Building Student AI Innovation through Entrepreneurship: A Replicable Model for Higher Education

Higher education leaders are under increasing pressure to prepare students for an AI-driven future, yet many institutions struggle to design scalable and inclusive learning experiences. This session presents a proven model for a 48-hour AI hackathon developed through a partnership between a public research university and a cloud provider. The AI Maker Challenge enabled interdisciplinary student teams to build real-world solutions, including a research grant matching platform, a student productivity system, and a personalized health care application. Several projects are now advancing toward institutional implementation or start-up development, demonstrating the event’s effectiveness as an innovation incubator. Attendees will learn how to structure high-impact partnerships in which the industry partner provides infrastructure, tools, and technical expertise while the university delivers space, logistics, and institutional pathways. The session also introduces a three-tier accessibility framework (no-code, low-code, and full development) that supports participation across skill levels.Participants will leave with a practical playbook for launching similar initiatives, including partnership models, budget frameworks, infrastructure requirements, and post-event support strategies.