2023-2024 Annual Report

As the Student Innovation Idea Labs (SIIL) closes our ninth year in operation, we are excited to share our many adventures. We highlight achievements in each area of our strategic plan to support creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.  This includes the expansion of our Startup Ecosystem, gains in our creativity and training certifications, the workshops we hosted, and the partnerships we created across campus.  Here are a few of the highlights from each area:

• Startup Ecosystem - By partnering with campus faculty, we increased the number of teams participating in the Bronco Startup Challenge from five teams in 2023 to 33 teams in 2024.  We especially thank Dr. Nastaran Simarasl for being the SIIL faculty fellow and building connections with faculty across campus
• Creative Certifications - We Certified 17 new creators this year. These students join our cohort of six students who were acknowledged as certified creators last year.  We issued 998 equipment and training certifications, helping students create safely and supporting the learn-by-doing of CPP.
• Workshops - We offered seven (7) workshops attended by 120 students.  The workshops continue to be our primary vehicle for building a supportive network of student creators and innovators. 
• Partnerships - We re-established a partnership with the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) student club to support startup programming and workshops.  We supported the CEO club as they offered ten (10) workshops facilitated by faculty and outside entrepreneurs to help students build an entrepreneurial mindset.  The CEO club also helped plan and execute the fall Fast-pitch competition and the spring Bronco Startup Challenge.  

As a final note: After 5 1/2 years as the faculty director of the Student Innovation Idea Labs, I am returning to my role as a Professor of Civil Engineering.  I feel I have grown significantly, both personally and professionally, during this time.  Yes, many tasks were completed with many boxes checked off.  We established the Maker Studio (August 2019) and then expanded it (January 2022).  We renovated space in building 1 (January 2022 to February 2023) that is now the home of the iLab, and I worked from 2019 until 2024 with our campus team to select a location and begin establishing the Hub - Cal Poly Pomona's office in downtown Pomona.  We even explored opening an "Innovation Kitchen" from 2020-2021 but it did not develop beyond the concept.  Perhaps, that could be a project for the next faculty director ;-). 

While these projects represented hard tasks, I grew most from the interactions with our fantastic students, staff, and faculty.  Most of all, I am in awe of the courage and intelligence of students who regularly create something out of nothing. Observing their work helped me see a path to happiness: Always creating something positive.  As faculty director, I observed many people at their best, displaying creativity, resilience, kindness, innovation, forgiveness, empathy, and integrity.  I end my time full of gratitude for the people I've met and the examples they showed me.

-Kenneth Lamb