University of New Haven Announces Landmark Collaboration with New England Nonprofits to Commercialize Student Inventions

四色AV of New Haven, , and (formerly the Connecticut Invention Convention), today announced 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鈥檚 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. 四色AV 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鈥檚 vision of creating a structured, supported pathway for young inventors emerging from the Invention Convention, helping to bring their ideas to full commercialization.

鈥淲hen Nick shared his vision, I knew we had the pieces to make it real,鈥� said Lavoie, who is spearheading the development of the University鈥檚 Elevation Center. The Center serves as a hub for applied research, entrepreneurship, and industry collaboration. Connecticut Invents will be housed in The Elevation Center.

"Bring us your invention and we will invest in your future." President Jens Frederiksen

鈥淲hat this collaboration represents is more than a business agreement,鈥� continued Lavoie. 鈥淚t 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.鈥�

鈥淣extMinds was built on the conviction that young inventors see the world differently 鈥� and can use their unique creative problem-solving ability to make this a better world for us all,鈥� said Briere. 鈥淭hrough 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.鈥�

鈥淔ORGE exists to bridge the gap between a promising concept and a product the world can use,鈥� said Laura Teicher, FORGE鈥檚 executive director. 鈥淐onnecticut 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.鈥�

鈥淎t the University of New Haven, we believe that transformative ideas deserve transformative support,鈥� said University of New Haven president Jens Frederiksen. 鈥淐onnecticut 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鈥檚 breakthrough idea and its real-world impact.鈥