at Ignite all the time! Last fall, we launched the Ignite Project Expo, an exhibition for all kinds of projects developed by students on campus. We saw robotic constructions, physical art dioramas, community outreach initiatives, entrepreneurial endeavors, hand-made board games, sustainability initiatives, and so many more innovative creations on display. Following a morning presentation session, high-scoring teams battled for awards and cash prizes through an intense Pitch-Off competition. And these weren’t just seniors and graduate students facing off – many of them were freshmen!
One reason spring is my favorite semester is that in addition to the Business Plan Competition, Ignite hosts Clarkson’s bi-annual Research and Project Showcase – which we like to call just RAPS. Like the Expo, RAPS is an exhibition for the hard work being conducted by students and faculty on campus, but with a stronger focus on the incredible research activities that Clarkson is known for. In mid-April, hundreds of students will share meticulously designed oral and poster presentations with the Clarkson community, and an elite few will be deemed as the university’s strongest researchers and innovators. Between now and then, my team at Ignite will be working diligently to ensure this semester’s RAPS is the most meaningful occasion ever.
President’s Challenge
For those who’ve followed Ignite for a while, you’ll know that our most storied event is the President’s Challenge, a special competition where the Clarkson University President challenges the entire student body to develop impactful solutions to a real-world problem. Since its inaugural occasion in 2018, the President’s Challenge has continued to evolve – one event focused on developing unique Clarkson-themed collectibles, while another asked students to construct a gigantic Rube Goldberg machine that could shoot a hockey puck into a goal! Although we paused the competition last year while focusing our efforts on launching the Ignite Project Expo, a new president is on the horizon – only time will tell what the next President’s Challenge entails.
PS – If you’re a prospective student who visited campus at any point over the past year, you might have received a Clarkson-themed collectible created during the President’s Challenge, such as a 3D-printed puzzle maze or Lego Baja Car replica. There’s a final, long-awaited collectible that we’ll be giving out during this spring’s accepted students events, and I think it’s the one you’ll like the most – but I’ll let you find out what it is when you visit.
CUSTOM Lab
Have you ever wanted a water bottle featuring your name, a t-shirt with a nice design, or something else entirely? We’ve been told that’s the case at Clarkson all the time, and we’d be silly not to respond to that need. Last fall, we introduced CUSTOM Lab, a new student-run business focused on creating customized “Maker-Made” items for internal Clarkson departments and meaningful student employment. In the few months since we’ve made everything from floor signs for the Student Center Servery to fidget toys for Student Health and Counseling Services. We’ve even collaborated with the Institute for STEM Education while teaching local K-12 students about what hands-on learning has to offer – and that’s just the start!
At the end of the day, CUSTOM Lab is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain invaluable entrepreneurial experience outside of the classroom. I can’t wait to see how it evolves over the coming years. Now, if you want high-quality memorabilia of your own, I’m afraid you’re out of luck, but only for the time being – we’re hoping to begin selling Maker-Made items to the greater Clarkson community very soon. So keep your eyes peeled and start getting your ideas ready.
New Knights Expo
Alright, this one’s kind of cheating since we didn’t plan it all ourselves, but it’s still really cool to talk about! In September, Ignite helped organize the first-ever New Knights Expo, a collaborative event designed to introduce freshmen to the amazing departments found on campus. Between spaghetti tower building competitions, mini hockey games versus the Golden Knight himself, and countless raffles and giveaways, the occasion was a tremendous success – and I can’t wait for round two later this year.
Fun, Fun, Fun (Did I Mention Fun?)
At Ignite, a little healthy chicanery isn’t out of the question – so when I entered our office one day last fall and found our Maker Mentors and Ignite Presidential Fellows building a charcuterie board in the shape of the Ignite logo, I wasn’t the least surprised! Honestly, that’s the best part of what I do, because beyond the activities, facilities, and opportunities, Ignite is a family that gives the work I do meaning. I actually don’t even like calling it “work”, because the fun we have at Ignite motivates me to be the most authentic mentor, leader, and friend I can possibly be.
Well, I think that about sums it up, but you never know! I’m always walking into the office and telling the team about a new collaboration or crazy idea.
I hope you learned a bit about Ignite and what we’re up to on campus these days. Whether you’re visiting us for the first time during an accepted students event this spring, looking to engage with our opportunities after studying on campus for a few years, or interested in returning to campus as an alum, it’s never too late to stop by and introduce yourself – as I said earlier, all you need to do is take that first step. And as a completely shameless plug, don’t hesitate to follow Ignite on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, where you’ll be the first to know whenever we do something cool. And feel free to send me a connect request on my personal LinkedIn page! Networking is one of the most valuable things you can do throughout your career, and the earlier you start, the better.
Before you go, let me ask one last question: why does any of what I’ve shared above matter? The answer is simple – at Clarkson Ignite, our name is our motto. We think, we make, and we ignite. We are an amazing community of talented people, and we’d love to have you join us.
See you soon!
