Entrepreneuriaul - Executive Update

The last year has been a whirlwind for our Entrepreneurial Development Team! In February, we will provide a break-down of the successes in our startup ecosystem; for now, we wanted to share some of year-end numbers in 2016….

Congrats to our Vice President of Entrepreneurial Development, Doug Erwin, for being chosen to participate on the Northern Nevada Business Weekly panel this week as one of the Most Influential People in Northern Nevada! The panelists discussed topics that will impact the business community in 2017. View the full list of panelists chosen here.

The EDAWN, NCET, & RGJ awards ceremony is right around the corner – Thursday, March 30th. The EDAWN Awards recognize the resources that have played an integral part in contributing to the growth of our community, the NCET Awards celebrate Northern Nevada’s technology community, and the RGJ Awards recognize outstanding small, medium, large and new companies. Mark your calendars now and look for an announcement soon regarding details on how to apply! In the meantime, you can view the 2016 winners at www.NCETawards.org.

“What does it take to be a Startup CEO?”, often our entrepreneurial team is asked this question. Recently, Kauffman’s Founder School came out with a series by Matt Blumberg, titled Startup CEO, that helps entrepreneurs through the crucial transitions that turn a startup into a sustainable business and a founder into a CEO. Blumberg explains how thoughtful processes help shape operations, talent development, financing and work-life balance. You can learn more here.

Startup of the Month

InterKn is a collaborative ecosystem that connects people to SBIR and STTR award funding. They gather information from multiple agencies to help users find and secure awards, saving time so organizations and individuals can focus on developing innovative R&D and deliver it to the world. The patent-pending software platform is a subscription service that delivers fast an accurate SBIR/STTR award data, aggregating past award history, alerting users to current opportunities, and analyzing industry trends to detect where award funding is going next. Visit their website to learn more!

Entrepreneurial Events

ARE YOU READY TO FEEL INSPIRED?

Then you’re in luck: TedxUniversityofNevada is back, and they’ve got inspiration to spare.

TEDxUniversityofNevada has a line-up filled with dynamic speakers and performers from our region and beyond. Set for Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, the event will take place in the Grand Theatre at the Grand Sierra Resort. General admission is $100 and includes all TEDx talks and performances, a boxed lunch and refreshments. If you’re student, you’re in luck. Your ticket cost is $30 with a valid student ID from an area school. Purchase TEDxUNR tickets here.

Design Thinking II Workshop

January 25, 2017 from 3:00 – 5:00PM

Innevation Center – 450 Sinclair St, Reno, NV

Attend a hands-on Intro to Design Thinking workshop moderated by Jim Sacherman, the Director of The Innevation Center. Jim holds an undergraduate degree in Engineering Design and a graduate degree in Product Design from the Stanford D-School. After a multi-decade career encompassing industrial design, mechanical engineering, invention and business creation, Jim is focused on inspiring Northern Nevada’s creativity. Participants will learn some basic problem solving techniques utilizing simple materials to build a solution to an age old problem. This workshop is free and open to the public. To register please contact Rose Catron at (760) 920-9395 or rc atron@unr.edu.

EDAWN, NCET & RGJ Entrepreneurial & Tech Awards

Thursday March 30th, 2017 from 5:00pm-8:30pm

Atlantis Casino & Resort Spa – 3800 S Virginia St, Reno, NV

The EDAWN Awards recognize the resources that have played an integral part in contributing to the growth of our community, the NCET Awards celebrate Northern Nevada’s technology community, and the RGJ Awards recognize outstanding small, medium, large and new companies.