How Engineering Students Actually Start Companies (3 Proven Paths by Josh Adams)

Engineering students are sitting on startup gold, they just don’t know it yet.

In this talk, Josh Adams breaks down three real pathways graduate engineers use to launch meaningful, profitable companies, based on his own experience building and acquiring businesses in medical device development, advanced manufacturing, and product innovation.

You’ll learn:
💎 The Academic Founder Path: How to turn research, lab work, or a class project into a real venture, what university IP rules mean for you, and how tech transfer actually works.
💎 The Adjacent Innovator Path: How noticing problems near your research can uncover powerful market opportunities (with real examples like Silent Surgical).
💎 The Acquirer Path: Why buying a small business can leapfrog you years ahead in experience, customers, and revenue.

Josh also covers:
💎 Market validation techniques engineers skip
💎 How to identify painkiller vs. vitamin ideas
💎 Navigating the medical device ecosystem
💎 How students can start companies
💎 SLU and St. Louis entrepreneurial resources (Chaifetz Center, Biogenerator, Arch Grants, Venture Accelerator)

About the Speaker:
Josh Adams is an engineer, entrepreneur, and owner of multiple medical device manufacturing and development companies. A former instructor at Saint Louis University, he combines advanced manufacturing expertise (additive manufacturing, precision CNC, medical prototyping) with a track record of building and acquiring companies that solve real problems in healthcare.

Connect with Josh:
🌐 JoshAdams.io
🔷 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adams8
📧 Email: Josh@JoshAdams.io

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