New York, NY, — Recently, the NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, a global leader in hospitality, travel, and tourism higher education, and The Sigmund Project, a free open-source platform for global innovators in travel & tourism, announced a new collaboration.
This alliance, one of several in which the Tisch Center is engaging to bring the latest innovation and technology to its students and future leaders of industry, also signals a major step in advancing The Sigmund Project as an instrumental conduit between the academic community and the global tourism industry. In the spirit of this collaboration, these two entities will work together through their networks and programs to foster entrepreneurship and creative solutions for the global tourism industry.
Commenting on the announcement, Nicolas Graf, associate dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, said, “We see great merit in The Sigmund Project’s business model and goals, and feel confident we can work together to bring greater innovation to the global tourism industry. Fueled by the Tisch Center’s world-class hospitality program, we look forward to seeing what innovative ideas are presented on Sigmund’s OPEN SOURCE platform by our students and by the hospitality industry community at large.”
“This association with the Tisch Center is a major step forward for The Sigmund Project, to increase our reach and promote our mission of advancing the global tourism industry. We are encouraged to see the traction Sigmund has established within the academic community. On a personal note, I began my career in academia and am happy to be returning to the world of education now through this venture,” noted Sigmund founder Alan Elliott Merschen.
The Tisch Center recently launched its Hospitality Innovation Hub, which is home to a three-month Incubator Program. It will work together with The Sigmund Project to promote this opportunity designed for early-stage start-ups in the hospitality, travel, or event space. Start-ups that are selected for the Incubator Program will be invited to use the Hub’s co-working space, consult with a wide variety of faculty and industry mentors including Sigmund’s roster of tourism professionals, and compete for cash prizes ranging from $5,000 - $10,000 in addition to potential Sigmund Investment Grants. The program will be open to all NYU students.
About the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Institute of Hospitality and the Hospitality Innovation Hub
The NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, now celebrating 26 years of academic excellence, is a leading center for the study of hospitality, travel, and tourism. Founded in 1995, the Tisch Center was established in response to the growing need for hospitality and tourism undergraduate and graduate education. Its cutting-edge curricula attract bright, motivated students who seek to become leaders in their fields. Through its undergraduate degree in hotel and tourism management, its graduate degrees in hospitality industry studies, tourism management, and event management; a plethora of Professional Pathways programs; and its world-renowned hospitality investment conference, students gain the knowledge and the skill sets that enable them to manage change, to communicate, to thrive in complex work environments, and to advance the businesses of hospitality, travel, and tourism. The Tisch Center recently launched the Hospitality Innovation Hub (HI Hub), which will foster entrepreneurship and creative solutions for the industries it serves. The state-of-the-art facilities offer students, start-ups, established industry partners, and investors opportunities to learn, discover, innovate, and invest. For more information about the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, visit sps.nyu.edu/tisch.
About The Sigmund Project
The Sigmund Project is travel & tourism’s first digital not-for-profit, dedicated to innovation through collaboration. Sigmund’s OPEN · SOURCE Platform is purpose-built for entrepreneurs in tourism to share their ideas and find collaborators. Sigmund’s RESOURCE Hub features a global calendar of events, contests, accelerator programs, and incubator deadlines as well as free tool kits, and an open invitation to schedule a 14-minute mentor call to help entrepreneurs refine their pitches. Sigmund is a not-for-profit benefits corporation, fully funded by private grants. Sigmund is supported by a board of advisors which includes individuals from private industry, governments, associations, NGOs, consultants, corporate travelers, investors, and entrepreneurs. With the goal of increasing innovation in travel, tourism, and hospitality, Sigmund asks for no funds from individuals, companies, or governments. “Our only currency is collaboration.”- Alan Elliott Merschen, Founder of The Sigmund Project.