Innovation Summit

The Innovation Summit is a launch pad for breakthrough technologies developed by high school innovators. Hosted by NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, the Innovation Summit is the culmination of the Conrad Foundation’s Spirit of Innovation Challenge. This year’s event takes place April 10-13, 2014. 

Leading entrepreneurs, government officials and world-renowned scientists join the top student innovators, along with their coaches, in a collaborative, social forum to help build progressive technologies and the next-generation workforce. It is a truly one-of-a-kind environment where seasoned professionals engage with the best young entrepreneurs and, together, design the future. Check out event info from the 2013 Innovation Summit.

What happens at the Innovation Summit?

• High school finalist teams for the Spirit of Innovation Challenge present their concepts to a panel of experts, vying for seed funding and research opportunities to further develop their innovations.
• World-class speakers present about innovation, entrepreneurship and cutting-edge science. Each presentation is followed by a collaborative discussion.
• High school teams network with industry leaders, intellectual property lawyers, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in a closed-door session to discuss the future of their ideas.
• Students enjoy NASA tours, off-site tours that give students an inside look at area businesses and an opportunity to explore the area, as well as workshops to help students hone their business and technical skills.
• STEM Outreach and Career Resource Fair to engage the community and inspire students to pursue careers in science, math, engineering and technology.