GEIER: If you want to talk a little bit about your Inception for the idea Fest and how it began.
Talkington: I've been around entrepreneurship teaching for about 15 years, and I've been watching a lot of traditional pitch competitions which are all based around a business plan. The idea fest is based around early stage ideas. So rather than ask students to create an entire long business plan, which is maybe not completely rooted in feasibility. They just jump to the end and try to make a business plan. We try to meet them at the early stages so we can influence them with feedback. A good idea needs customers, and so we get them in front of customers early so they can talk to those people and see what their idea solves, what problem their idea solves.
Geier: What does an early stage idea or concept look like?
Talkington: Sometimes it's just a idea on the back of a napkin or back of an envelope. It usually starts with a problem they have personally had and they're trying to solve that problem. It's affected their family or someone they love, or it's just irritated them that they didn't have a product to fill the need that they had.
Geier: Going into the competition, how are they going to present these ideas, and then how will they be judged by the judges?
Talkington: Idea fest is a trade show format, so instead of being on stage and being nervous, it's just you and me talking, and you'll have about 40 judges that circulate through the trade show at the Overman Center, and they'll be able to talk one on one with each student. So very low risk, low stakes, low barrier.
Geier: You took everything about these trade show competitions and idea fests and flipped them on their head. Why do you think this approach towards this competition is something that's going to be successful?
Talkington: Because I believe in pixie dust magic. No, I've watched these competitions where you have 40 people compete and 37 are ignored and their early stages ideas are not given the attention or the credit, because they're just so young, so early. I want to see everybody met where they are and help them either iterate, go back to the beginning, or advance their idea through networks, connections, mentorship, and so we provide a format where that is explicitly explained to all the participants and all the judges. This is not a win lose. This is I want everyone to walk away with a learning experience, some feedback and how they can do things better.
Geier: You mentioned that there is also going to be some food at the event. What can you say about that?
Talkington: The food will be provided by the international students. We've got food from Brazil and food from India, and then the French club will be showing off with French desserts.
Geier: I know this isn't a competition, but what are some of the incentives for students?
Talkington: We have some small scholarships earmarked for the students. One of them will be based on public vote, so the students can get their friends to come vote for them, and the other two scholarships will be from the judges selections. And if anyone wants to judge, they can still contact me through email, and they can sign up to be a professional judge. We are not closing the judging. The tables, they are spoken for, so we have a full house at the Overman on the 24th. The idea fest is open to anyone in Pittsburg to come visit that day. So we do want the public there. We do want entrepreneurs. We do want the business community. Come up, have lunch with us, see some of the great ideas our students have, and it'll be a proud moment for Pittsburg State University.
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