CONNECTS
Our CONNECTS seminar series enhances the experiential education of any individual interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. Tailored mainly for students to help take their ideas from conception to commercialization, the workshops run throughout the academic year. Teams looking for talent and talent looking for teams can CONNECT at these events.
Attend Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, our kick-off to our CONNECTS events!
Thank you all for attending the Spring 2020 CONNECTS.
Stay tuned for the Fall 2020 CONNECTS schedule.
Spring 2020 Schedule
Finding Follow-On Capital: Identifying and Engaging Your Next Investors*
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Ben Garber, 7 Mile Advisors
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
"We've very excited about your company, but it's just not a fit for us right now." Sound familiar? In this workshop you'll learn how to use tools currently available to all CMU students to run the same process used by investment bankers and venture capitalists to target next round investors. We will cover profiling your company and potential investors, available resources and how to use them, getting prepared and what to expect when raising capital. Fundraising is an arduous process. Engaging the right audience can make it easier.
START SMART LAW: Starting a Business on an F-1 Visa
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Panel Discussion
Panelists: David Kalson, Cohen & Grigsby, Director of the Emerging Business Group
Larry Lebowitz, Cohen & Grigsby, Director of the Immigration Group
Linda Gentile, CMU, Director, Office of International Education
Presentation
Students with an F-1 Visa can legally start businesses as well as work on a startup team. Come learn the details of how to do this without violating your student status. Those who are considering hiring a student with an F-1 Visa could benefit from this session as well.
Software May Eat the World, But You Still Need a Fork*
Thursday, January 23, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Ilana Diamond & Matt Verlinich
, Innovation Works
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
For the last decade, investors, media and those who follow technology have been focused almost entirely on software. More recently, the buzz has shifted to IOT, robotics and manufactured products. Learn why CMU entrepreneurs are positioned to take advantage of the renewed interest in connected products and the resources available to help get their products from idea to market.
Tax, Business and Accounting Issues for Startups*
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: William Richardson, Carissa Habsburg & Megan Rechenberg, Sisterson & Co. LLP
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Learn practical tax, accounting and business considerations that startups face in their first few years of operation.
RESCHEDULED: Online Marketing for Startups*
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Joey Rahimi
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
In this workshop, run through the different marketing tactics used that have helped companies grow and how these tactics have evolved over time because of technology and adoption.
Financial Modeling*
Thursday, January 30, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Phil Compton
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Cap Table Example
Financial Model Template
If you’re going to start a company, mapping out your financial projections will be an important part of that process. Learn the basics and gain insight on how to incorporate assumptions and flexibility into a model. Understand and be able to discuss key terms such as burn rate, cash runway and EBITDA which will allow you to more confidently support projections to your investors, Board and fellow team members. Includes a user-friendly example of a cap table.
Business Model Canvas: A Practical Guide*
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Will Kaigler, CMU Swartz Center
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Many aspiring entrepreneurs have heard of the business model canvas, but few actually use it correctly. This workshop will focus on the proper techniques to leverage the full value of this important tool for business planning and validation.
The Importance of Cash Flow *
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Kelley Lynch, CFO & VP of Operations, Othot
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Excel Sheet
Profits and EBITDA are crucial to any company; however it turns out cash flow might actually be more critical, especially for small and fast growing companies. Learn how to make a 13-week rolling cash flow model that will give you better insights to your company’s operations and be the basis of 12-month cashflow forecast. Also learn how the discipline of cash flow modeling can help with your relationships with bankers and investors, current or potential. The best part – this modeling is not intimidating to the non-financial oriented entrepreneurs!
CANCELLED: Lean Startups*
View YouTube Seminar
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Dave Mawhinney, CMU Swartz Center
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
The Lean Startup is a technical approach to generating and managing startups, helping to get an anticipated product or service into the hands of customers faster. Learn how to make your startup lean and efficient using entrepreneurial best practices in this seminar.
How To Design For Production At Super Speed*
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Elijah Wiegmann, Founder of Base Design Studio
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
The gap between early prototypes and production manufacturing can be a huge challenge. Making a plan, understanding constraints and working through puzzle problems in a light, agile way is the key to speeding up the process. Learn about different approaches to problem solving with an eye towards design and manufacturing.
