5 Things You Need to Know Before You Join A Startup
Tian He'07
Thu Jan 27, 05:30-06:30pm, 4-237
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Single session event
What is startup life really like?
How do I prepare for it?
Should I do it right out of school?
Am I throwing away my life?
There are a million questions that can go through your head when you are thinking about joining/starting an early-stage startup. But if you know these 5 things, then you can answer most of them.
Explore the 5 laws to a great startup experience with someone who has worked in academia, engineering, finance, and is now running a startup. At the end of this hour-long session, you'll have the tools you need to know if that next startup is the one for you.
We'll cover need-to-knows and leave 15 minutes for question and answers. Send questions in advance to tian.he@gojee.com
This class is useful for anyone interested in startups! Please pre-register using the link below and submit any questions for the speaker.
Web: https://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/public/Register.dyn?eventID=51721&groupID=194
Contact: Tian He'07, tian.he@gojee.com
Sponsor: Alumni Association
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Commercializing Academic Research - Panel Discussion
Claude Canizares, Lita Nelsen, William Aulet, Leon Sandler
Fri Jan 21, 01-03:00pm, 56-114
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
The MIT Science Policy Initiative presents: Commercializing Academic Research.
Please join us for a panel discussion on innovation, technology transfer, and the University. Moderated by Claude Canizares, Bruno Rossi Professor of Physics and MIT Vice President for Research and Associate Provost.
Featuring:
Fiona Murray
Sarofim Family Career Development Professor
MIT Sloan School of Management
Leon Sandler
Executive Director
The MIT Desphande Center for Technological Innovation
Lita Nelsen
Director
MIT Technology Licensing Office
William Aulet
Managing Director
MIT Entrepreneurship Center
Web: http://web.mit.edu/spi/
Contact: Johanna Wolfson, 6-026, x3-1956, johannaw@mit.edu
Sponsor: MIT Science Policy Initiative
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Coolhunting and Coolfarming through Swarm Creativity
Peter Gloor
Tue Jan 11, Wed Jan 12, Thu Jan 13, 03-06:00pm, E51-335
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 09-Jan-2011
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
Discover what’s going to be cool—before everyone else.
In this course you will find out how to:
- discover cool trends through finding the trendsetters: tap into the collective intelligence of the Web, Blogs, and online social networks (coolhunting)
- develop the new trends through viral marketing and self-organizing teams (coolfarming)
You will also learn how to use our Condor, CoolPeople and CoolTrend software for coolhunting and dynamic social network analysis.
This is a condensed version of a distributed course, which has been taught for the last 6 years at MIT, Helsinki, Cologne, and Savannah. (http://sites.google.com/site/coincourse2010/)
Web: http://www.ickn.org/iap.html
Contact: Peter Gloor, NE25-749, x3-7018, pgloor@mit.edu
Sponsor: Sloan School of Management
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From Bath Tub to Warehouse .... Lab to Launch!
Joseph G. Hadzima, Duncan Smith, Cambridge Consultants
Wed Jan 26, 03-06:00pm, 32-155, Networking from 5-6pm
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 21-Jan-2011
Single session event
Prereq: None
Why and How Startups Should Prototype and Demonstrate Products/Services
This offering will focus on the immediate goals of a technology-based startup: winning the next funding round and gaining initial product orders. Both can be achieved with the aid of technology and product demonstrators and prototypes. Compelling demonstrators communicate both the credibility of the technology and the immediacy and impact of the application to both potential investors and customers. They can also help answer the common difficult questions that investors want early stage technology-based companies to address at the different stages in the funding process, such as, addressing technical risk, scale up to manufacturing, user needs and wants.
A panel with a Venture Capitalist, an Entrepreneur and Product Development Experts will provide valuable insights into these issues.
Pre-register at the website listed below.
Co-Sponsor: Cambridge Consultants
Web: http://ipvisioninc.com/bathtub
Contact: Joseph G. Hadzima, (617) 475-6009, jgh@mit.edu
Sponsor: Joseph G Hadzima, E40-196, 617 475-6009, jgh@mit.edu
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From Innovation To Commercially-Viable Products
Afarin Bellisario, Guest lecturers
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Limited to 25 participants.
