Innovation in Action: My Experience at the Inaugural E&I Week

Written by Katie Goble, Digital Marketing Intern

It isn’t often that you get to witness innovation in action. By definition, innovation can feel invisible amongst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It isn’t until the product is already created, or the service has already been provided, that you see the end result; and you often aren’t awarded the opportunity to see the process that took place, or the individuals who played a role in making it happen. On a rare occasion – when an organization creates a space for it – you see a glimpse of the creativity and risks involved in entrepreneurship, and you begin to understand how challenging it is to create something that doesn’t exist, something that there are no blueprints for, and take a leap of faith to create a better tomorrow. 

My name is Katie Goble, I am LEAP’s Digital Marketing Intern, and I was able to experience innovation in action during the inaugural Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week, organized by LEAP and held on MSU campus. This week not only showed me what an individual with grit and passion is capable of, but it also inspired me to connect with the Lansing community on a deeper level. As the saying goes ‘we are stronger together,’ and after this week of connection and celebration, I believe it.

 

The Women in Tech Summit, hosted by MSU Research Foundation, was the unofficial kickoff event, and it marked my realization that E&I Week was more than celebrating the Lansing region’s budding entrepreneurs. The Founder/CEO of Uplevyl, a generative AI platform, discussed the importance of gender data in artificial intelligence usage, and she encouraged those that were nervous about AI sweeping through companies and creating vacant positions to level up their skills in other areas to make themselves irreplaceable to their companies. I felt the strong energy emanate from her and other women in the room, and as a female digital marketer starting my own career, I was in awe, and a little starstruck, to be in the same room with women making waves in the tech industry. What surprised me the most were the deep conversations I was able to have with the group I was sitting next to. We talked about the future of AI, women’s role in the workforce, policies that need to be addressed to assist women in breaking the glass ceiling, and everything in between. It was inspiring to hear the optimism from everyone in the room, and it reaffirmed my belief in the power of community, as it was happening.

 

 

At the Scale Up Innovation Mixer, five tech-focused startups were recognized for completing an accelerator program, and once again I was thrust into a room with people of all walks of life, and offered an opportunity to learn from them and share insights. Early-stage entrepreneurs, MSU staff and students, and end-stage business professionals discussed the barriers entrepreneurs face, how to attract residents and business to the Great Lakes region, and how the changes happening in our country are affecting everyone. Not everyone agreed on every single policy, nor did everyone have the same life experiences that shaped their point of view; but once again, I was blown away by the kindness, honesty, and genuine care for everyone in the room, and it showed me the importance of creating space for candid conversations and coming to the table with productivity and progress at heart. This event also offered a space for entrepreneurs and business owners the opportunity to harness the knowledge and resources necessary to build and scale their business. I met with multiple individuals who arrived with just an idea, and left with a framework and a handful of business cards. That is where the magic happens. 
 

 

The final day of E&I Week was one for the record books. It featured the return of The Hatching Pitch Competition, alongside Bridging Entrepreneurship: Connecting Campus and Community at TechSmith Corporation. The Hatching gave up-and-coming entrepreneurs an opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges and vie for cash prizes to level up their business ideas. The energy in that room was electric. The pitchers were proud of the hard work that brought them to this event, the judges and audience beamed with pride as they watched the entrepreneurs believe in themselves, and the collective hope, pride, and excitement for what this week was truly about came to a fever pitch. Watching the innovation happen in real-time, right in front of me, I realized that there are endless opportunities here in the Lansing region, and I am proud to be part of an organization that is working to ensure those opportunities are maintained and growing for everyone to access them. 

 

Overall, E&I Week gave me, and countless others, much-needed hope for the future. Everyone who attended the events came with a strength and rigor that I haven’t seen in a long time, and they also displayed kindness and genuine care to a level that I don’t know if I have ever seen. We lifted each other up, clapped for each other, laughed and cried with one another, and shared personal stories of inspiration and hardship. This week pulled us all away from the same grind that occupies our minds day in and day out; it allowed us a space to, just for a moment, forget about the chaos and negativity in the world, and focus on the innovators taking steps to make the world a better place, one LEAP at a time. 

I am already dreaming about 2026.

Miss out on E&I Week 2025? Check out this video to see the fun events, and prepare for 2026!

If you are a business owner, entrepreneur, or want to stay in the know with future events like this, subscribe to our LEAPLit newsletter to stay up to date with the latest and greatest of the Lansing region.

Written by Katie Goble, Digital Marketing Intern

Category: LEAP Interns, Entrepreneurship & Innovation