About Us

The Mindset

The Innovation Academy shares a mindset with the UNM community that asks, "how do we teach and learn best so that students are prepared for life beyond college?" Based on the Rainforest theory of a bottom-up approach to innovation, iA encourages different people and groups to come together to create.

It is a cross-pollinating approach to finding solutions to problems and developing new idea. It is based on the belief that solutions can be found when people with different backgrounds and skills come together to work on real problems and needs coming from companies and the community.

This type of experimental, or hands-on, learning prepares students to be successful in careers and work places in the real world and deepens their core subject knowledge.

The Practice

The Innovation Academy offers a variety of programs, classes, and events in order to fulfill our mission to provide students with experiential and nontraditional learning opportunities to enhance their college experience.

Our programs focus on providing students creative and holistic support to succeed academically, personally and professionally.

Our events often focus on providing students access to funding for their business/product/service/app/website ideas. We enjoy collaborating with community partners to help students transform their idea into reality.

Our classes include learning how to be successful in e-commerce, design-sprint courses,study abroad experiences through a lens of innovation, as well as earning academic credit for internships and for developing business ideas.