©2006, The NCIIA The Silicon Valley Neat Ideas Fair:

This paper describes and evaluates an initiative to foster creativ-ity among students at San José State University (SJSU) by en-couraging them to conceptualize and present new business ideas. The initiative, called the Silicon Valley Neat Ideas Fair, was held in November 2004 and will now be an annual forum. It was planned and hosted jointly by SJSU’s Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship and the student-led Entrepreneurial Society. This paper describes the objectives of the initiative, the methods used to generate participation by students and other SJSU affili-ates, and the challenges to its implementation by a group of fac-ulty and student volunteers. It evaluates the impact on encourag-ing entrepreneurship and strengthening the connective fabric of innovation within SJSU and the community. Sharing the experi-ence of this initiative will be valuable to all educators interested in promoting entrepreneurship through practical learning