Welcome to Catalyst

Catalyst is our latest initiative, designed to build a dynamic statewide network of students passionate about engineering, design, and business innovation. Together, we’ll unlock opportunities and create pathways for future leaders to thrive

We are seeking visionary industry professionals, academic experts, and student leaders who are passionate about:

• Making a lasting impact by guiding students through real-world project experiences

• Building powerful connections with aspiring innovators and future leaders

• Collaborating to transform ideas from concepts to actionable solutions

• Showcasing their own groundbreaking innovations on both local and global platforms

CATALYST TEAM MEMBER APPLICATION

Join the Catalyst Team and become part of a dynamic network of students passionate about engineering, design, and business innovation. As a team member, you’ll participate in upskilling workshops, collaborate with like-minded peers across the state, receive guidance from experienced mentors, and have the opportunity to work with industry professionals on impactful projects. This is your chance to turn ideas into reality, gain real-world experience, and demonstrate that you’re more than just a student—you’re an emerging leader shaping the future.

CATALYST Faculty partner

Faculty members play a pivotal role in guiding the next generation of innovators. As a Catalyst Faculty Partner, you’ll help bridge the gap between theory and practice, empowering students to apply their knowledge in engineering, design, and business. By joining the Catalyst network, you’ll connect with a growing community of Ambassadors, Members, and Supporters, providing students with the mentorship and direction they need to bring their innovative ideas to life. Partner with DRACO and help lead students down the path to creating solutions that make a real-world impact

SUPPORT A CATALYST TEAM

Supporting a Catalyst Team is more than just sponsorship—it’s about empowering the next wave of innovators and entrepreneurs in South Dakota. Your involvement helps provide students with the resources and mentorship they need to explore new ideas in engineering, design, and business, building the skills that will shape their futures. Together, we’ll help students unlock their potential, creating a platform for groundbreaking projects that resonate locally and beyond. Your support will drive their growth and success.

South Dakota Governor’s Giant Vision Competition

The Hult Prize Competition

VentureWell’s Competitions

Society for Biomaterials Education Challenge

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Competitive Entrepreneurial Opportunity (CEO) Competition

University of South Dakota’s Invent-to-Innovate Business Model Competition

Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Student Design Competition

American Society of Agriculture and Biological Engineers – Student Competitions

Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University Biotech and Healthcare Case Competition

Incite

To rouse, provoke, or inflame; to encourage a group to take some action or to express some feeling.

The Catalyst Initiative starts with raising awareness and inciting students to participate in something new that challenges their personal status quo. Our goal is to incite action and encourage students to break the framework and create a pathway for them to realize their potential. To create a decentralized model and allow as many students as possible to pursue their own leadership and project ideas, Catalyst Ambassadors throughout the state will act as conduits between student team leaders on campuses, industry mentors, team sponsors, and the DRACO Catalyst team.

Ignite

To catch fire to or cause to catch fire; to excite, set in motion.

South Dakota is a unique state in which our resources and student talents are spread across a large geographic area. Our goal is to ignite students’ passions for engaging opportunities to address real-world issues, achieve social impacts, and deeper connections throughout the state. Based on our Team’s research of student involvement in South Dakota-based competition, we anticipate that the Catalyst Initiative will have a substantial impact on student involvement in local and national competitions. We hope that our Catalyst Initiative sets in motion a paradigm shift in student mentality that encourages them to seek meaningful experiences beyond the classroom and the laboratory. It takes courage to share your idea, to take the lead, and to put your time and effort into something new, but through the Catalyst Initiative, we want you to know you are not alone!

Inspire

To breathe in,  spur on, motivate, enliven, exalt influence, guide; to bring about.

To be inspired is great, but to inspire is an honor. Our Catalyst Team brings knowledge and experience from diverse backgrounds to inspire one another. We are combining our skills and abilities to build a first-of-its kind resource to connect and inspire students to reach higher, step out of their comfort zone, and create something new! We believe that this initiative to incite students to participate in something new, will ignite their passion for creating and innovating will be a catalyst for lasting inspiration that will resonate across the state.