The Nuts and Bolts of Angel Investing*
Thursday, February 13, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Catherine Mott, BlueTree Venture Fund
*Bring your own lunch
Since the late 90’s, Angel Investing has grown from a cottage industry to a subsector of venture capital, investing $28 Billion annually in the US. However, the industry is multi-faceted. Angels can act alone or in groups, be sophisticated or unsophisticated, act as guardian angels or nuisance angels, form professional funds or use a crowd funding platform, but ultimately they are typically the capital that follows friends and family and bridges growing companies to the larger venture capital firms. This session will describe the various subsets of the industry and focus on how to approach the more “professionally managed” angel groups/funds that will typically lead to successful co-investing and follow-on investing to help companies grow.
Agile Product Development*
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Sean Ammirati, Birchmire Ventures
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Learn an iterative and interactive framework to manage the process of building your startup's technology solution. Master specific tips for implementing this framework in your venture and hear case studies from local Pittsburgh companies who have taken advantage of these techniques.
START SMART LAW: Protecting Your IP
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Pitt Law School
Presenter: George Dickos & Lauren Murray, K&L Gates
Learn how to deal with intellectual property issues, including
- What are copyrights, patents, trademarks and trade secrets?
- Developing an IP strategy (do you always need that patent? are you patenting new IP?)
- How to protect your company's IP
- How not to infringe on another's IP
- How to handle IP created by class projects when one or more students want to pursue commercialization
- How to handle IP created by your employees, including invention assignment and non-compete clauses
- What to expect after filing a patent application (timing and expenses)
- Tips on searching the US Patent Office database
The Challenge of Innovation in Healthcare – A Complex, Evolving Market with Misaligned Incentives*
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Ginny Pribanic, MedRespond, LLC
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
The big challenge in selling innovation to healthcare is the misalignment of payment incentives exacerbated by a period of transition from fee-for-service to value-based care. Design a system to deliver better patient care at a lower cost – you may have just reduced hospital revenue. Target the insurers who realize the savings – they cannot always influence care delivery.
All of this is complicated by the time required to prove innovation in this market – the clinician who values the innovation is not the financial decision maker who can approve adoption. The CFO wants evidence of savings – from proposal to white paper can be a 3-4 year cycle. Many healthcare innovators burn through their funding before the puzzle is solved.
Practical Business Negotiation for the Early Stage Company*
Thursday, February 20, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Eric Kline, Pepper Hamilton, LLP
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Negotiating for a startup can be a “David vs. Goliath” battle and conventional strategies rarely work. Eric has advised early stage clients for 25+ years and will discuss considerations as you bring on your first employees, negotiate early contracts, move toward financing the company and consider exit. He will share with you strategies that have worked to level the playing field with bigger companies. Join us for an entertaining afternoon and some practical advice in startup negotiation.
Flying the Plane While Building It: Lessons in Life Science Leadership*
Monday, February 24, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: David Lucchino, Frequency Therapeutics
*Bring your own lunch
What does it take to be a successful leader in life sciences? David L. Lucchino, Co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Frequency Therapeutics, will share insight from over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience in launching, building and operating many successful companies in the life sciences and other innovation sectors.
With Frequency Therapeutics, David has partnered with scientists from MIT and Harvard Medical School on a mission to bring a breakthrough in regenerative medicine to millions of patients globally with degenerative diseases. The company’s lead product candidate, FX-322, offered the first evidence of improved hearing in patients using a therapeutic treatment that restores the underlying biology that causes hearing loss. David has led Frequency through tremendous growth over the past few years, including a $600M deal with Astellas Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize FX-322 outside the United States and IPO in October 2019.
David’s first MIT-based startup, Semprus BioSciences, went from business concept, to FDA 510(k) clearance and CE Mark approval, to major acquisition in five years.
Originally from Pittsburgh, David earned an MBA at the MIT Sloan School of Management as an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, an M.S. from Syracuse University and a B.A. from Denison University. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, a not-for-profit organization representing more than 1,200 life sciences companies, academic institutions and disease foundations.
Splitting the Founder’s Pie & Other Aspects of Equity Compensation*
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Frank Demmler, Startup Whisperer, 2 X Frank Entrepreneurial Yoda-for-Hire
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Founder Share Vesting
Founder's Pie Calculator
Cutting the Founder's Pie
Equity compensation can be a very mysterious concept for first-time entrepreneurs. Learn how to make critical decisions from the division of the Founders' Pie through stock option grants.
The Hustlenomics Way*
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Damola Idowu, CEO, Toyz Electronics, LLC & EIC and Founder of Owners Illustrated Magazine
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
The Untold Stories of the American Dream. 50 Cent The Guerrilla Marketing Unit General.
Pre-order for Kindle
How his unconventional techniques and product creation skills generated over $14 Billion in realized value.
