Legends Entrepreneurial Student Awards (LESA)

LESA is a campus-wide opportunity for LTU students to seek funding toward the completion of projects that may have commercialization potential. Each qualifying student project shall have a faculty sponsor. Students chosen to pursue LESA consideration must

• Activate their entrepreneurial mindset
• Transform a project idea into tangible value
• Capitalize upon professional feedback from entrepreneurial alumni (LTU LEGENDs)
• Connect a project to the consumer

LESA purpose: students, campus-wide, are invited to pitch their project ideas to LTU LEGENDs for professional feedback and the potential of receiving a monetary award to further their project.

LESA background: Since Fall 2010, approximately 65 awards have been granted. Prior to LTU’s commitment to maintain this program, it was developed and fostered with the generous support of the Kern Family Foundation (KFF). Historically, LESA emerged as part of the College of Engineering. Now the program encompasses all four colleges welcoming students with diverse academic backgrounds to pursue their project ideas through the LESA program, as well as the oversight of their faculty sponsor.

LESA mechanics: A campus-wide announcement alerts students that they may apply to enter the LESA program. If selected, students present their project ideas to the LEGENDs  panel for their expert feedback as well as the potential monetary award. Students receiving an award will work under the oversight of their faculty project sponsor to develop their idea into tangible value while moving toward commercialization.

2018-19 LESA Competition will take place on February 18, 2019 at 7 p.m. in S100.

2018-19 LESA Judges
Dan Radomski, Director, Centrepolis Accelerator
Ross Sanders, Manager, Corporate Partnerships
Lee Gorman, Centrepolis Accelerator Mentor & LTU Alum

LESA contact: For additional information or questions, contact Assistant Provost Jim Jolly, LESA Campus Coordinator: jjolly@ltu.edu.