Meet the alliance members building the next generation of solutionists

The University of Maryland stands as the founding and leading member of the xFoundry Alliance, an initiative launched directly from its campus to build the next generation of solutionists. As a perennial top-five university for entrepreneurship, UMD provides a powerful foundation for this new alliance. Its entrepreneurial ecosystem, celebrated for its multidisciplinary approach and robust support for student ventures, is the very model from which the xFoundry Alliance was born.

The E. A. Fernandez IDEA Factory serves as the headquarters and launchpad for the xFoundry Alliance. The IDEA Factory's core mission is to develop programs that dismantle academic silos and enable rapid, multidisciplinary collaboration. The xFoundry Alliance was created as a direct fulfillment of this critical mission, and the IDEA Factory is proud to make this program, and its unique model for innovation, available to all participating universities.

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The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) brings a unique and vital perspective to the xFoundry Alliance, leveraging its specialized expertise in health, law, and human services. At the core of its contribution is the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s Pharmapreneurship program. This innovative initiative, a hallmark of UMB's entrepreneurial ecosystem, is dedicated to cultivating a mindset of innovation and problem-solving among its students and faculty, particularly in addressing the nation’s most pressing healthcare challenges.

UMB’s commitment to the xFoundry Alliance is a natural extension of its Pharmapreneureurship program. Through this partnership, the university empowers students to apply their deep domain knowledge to create real-world solutions. The program's framework, which fosters the development of new products, services, and processes, provides the foundational support and resources for UMB's xFoundry teams to develop their ventures and make a meaningful impact on society.

The University of Maryland, a founding member of the xFoundry Alliance, leverages the innovative spirit of the E. A. Fernandez IDEA Factory. The IDEA Factory is committed to tearing down academic silos and enabling rapid, multidisciplinary collaboration. This partnership empowers UMD students to effectively identify and define the critical problems that shape our world.

Full Sail University's membership is supported by its Game Design department. Full Sail's unique, project-based curriculum and industry-focused approach to education make it a natural fit for this program. The Game Design department's sponsorship emphasizes the importance of design thinking, user experience, and creative problem-finding, providing student teams with a strong foundation to effectively identify the problems that matter most.

SUNY Binghamton's membership is sponsored by the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science and the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development. This partnership highlights the university's dedication to hands-on, real-world experience. The Watson College's focus on innovative engineering and the Fleishman Center's expertise in professional development provide students with the technical and professional acumen needed to clearly articulate the core issues at the heart of their projects.

The University of Central Florida's membership is sponsored by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. UCF's ECE department is a hub for research and innovation, with a strong emphasis on preparing students for the technological demands of the future. This partnership provides students with the critical technical foundation and problem-finding mindset necessary to identify and articulate the most impactful challenges facing our society.