The University of New Haven is partnering with commercialization experts FORGE and mentorship program NextMinds to offer student inventors a tuition-free college degree and a clear path to commercialization
The UNH, FORGE, and NextMinds (formerly the Connecticut Invention Convention), announced Tuesday the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing Connecticut Invents, a first-of-its-kind collaborative framework to support the commercialization of student-created inventions. The landmark agreement creates a comprehensive ecosystem in which student inventors from NextMind’s Invention Convention, a premier STEM education program, can receive full tuition from the University of New Haven, and benefit from expert productization and manufacturing guidance from FORGE.
Under the terms of the MOU, the University of New Haven will provide select student inventors with a tuition-free, four-year undergraduate education. The University of New Haven will assume full responsibility for IP maintenance, legal protections, and business support, while supplying entrepreneurial resources, research facilities, and faculty mentorship.
FORGE will contribute commercialization expertise, including product development advisory service, introductions to prototyping and manufacturing resources, and industry strategy. NextMinds and its flagship Invention Convention program will serve as a critical youth talent pipeline, guiding the most marketable of its 10,000+ annual inventors toward the novel program.
The partnership was conceived by Paul Lavoie, vice president of Innovation and Applied Technology at University of New Haven. Lavoie recognized an opportunity to unite the three organizations around NextMinds CEO Nick Briere’s vision of creating a structured, supported pathway for young inventors emerging from the Invention Convention, helping to bring their ideas to full commercialization.
“When Nick shared his vision, I knew we had the pieces to make it real,” said Lavoie, who is spearheading the development of the University’s Elevation Center. The Center serves as a hub for applied research, entrepreneurship, and industry collaboration. Connecticut Invents will be housed in The Elevation Center.
“What this collaboration represents is more than a business agreement,” continued Lavoie. “It is a promise that University of New Haven will meet talented young inventors where they are, back them with every resource at our disposal, and walk with them from that first spark of an idea to a product in the world. Bringing FORGE and NextMinds to the table was the key to making that promise credible and complete.”
“NextMinds was built on the conviction that young inventors see the world differently – and can use their unique creative problem-solving ability to make this a better world for us all,” said Briere. “Through this partnership, we can walk alongside young inventors at the most critical moments of their journey, helping them navigate IP strategy, venture development, and the entrepreneurial decisions that determine whether an innovation reaches its full potential. This is exactly the kind of collaboration that changes lives.”
“FORGE exists to bridge the gap between a promising concept and a product the world can use,” said Laura Teicher, FORGE’s executive director. “Connecticut Invents will give student inventors access to a world-class education, commercialization support, and an industry network ready to bring their ideas to market. We are proud to work alongside the University of New Haven and NextMinds in opening this door for the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
“At the University of New Haven, we believe that transformative ideas deserve transformative support,” said University of New Haven president Jens Frederiksen. “Connecticut Invents, our collaboration with FORGE and NextMinds, allows us to make a bold promise to young innovators: Bring us your invention and we will invest in your future. By combining a tuition-free education with the full weight of our commercialization infrastructure, we are removing the barriers between a student’s breakthrough idea and its real-world impact.”
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