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2014 | Doing Business in Connecticut 99 SPONSORED REPORT will have enduring impact. "It will take time for implementation," said Profes- sor Chinmoy Ghosh, head of the finance department and executive director of the financial accelerator, "but the results and findings of this project will be heavily used." Watson IBM's wallet? IBM's "Watson," the world's most advanced computer, famously won the day competing against contestants on the TV game show "Jeopardy." But how does that translate to revenue for the corporate giant? Working through the Stamford Learning Accelerator under Professor Girish Punj, IBM executives invited UConn MBA students to develop strategies to commercialize Watson's capabilities in a range of industries. One student team tackled the pharmaceutical industry, sug- gesting Watson could help pharmaceuti- cal companies identify new indications for existing drugs and protect patents from litigation. Another team developed a plan to use Watson as a solution for customer service call centers, giving reps real-time access to more actionable information and helping companies retain institu- tional knowledge that could be lost with staff turnover. The project was a success. Stephen Gold, vice president of Watson Ecosystem and Partner Development for IBM Watson Group, told students, "What impressed me is how well you took Watson and applied it to the problem. What you've picked up here are the subtleties of how Watson could be used." Bill Hume, director of core technol- ogy for Watson added, "I just think it was fantastic. You hit on all of the deliverables we suggested and you did it really well." Revving the innovation engine The core of UConn's culture of ingenuity is the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, or CCEI. CCEI offers a rich resource for local entrepreneurs and provides a wide range of experiential learning opportunities for students. Budding student entrepreneurs sharpen their concepts through an- nual events like Startup Challenge Pitch Competition and Strategy Competition, competing against fellow students for cash prizes of up to $20,000. Entrepreneurship expert Timothy Folta, professor and Thomas John and Bette Wolff Chair in Strategic Entrepreneurship, leads a class at the Graduate Business Learning Center in downtown Hartford. ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES for Connecticut businesses: Centers & Program Resources • Business Career Center • Center for Real Estate and Urban Economic Studies • Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis (CCEA) • Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI) • Connecticut Information Technology Institute (CITI) • Connecticut Small Business Development Center • Office of Diversity Initiatives • Program for Sales Leadership • Programs in Healthcare Management & Insurance Studies Experiential Learning Accelerators • Financial Accelerator • Innovation Accelerator • SCOPE (Sustained Community Outreach and Public Engagement) • Stamford Learning Accelerator • Student Managed Fund Master's/Ph.D. Degrees • Masters in Accounting (MSA) • Masters in Business Administration (MBA) • MS in Business Analytics and Project Management (MSBAPM) • MS in Financial Risk Management (MSFRM) • Masters in Human Resource Management • Ph.D. in Business Professional Development • Certificate Programs • Executive Education For more information on how the UConn School of Business can assist you and your business, please visit www.business.uconn.edu. Continued on next page >