Petrick Idea Center
The Petrick Idea Center is where a liberal arts education meets true problems, and where students from every background come together to solve them. Think greenhouse. We plant ideas early, water them with real resources, and give them room to grow. Some grow into companies. Some grow into better questions. We count both.
You walk in with a rough idea, half formed and a little embarrassing. You find a table of people willing to take it seriously. A maker who can prototype it by Friday. A philosophy student who asks who to live with it. A mentor who knows what the next call costs.
All you need is something you cannot stop thinking about. The rest of the center exists to help you find out what it could become.
The Petrick Idea Center reflects Illinois Wesleyan's belief that the liberal arts, paired with innovation and entrepreneurship, can shape a better future.
The Petrick Idea Center is designed for students to:
- Turn an idea into a venture: through studios, workshops and one-on-one mentorship
- Get close to real capital: connect with early-stage investors, pitch at the Titans New Venture Challenge and complete your first raise through SAFE
- Build with their hands: a makerspace and prototyping labs is open to students from every major
- Build with a real partner: our Industry Accelerator pairs student teams with a corporate partner on real-world problems, from first build to pitch
About the Building
Connected to the Ames School of Art and Design, the Petrick Idea Center reflects Illinois Wesleyan’s belief that the Liberal Arts, paired with innovation and entrepreneurship, can shape a better future.
Ben Hage, Director of the Petrick Idea Center
We will give our undergraduates the space, the tools, the resources, and the chance to build solutions to whatever vital problems they believe are worth solving. That's what the Petrick Idea Center is for.
Live Webcam
Construction is underway! Watch the live webcam of our progress.
Learn More
To learn more about how you can invest in the Petrick Idea Center project, please contact Director of the Petrick Idea Center Ben Hage (bhage@iwu.edu) or Vice President for External Relationships Steve Seibring (sseibrin@iwu.edu).