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Binational Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit Coming to UTEP

Last Updated on November 09, 2018 at 12:00 AM

Originally published November 09, 2018

By Victor R. Martinez

UTEP Communications

The University of Texas at El Paso will co-host RESET, the largest binational innovation and entrepreneurship summit on the U.S.-Mexico border.

UTEP will co-host RESET, the largest binational innovation and entrepreneurship summit on the U.S.-Mexico border. RESET features state-of-the-art workshops, panel discussions, immersive presentations by world-class speakers and a cultural music event as part of its effort to inspire young minds.
UTEP will co-host RESET, the largest binational innovation and entrepreneurship summit on the U.S.-Mexico border. RESET features state-of-the-art workshops, panel discussions, immersive presentations by world-class speakers and a cultural music event as part of its effort to inspire young minds.

The three-day event will split time between El Paso and Juárez, Mexico. It is scheduled from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at Technology Hub in Juárez. RESET's final day will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at UTEP’s Undergraduate Learning Center.

UTEP students can register for free at http://bit.ly/RESETep.

RESET features state-of-the-art workshops, panel discussions, immersive presentations by world-class speakers and a cultural music event as part of its effort to inspire young minds.

More than 3,000 young adults from across the region attended last year’s summit. RESET 2017 offered a glance into the aspirations and talents of those whose lives have been shaped by life on both sides of the border.

The event is a partnership between Technology Hub, a tech center and boot camp for startup companies, and UTEP.

“RESET is bringing a number of speakers from globally renowned organizations,” said Laurie Banitch, director of corporate engagement for UTEP’s Asset Management and Development office. “The event is designed to be interdisciplinary so students will hear from an expert on blockchain and then from an award-winning screenwriter and others. The speakers are meant to highlight creative industries and innovation to encourage and inspire students.”

In previous years, the U.S. portion of RESET took place at the El Paso Museum of Art or at The Venue.

This year marks the first time UTEP will participate in the event.

“The team behind RESET sees the value of the partnership with UTEP and of being on campus,” Banitch said. “We are the center for higher education in this region, so they want access to our students.”

This year’s attendees will hear from a wide swath of experts, including an Emmy-winning screenwriter, the first robotic psychiatrist, and the chief science officer of the SENS Research Foundation, among others. This exposure will allow the region’s future leaders to directly benefit from this gathering of experts in a binational, bicultural and bilingual setting.

“It’s a great event where students from both sides of the border will have the opportunity to listen to some fascinating speakers,” said Ryan Saenz, corporate development analyst in UTEP’s Asset Management and Development office. “Some of the presenters are contributors to Forbes magazine, some are renowned tech executives who are helping Hispanic and diverse entrepreneurs with their startups.”

The segment hosted by UTEP will include the RESET 2018 Hackathon, where students will compete to creatively solve a problem using different technologies. Once the idea is prototyped, the team will demonstrate it in front of a jury of experts who will select the winning team. A cash prize will be awarded to the top three teams.

The conference will also include discussions with experts and industry leaders who will share their knowledge and experiences. Additionally, there will be workshops where students can create, experiment and learn about innovation in artificial intelligence and across the technology sector.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity for our students to be exposed to creative thinkers from different sectors,” Saenz said. “An event of this magnitude does not happen often. This will be a very high-quality tech event that you would normally only see in the big markets.”

The conference also will feature a Shark Tank-style competition in which four prominent investors will take a chance on funding the entrepreneur project with the greatest potential.

Learn more at https://www.reset.ws.