Entrepreneurship

CU Boulder, Elevate Quantum partners ready for $127M regional quantum boost

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 16:42:34 +0000

CU Boulder, Elevate Quantum partners ready for $127M regional quantum boost Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/02/2024 - 10:42

Elevate Quantum, of which CU Boulder is a key partner, announced today that it has received a Tech Hub Phase 2 implementation award from the Department of Commerce, unlocking more than $127 million in new federal and state funding. The award is expected to drive more than $2 billion in additional private capital and cement the Mountain West as a global leader for quantum innovation.

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A real-life Eye of Sauron? New project to spot possible chemical threats in the air

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

A real-life Eye of Sauron? New project to spot possible chemical threats in the air Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/02/2024 - 00:00

Engineers at CU Boulder are developing an “all-seeing eye” based on laser technology that could one day detect harmful particles in the air around cities or in factories.

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CU Boulder part of $160M NSF-funded effort to promote climate resilience

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 22:58:17 +0000

CU Boulder part of $160M NSF-funded effort to promote climate resilience Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/01/2024 - 15:58

The National Science Foundation today announced the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine) as a recipient of its inaugural Regional Innovation Engines program.

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5 startups poised to make pitches a reality, thanks to annual New Venture Challenge

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 20:06:31 +0000

5 startups poised to make pitches a reality, thanks to annual New Venture Challenge Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/14/2023 - 14:06

Teams from engineering were honored at the 16th annual New Venture Challenge (NVC) finals on April 12.

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Grant will expand entrepreneurial opportunities for Western partnership program students

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 20:34:25 +0000

Grant will expand entrepreneurial opportunities for Western partnership program students Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/17/2023 - 14:34

The funding will help create a formal pathway to innovation and entrepreneurship through curriculum and experiential learning, with plans to integrate into the broader innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that is thriving in the Gunnison Valley.

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Alumni Spotlight: ShoeSense is off and running, with help from CU Boulder entrepreneurial ecosystem

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 22:28:33 +0000

Alumni Spotlight: ShoeSense is off and running, with help from CU Boulder entrepreneurial ecosystem Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/14/2023 - 16:28

Michael Lock Swingen

When Connor Winter (MechEngr’16) decided to pursue a Certificate in Engineering Management in conjunction with his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, it put him on a path that would lead to the founding of his own startup company, ShoeSense.

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Catalyze CU’s 2022 cohort wraps with Investor Day, life-changing impact for participants

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 15:16:06 +0000

Catalyze CU’s 2022 cohort wraps with Investor Day, life-changing impact for participants Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/18/2022 - 09:16

Casey Darmody

It doesn’t matter how much public speaking you’ve done or how experienced you are in the spotlight. Pitching your company in front of prospective investors will get your palms sweating.

“I’m an instructor at CU and a former Miss Colorado competitor, so I’m usually pretty good with public speaking. This was the first time that I have actually had some terrible nerves,” said Laura Moore (Psych’11), founder and CEO of Silk by Laura LLC.

Moore’s pitch at Investor Day was the culmination of her experience with Catalyze CU. Silk by Laura LLC was one of four ventures in the 2022 Catalyze cohort, a 12-week summer startup accelerator for ideas and technologies by students, faculty and staff at CU Boulder.

“Investor Day was amazing, even more than I anticipated,” said Moore. “I’m still very well connected with many of the investors, and I received validation that my pitch is the right pitch and I’m headed in the right direction.”

This year’s Investor Day was a new culminating event for Catalyze CU. The program has previously celebrated the conclusion of each cohort with a Demo Day capstone.

“This year's cohort all achieved some level of traction, including some companies with initial sales. We decided a dedicated Investor Day would be a great way to finish the program since investment would be the next natural step,” said Karen Crofton, Catalyze CU program director and Stephen M. Dunn Director of Engineering Entrepreneurship & ESCEND®.

The 2022 cohort was also the most diverse in the program’s history, with a majority of participants from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the venture community.

Supportive programs like Catalyze are crucial to building an inclusive innovation community. Program participants get the customized help they need to break through barriers for things like startup capital and gaining access to valuable founder and investor networks. Level the playing field makes entrepreneurship more welcoming and accessible for everyone.

Local investors evaluating the teams’ pitches included Rachel Anderson, associate at Caruso Ventures; Peter Adams, managing partner at Rockies Venture Fund; David Brown, partner at Zintinus; Kevin Allen, managing director at New Community Transformation Fund; and Shannon Flahive (MBA’21), senior venture associate at Ensemble Innovation Ventures.

“The quality of the pitches was inspiring,” said Flahive. But just as impressive to her was the wide range of support that the university provides for aspiring entrepreneurs.

“I think it’s incredible that CU Boulder offers these programs for students. This type of program and resourcing is not widely available. CU Boulder does a fantastic job supporting entrepreneurial pursuits from both a programming and monetary perspective,” she said.

