Posted on 05/16/12
May 2012 Forum Recap
The Launch
The Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s (CIE) last forum of the academic year featured a year’s worth of innovation and a preview of what’s to come. “The Launch” illustrated how the CIE’s diverse programs support budding entrepreneurs and help teams get off the ground.
PEN
Pitches, Exhibits and Networking allows student teams to showcase their work and engage with forum attendees, and this year’s Hatchery teams had some incredible work to share.
- Genicell’s innovative biomedical device seeks to reduce animal testing by providing a synthetic environment in which to test the blood permeability of new drugs.
- Grappple is a web and mobile application that inspires the world to accomplish their desires and share their achievements through connected communities.
- Magnetovore is giving musicians a new way of making music with instruments such as the magnetic cello.
- OnTable seeks to streamline the dining out experience for both customers and restaurateurs by offering a simple mobile ordering solution.
- RepairTech is streamlining the computer repair process with TechUSB, a device that diagnoses machines and advises technicians.
- Tributari is a new kind of social network that expands our online world by creating a global information hub.
- Wouldwerk is a web platform connecting collegiate entrepreneurs with the human capital they need to be successful and innovative.
HotHouse Accelerator Kick-Off
Selected teams better get ready to sweat. The second year of the CIE HotHouse Accelerator program is gearing up to be fast-paced, hot, and incredibly exciting.
Twenty-four teams applied for nine spots in the accelerator, which includes seed funding, mentorship, and a slew of support programs. Selected teams participated in a quick Q&A session with Founders’ Circle members Jeff Witous, CEO of TeqSpring; Russ Nash, founder of Professional Education Services; Dan Weeks, founder and CEO of BrightScope; and CIE Co-Founder and Director, Jon York. Selected teams include PEN exhibitors Genicell, Grappple, Magnetovore, RepairTech, and Tributari, as well as:
- Autonomous Surveyor, a team developing a device to automate the construction layout process for medium- to large-scale projects.
- Firelegs Studio, a mobile development group leveraging cutting-edge animation and rendering to create game applications for the Andriod OS.
- Haberdash, an intuitive fashion iOS application that unites consumers, fashion bloggers and manufacturers.
- NeighborFavor, a platform that makes communities more efficient by facilitating food delivery and ride sharing connections.
The Panel
Founders’ Circle members Weeks and Russ joined student entrepreneurs on stage to provide a broad spectrum of experience. The remainder of the panel included Jessie Becker, co-founder of medical device startup InPress Technologies and Innovation Coordinator for the CIE; Christopher Cien, co-founder of CircleBid and founder of Wouldwerk; and Casey Curtis, founder of SmartBar.
Jon York kicked off the discussion by asking panelists about their biggest mistakes and how those experiences shaped future decisions. Challenges are a guaranteed part of the entrepreneurial journey, and the panelists discussed how obstacles are not only learning opportunities, but also chances to improve their businesses. The younger entrepreneurs shared their wisdom with HotHouse Accelerator participants and posed their own questions to Weeks and Nash.
Investing was a hot topic, especially as young companies enter their first rounds of funding and valuation. Witous reminded students that the Founders’ Circle and alumni – besides being just a phone call away – are a safe zone of mentorship. That kind of advice and eagerness to support our students is invaluable and captures exactly what the CIE is here to do.
Posted on 05/01/12
You do not want to miss the final forum of the academic year!
Monday, May 14
4:30PM – Networking
5:15PM – The Announcement
5:45PM – Pitches & Exhibits
6:15PM – Panel discussion with Q&A
Cal Poly Performing Arts Center
The Announcement:
SLO HotHouse Summer Accelerator 2012 companies (you will have to be there to find out who they are)!
The PEN:
Student company showcase with 2012 Hatchery program participants
The Panel:
Space is limited, Register Now. Register by Friday, May 11 for a free parking pass
Posted on 04/23/12
Clean Tech in Transportation: Designing and Powering Vehicles of the Future
The energy crisis threatens our economic vitality, national security, and the ability to enjoy clean air and water, according to Dillon McDonald, partner at Green Start. “It also brings a chance to reinvent the way we produce, distribute, and use energy – which is the biggest economic opportunity of our lifetimes. The key to this reinvention lies in the hearts and minds of the next wave of entrepreneurs who are building the technologies we need,” McDonald said. Read more here:
Posted on 04/18/12
Cal Poly will host Lynda Resnick, vice chair of Roll Global, on Wednesday, April 25, as part of the Orfalea College of Business Distinguished Speaker Series. Roll Global is a privately held company based in Los Angeles with interests in agriculture and luxury brands, including Paso Robles-based Justin Vineyards and Winery.
“A Conversation with Lynda Resnick” will be held from 2:10 to 3 p.m. in Harman Hall at the Performing Arts Center. Resnick will be in conversation with award-winning journalist and producer Laura Diaz, a Cal Poly alumna. The event is free and open to the public.
Lynda Resnick began her career in advertising, starting her own full-service agency at age 19. Since then, she has built a reputation as a smart business leader with a keen marketing mind. Her book, “Rubies in the Orchard,” details her approach to building a successful brand — an approach she has used to create bestselling brands at Roll Global, including Wonderful pistachios, POM 100% pomegranate juice, Cuties California Clementines and Mandarins, FIJI Water and Teleflora. Resnick is also a dedicated philanthropist who is focusing her efforts on a transformative project in California’s Central Valley, where a large number of Roll’s employees live and work for Paramount Agricultural Companies.
Laura Diaz is a 14-time Emmy Award winner who has anchored, reported and produced for several flagship Southern California television stations over the past two decades. In 1997, she became lead female anchor at KABC-TV in Los Angeles, the first Hispanic to hold that position at a Southland television station. Most recently, Diaz was lead anchor at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.
The Orfalea College of Business Distinguished Speaker Series seeks to enhance the educational experience of business students and the Cal Poly community while showcasing programs, faculty and students to the California business community.
For more information, contact Royaa Silver at 805-756-2874 or rsilve01@calpoly.edu.
Posted on 03/28/12
Clean technology has proved to be a considerable business opportunity over the last decade. The Entrepreneurship Forum will bring together entrepreneurs and thought leaders to discuss everything from bio-fuels to smart roads and all the vehicles in between. Industry experts will share the recent trends, challenges and opportunities for clean tech in transportation.
The program starts with networking in the PEN (Pitches, Exhibits and Networking) and refreshments. The PEN will showcase Cal Poly projects and student clubs that are designing electric cars and planes, growing algae for fuel, reinventing electric propulsion, and more. Check out the student projects that will be showcased. Click here.
After a break, the presentation portion begins, including a panel discussion featuring Ben Kulick, founder of Biodiesel of Las Vegas and Stalfund, LP partner; Mike Brooks, venture formation and business development expert; Rebecca Boudreaux Breitenkamp, president of Oberon Fuels; Tryg Lundquist, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Cal Poly; and Virginia Klausmeier, co-founder and chief executive officer of Sylvatex Inc.
The event will be located in the Performing Arts Center, Pavilion room
Monday, April 16th
Pitches, Exhibits & Networking
4:30-5:30PM
Panel Discussion and Q&A
5:30-7:00PM
Click here to Register Now!
