Students
The Mentoring Program provides student inventors with access to expert advice at all stages along the process from conceptualization to commercialization. The various mentoring opportunities are coordinated by a student Mentoring Committee.
Graduate Student Mentoring Program
The Student Mentoring Program connects graduate MBAs and law students with undergraduate innovators. Students can contact our in-house business and legal mentors for advice on issues ranging from business plan development, to commercialization, to applying for a patent. Our current mentors have diverse backgrounds in engineering, business and corporate law.
In-House Business and Legal Mentors
Kevin Galloway
Kevin is a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering under Dr. Mark Yim. As a member of Modlab (a section of GRASP lab), he has several years of mechanical design and prototyping experience. Some of his past and current projects include MuscleMorph (1st place WBPC, 1st place PennVention 2006), Radiosonde Recovery (1st place PennVention 2007), Traffic Safety Glove (GAPSA-Provost’s Award 2007, 2nd place PennVention 2008), and Snack CaddyTM. He currently has 2 patents pending. In his most recent project he was the lead mechanical designer for the development and manufacture of RespondBot RDK, a robotic legged locomotion platform available through Sandbox InnovationsTM.
Mentoring Type: Mechanical Design, Prototyping, Engineering, and Manufacturing
Mentoring Hours: By appointment only (email: kcg at seas dot upenn dot edu)
The Weiss Tech House routinely engages a network of more than 200 alumni and industry experts to facilitate mentoring opportunities for students.
Students can access industry mentors in the following ways:
- Attend a workshop, event, and our distinguished speaker series. See our event calendar.
- Apply to the Innovation Fund. All teams accepted by the Innovation Fund are provided with a Team Leader from the Mentoring Committee who will facilitate and manage contacts with relevant industry mentors.
- Participate in PennVention. Throughout three rounds of competition, all teams entering PennVention, will receive intensive industry mentoring services including face-to-face discussion, guidance and feedback.
- Graduating students can request a mentor to supervise their project's exit from the Weiss Tech House and provide advice for the future by sending an email to mentoring@weisstechhouse.com.
Industry leaders who would like to share their expertise with our undergraduate inventors are welcome to contact Anne Stamer at director@weisstechhouse.com.