For Leo Nguyen (IDEN’23), another participant in this year's cohort, the program’s impact was deeply personal.

“I wanted to be an entrepreneur when I was younger but thought I didn’t have the resources or knowledge to do it. This was one of my most life-changing experiences. It empowered me to pursue entrepreneurship and to pursue greater things,” said Nguyen.

Nguyen gave up a competitive summer internship opportunity to participate in Catalyze CU. The program guided his team through the full spectrum of business planning, from market research to financial modeling and developing a pitch. He’s convinced the experience was more valuable than any internship.

“Even though I gave up my summer internship to do this, it was 100% worth it. You learn from so many people, like CEOs and venture capitalists. The mentorship and support you get—you can’t put a price on that,” said Nguyen.

That’s exactly the experience that Crofton hopes to share with future cohorts of Catalyze CU participants.

“It’s a lot of work for the teams,” she said. “But the lessons and connections our entrepreneurs gain through Catalyze CU will stay with them for a lifetime.”

Four Catalyze CU startups pitched their ventures to local investors in the culmination of the 12-week accelerator program.

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Alumni Spotlight: Ben Finan and Delta Horizons

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 20:33:13 +0000

Alumni Spotlight: Ben Finan and Delta Horizons Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/04/2022 - 14:33

Ben Finan earned his bachelor of science degree in Engineering Plus with an emphasis in mechanical engineering and a concentration in business and entrepreneurship. While earning his degree, he was also a lead teaching assistant for a variety of engineering courses.

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In person once more, startup competition brings capital to creativity

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 21:11:04 +0000

In person once more, startup competition brings capital to creativity Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/19/2022 - 15:11

For the first time in three years, the lively New Venture Challenge (NVC) championship returned to an in-person format at the Boulder Theater this week to recognize CU Boulder’s top emerging entrepreneurs.

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ESCEND program brings entrepreneurship to engineering students

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 06:00:00 +0000

ESCEND program brings entrepreneurship to engineering students Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/11/2022 - 00:00

A new program at the University of Colorado Boulder guides engineering students on an “entrepreneurial journey to learn the business side of innovation."

The ESCEND program, led by the Stephen M. Dunn Director of Engineering Entrepreneurship & ESCEND® Karen Crofton and made possible through the support of Steve Dunn (ArchEngr’69), allows students to turn their ideas not only into reality, but into a product able to be commercialized.

The program combines entrepreneurship courses with experiences and resources that give CU Boulder engineering students the chance to create a product and then pitch it to investors.

“We’re applying experiential learning in order to mimic real life,” said Crofton. “By learning the entrepreneurial process, students are able to apply these skillsets to any future endeavor.”

Several of the students utilizing the ESCEND program have even been competing in the New Venture Challenge, the final round of which will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, at the Boulder Theater.

One of the groups applied the cross-disciplinary aspects of ESCEND to participate in the NVC 15 Cross-Campus Collaboration Prize Night. Delta Horizons was awarded first prize and $5,000 in March for their new self-stopping braking system for four-wheeled walkers. The group has student team members from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Leeds School of Business.

“This is a deeply personal topic for all of us,” said project manager Ben Finan, a senior engineering student. “As a team, we noticed a lack of innovation in current mobility devices and thought, ‘We can do better.’ We all have aging loved ones in our lives, and we were motivated to use our passion and engineering background to make a difference in this field.”

The braking system that Delta Horizons created works automatically when the walker stops. It is also engineered to deploy a second brake in the event of a person falling.

After the team proposed the walker idea, they conducted a significant amount of outreach and research, speaking with medical experts and mobility walker users.

Finan said the most important entrepreneurial lesson he learned while working with Delta Horizons was to listen to people.

“Everyone has problems in their lives,” he said. “If engineers are able to listen to those problems and create a solution, that can change the world. Understanding your customers’ pain point is absolutely critical to product success.”

Crofton said that by teaching the engineering students about entrepreneurship and business simultaneously, they can think not only about good technical solutions, but also about creating a product that people will want to purchase.

“It is easy for engineers to get focused on technical details,” she said. “By working with students from other disciplines, all team members are able to support a viable, feasible and desirable product.”

Finan can attest to the experience, which he said has been incredible and a great introduction to the real world of engineering. He knows what he learned will benefit him after he graduates in May.

“I have been so lucky to work with a truly fantastic team of smart, kind and motivated people,” he said. “I am also supported by an incredible network of people from the Business and Engineering colleges. Being able to pivot from a business pitch to a technical analysis has made me fluent in so many types of communication. I have also learned a lot about myself and my own passions, which will serve me well as I navigate the professional landscape.”

A new program guides engineering students on an “entrepreneurial journey to learn the business side of innovation." The ESCEND program combines entrepreneurship courses with experiences and resources that give CU Boulder engineering students the chance to create a product and then pitch it to investors.

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