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
From Innovation To Commercially-Viable Products. Afarin Bellisario, Guest lecturers. No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below). Participants welcome at individual sessions (series).
This course, consisting of 3 independent 2-hour sessions, will focus on the journey from an innovative concept (or proof of concept) to a commercially-viable product. Each session covers an independent part of the process.
All sessions will use real examples from real-world products. In addition to George Xixis (Jan. 25), we may have other mystery guests.
Throughout the course we will discuss building a financial model to determine viability, and test a variety of scenarios.
NOTE: Class will meet in room 4-145
Contact: Afarin Bellisario, (617) 899-2519, abellisario@alum.mit.edu
Sponsor: Mechanical Engineering
Afarin Bellisario, Guest lecturers
Session 1 is focused on identifying and selecting a target application/market. It covers identifying opportunities, the value proposition, pricing and timing.
Tue Jan 11, 10am-12:00pm, 4-145
Afarin Bellisario, Guest lecturers
Session 2 is focused on market sizing for emerging markets, target customers, channels, supply chain, and understanding of the market ecosystem.
Tue Jan 18, 10am-12:00pm, 4-145
Afarin Bellisario, Guest lecturers
Session 3 is focused on strategies for commercialization and protection of IP. Role of partnerships, licensing and other models of commercialization will be discussed.
Tue Jan 25, 10am-12:00pm, 4-145
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Philanthropy Business Plan Boot camp
Janet Wasserstein, Claudia Jacobs
Wed Jan 26, 03-04:30pm, 56-154
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 25-Jan-2011
Single session event
Prereq: None
Philanthropy Business Plan Boot camp—How you can win $5K by devising strategy for your fellow students to become more philanthropic
Do you have to be a Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg to enjoy being a philanthropist? What about ordinary people contributing to extraordinary things? The Sillerman Prize in Philanthropy Innovations on College Campuses seeks to democratize giving and show the importance, satisfaction and power of philanthropy in civic life for all of us.
The Prize, a $5,000 cash award, is made to the college or graduate students who come up with the best business plan to increase philanthropy amongst college students. Use your creativity, innovativeness and planning skills to describe how to best accomplish bringing philanthropy values and skills to campus life. If you’ve never thought of being a philanthropist, or even if you have, come join MIT and Brandeis University Sillerman Center staff in a discussion of personal philanthropic values and how to translate that into a winning application.
Contact: Janet Wasserstein, W98-500, (617) 253-4789, Janetw@mit.edu
Sponsor: Janet Wasserstein, W98-559, 617 253-4789, janetw@mit.edu
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Sales Boot Camp
Kent Summers MIT Venture Mentoring Service Volunteer Mentor, Jim Noschese
Thu Jan 13, 01-05:00pm, 4-163
Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 12-Jan-2011
Limited to 75 participants.
Single session event
The lifeblood of any new business venture is revenue – the result of successfully selling an innovative new product or service. One of the biggest challenges facing any start-up is landing the first paying customers, and a tremendous amount of thought and energy goes into this all-important mission. Technical MIT entrepreneurs often hack into the sales black box with much trial-and-error, or spend precious time and resources on a "sales professional" with marginal results. During this session, sales experts will cover basic sales concepts, mechanics, vocabulary, and sales Do's and Don'ts at the block-and-tackle "how-to get a sale" level. Our goals are to help entrepreneurs with a technical background increase the likelihood and pace of early customer acquisition, decrease time-to-revenue, and provide a solid foundation from which founders can establish and grow a new business. The Sales Boot Camp is targeted at researchers and engineers who are the founders of early stage ventures and intended to equip you to be both sales conversant and knowledgeable, so you can make better decisions and incorporate sales-thinking into your day-to-day operations and organizational culture.
Contact: Roberta McCarthy, 10-358, x8-0720, rmccar@mit.edu
Sponsor: Roberta McCarthy, 10-358, 617 324-7800, rmccar@mit.edu
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Starting Up Your Startup
Kim Benard, Colin Smith, Lars Hasselblad Torres
Wed Jan 26, 03-04:30pm, 1-190
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Single session event
Do you have a brilliant idea but no clue on how to take it to the next level? Our panel discussion of Start-Ups will have speakers at various stages in the Start-Up process from sloppy beginnings to smooth runnings. This panel will also feature individuals with different types of organizations from social enterprises to for-profit companies. This is a wonderful opportunity to speak with people who have done just what you are trying to do! Preregistration requested through CareerBridge.
