Bridging Innovation Week, (BIW) West Virginia’s annual entrepreneurship symposium was held April 8-11th, 2024 in Huntington, West Virginia. The mission of BIW is to advance entrepreneurship-led economic development by providing connection and education to business owners, current and prospective entrepreneurs, and entrepreneur serving organizations (ESOs) throughout West Virginia.

The BIW schedule of events includes workshops, speaker panels, networking events and, IgniteWV, a competition aimed at providing budding entrepreneurs with the education, skills, contacts, and motivation necessary to create a viable start-up company in West Virginia.  Prior to the competition, IgniteWV offers contestants a four-month program with specialized training, coaching, and resources. Finalists receive cost-free support from subject matter experts.

IgniteVW was hosted by the West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The Final Competition was held on Wednesday, April 10th, 2024 at the Marshall Health Network Arena with winners being announced at the award banquet.

Rouzbeh Yassini, graduate of WVU Statler college, recipient of WVU Honorary Ph. D and inductee to the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni, was invited to serve as a judge in the IgniteWV competition.

Prior to the competition judging, Dr. Yassini was interviewed by Daily304, a curated news and information from West Virginia Department of Commerce delivered by newsletter, YouTube channel and Apple podcast.

When asked about his path to success in entrepreneurship Rouzbeh listed 3 questions that guided his decisions:

Does my core technology solve a problem?

  • Does my core technology solve a problem?
  • Is there a market for the problem that we are solving?
  • Do I have the right team around me to execute the solution?

He noted, when mentoring many students and entrepreneurs over the years, he imparted his experience that entrepreneurs must not roadblock their success by being consumed with concerns such as “how much money will I raise” and “how much money will I make”.

Watch the full interview here!