This post about Ikos, originally appeared in Good4Utah, and involves Eccles student Mike Wong and his involvement in the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. Read the full story below:

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If you need a last minute Christmas gift, how about a toy teaching the world a new way to build.

Mike Wong explained, “Curves are cool, straight lines are for squares.”

That’s the moto for Wong’s creation IKOS.  It’s a modular, spherical construction toy for anybody!

Wong continued, “Basically it’s a 20 side shape that allows you to construct a full ball.  We are stuck building with same lines, this teaches everyone to build with curves.  A more efficient way to build.”

That is part of the mission for IKOS, teaching the possibility of building in a sphere.

Wong said, “We are trying to teach kids and adults that there is a better way to build and construct, it saves resources.”

This Utah product is made by Utah manufacturing companies out of recycled plastic and is helping Utah kids.

Wong said, “7% of any profit goes back to the program PCAPS.  We are giving back to education.”

Wong credits PCCAPS for helping him get IKOS going.  He was a mentor in the program and was paired up to teach three Park City teens.  Together they started a company.

Gates Lamb was one of those Park City teens.  He said, “He taught us how to take an idea and turn it into something bigger than an idea.”

Because of Lamb’s work with IKOS, he is now a Freshman at the University of Utah and already a part of the Lassonde Institute.

Lamb continued, “It dramatically changed my life. I was planning on going to Utah State and then I got an email about the program and that changed me to go to the U and figuring all that stuff out.”

Gates started business school with business experience.

Lamb said, “It has pushed me into the program that I’m in right now.”

This is one of the great things about IKOS.  Not only has this process helped to fast track three young people and their futures in business, but Mike Wong’s creation is spreading across the country.  IKOS will help to break the mold of how we build.