Web: http://www.myinterfase.com/mit/student
Contact: Kim Benard, 12-189, x3-4733, benard@mit.edu
Sponsor: Global Education and Career Development
Cosponsor: Public Service Center
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Tax Issues for Employees and Entrepreneurs
Howard Mandelcorn, Joseph Weber
Wed Jan 26, Thu Jan 27, 01-04:00pm, E51-376
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
This course intends to expose students to a broad range of tax issues students will encounter shortly after graduation as an entrepreneur or an employee. For a new employee, taxes are an important consideration in decisions regarding deductions and retirement savings (through employee and employer contributions such as 401k's IRAs, etc). Taxes also feature prominently in decisions with respect to stock option-based compensation. Also, tax related issues for U.S. taxpayers working overseas will be addressed. For the entrepreneur, taxes also influence a new business venture's choice of entity: Corporation, LLC, Partnership, Sole Proprietorship. Instructor: Howard Mandelcorn is a partner at the Hutchings Baramian LLP law firm in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Contact: Liz Galoyan, (617) 253-9744, lgaloyan@MIT.EDU
Sponsor: Sloan School of Management
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Technology Commercialization Workshop: Live Case Studies of National Science Foundation SBIR Grantees
Joseph G. Hadzima
Fri Jan 21, 09am-06:00pm, 32-141, 144, & 155
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 14-Jan-2011
Single session event
Participate in a live case study/brainstorming session involving the development of technology commercialization/business plans for 3 companies that have received between $150,000 and $650,000 in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants from the National Science Foundation. Faculty, students and staff interested in commercializing technology through startups, licensing or corporate partnerships will learn about the issues first hand in the course of this live case study. No prior experience is necessary.
Each case will be introduced by the CEO/Founder of the company and the existing plan will be reviewed by the NSF Program Manager and an experienced Entrepreneur/Moderator. The class participants will actively engage in helping the company develop and/or refine its existing plan and/or develop alternative commercialization strategies. These will be hands-on large group working sessions.
Participants will choose one of the three cases to work on. Cases are expected to be in the areas of (1) Software and Services, (2) Biotech and (3) Electronics/Hardware.
Co-Sponsor: National Science Foundation SBIR Program
Web: http://ipvisioninc.com/nutsandbolts-nsf
Contact: Joseph G. Hadzima, jgh@mit.edu
Sponsor: Joseph G Hadzima, E40-196, 617 475-6009, jgh@mit.edu
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The Converging Information Technology Landscape
Harrison Roberts MBA'99 Consulting Product Manager, EMC
Fri Jan 28, 01-04:00pm, E62-223
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Single session event
This panel discussion will offer an overview of the Information Technology landscape, including Q&A discussion on Virtualization/Cloud, Security, Industry trends/M&A and Green/Sustainability.
Panel includes:
Harrison Roberts MBA'99, Consulting Product Manager, EMC
Shankar Jagannathan, Senior Director IMG Product Management, EMC
Kathrin Winkler, VP Corporate Sustainability, EMC
Ari Juels, Chief Scientist, RSA
Sal DeSimone, IMG CTO, EMC
Panel and Q&A from 1-3pm, Networking Reception immediately following from 3-4pm.
Please register using the link below.
Web: https://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/public/Register.dyn?eventID=50822&groupID=194
Contact: Harrison Roberts MBA'99, roberts_harrison@emc.com
Sponsor: Alumni Association
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The Marketplace for Ideas
Everardo Ruiz SM'00 Director of Acquisitions, Intellectual Ventures, Sanjay Prasad, VP Intellectual Ventures
Wed Jan 26, 10am-12:00pm, E51-376
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Single session event
Inventions are now bought and sold as businesses, institutes, agencies, and inventors seek to monetize their intellectual property. This seminar will look give an overview of the patent marketplace in the IT market and also examine the art and risks of licensing.
Please register using the link below:
Web: https://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/public/Register.dyn?eventID=50441&groupID=194
Contact: Everardo Ruiz SM'00, ruized@alum.mit.edu
Sponsor: Alumni Association
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