Leverage IP to Drive Business Value*
Thursday, February 27, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Sreekar Gadde & Jason Somma, Blue Tree Allied Angels
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Learn how an IP Strategy drives business value (and investment opportunity) for your early-stage, high-growth, company. IP, in its many forms, defines what differentiates you from your competition. Being able to describe this strategically can drive up valuations and acquisitions. Thus, to better positions a company, business owners must own their IP Strategy and leave implementation of that strategy to their legal counsel. In this session, learn the basics of what IP is, what an IP Strategy is and how to build an IP Strategy that leverages what makes your company unique to drive business value.
How Service-Minded Strategies Build Bottom Line Results*
Monday, March 2, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Mary Kay Modaffari, ServicEffect
*Bring your own lunch
Digital is changing not just our tools, but our personal interactions. Great marketing is rooted in implementation by people, for people. By including a human approach to strategic marketing, maximizing relationships across channels and personal service, companies grow strong brands and profits.
CANCELLED: Seed Investment from Japan with Monozukuri: A way for High-Quality Manufacturing*
Monday, March 16, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Nobuhiro Seki, Monozukuri Ventures
*Bring your own lunch
Manufacturing in Japan is not expensive and makes alternative to that in China, especially when you need low-volume production in good quality. Come and learn how you get started.
CANCELLED: Franchising - Opportunities are Everywhere*
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Chris Cynkar, FranChoice
*Bring your own lunch
With nearly 3,000 franchise brands offering investment opportunities today, how can you determine a good one from a....not so good one? Join Chris Cynkar to explore the world of franchising and start to gain insight into the world of franchising. Chris is an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Tepper School and is also a Franchise Consultant with FranChoice where he helps investors to find franchises that are well suited to their individual investment goals.
CANCELLED: Leveraging Partnerships with FDA: Advice for Startups*
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Dr. Elora Gupta, Drug and Device Advisory Group, and Dr. Courtney Williamson, AbiliLife
*Bring your own lunch
Engaging with FDA as a startup?
Learn strategies and tools for streamlined product development with differentiated label.
CANCELLED: The Art & Science of Negotiation*
Thursday, March 19, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Taya R. Cohen, PhD
*Bring your own lunch
We negotiate daily in a variety of contexts: business, family and social. Negotiations serve several purposes: (1) establishing new or renewing old relationships; (2) changing behaviors and expectations; and (3) resolving conflict and disputes. How effectively we negotiate exerts important effects on the quality of life we live and how successful we are at work. Why do we sometimes get our way, while other times we walk away feeling frustrated by our inability to achieve the agreement we desire?
This seminar covers several key principals for successful negotiation and conflict management, and is designed to address a broad spectrum of negotiation challenges that are faced by managers and professionals.
Learn strategies for claiming and creating value in negotiations, how to effectively prepare for a negotiation, how to avoid common negotiation traps and helpful phrases and questions to use in negotiations.
CANCELLED: START SMART LAW: Top Ten Legal Mistakes Startups Make
Thursday, March 19, 2020
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Panel Discussion
- David Lehman - K&L Gates (Moderator)
- Dave Kalson – Dentons Cohen & Grigsby
- Tom Petzinger – EVP Business Development, Knopp Biosciences LLC and Co-founder LaunchCyte, LLC
- Deborah Walker – General Counsel, Innovation Works
A panel of lawyers will share the ‘horror stories’ of mistakes that startup clients have made and the consequences. Learn from the mistakes of others so you can avoid the pitfalls.
Fall 2019 Schedule
Why Everyone Must Think and Act Like an Entrepreneur!*
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Rebecca Harris, Chatham University
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Envision that you are ready to graduate and need to secure a position in an innovative startup; perhaps you are a Ph.D. candidate and your dissertation is stalled or you are an entering first-year student and can’t figure out how to connect with the professors doing the most pioneering work. Are you stuck and bored in your field of study and not sure how to make a change?
Learn the skills and tools to pursue ‘problem-solution fits;’ meaningful ways to utilize ‘Entrepreneurial Thinking’ to see things differently, identify new solutions and help you become more creative, agile and employable.
Design Thinking Through New Metaphors*
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Dan Lockton, CMU School of Design and Director of Imaginaries Lab
*Bring your own lunch
In this workshop explore design techniques for reframing the way you imagine and think about concepts, using an innovation technique of generating novel metaphors. Examine how you can use these methods strategically to enable new approaches to problems, and develop new products and services.
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition*
Thursday, September 12, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Eric Close, Flash Surgical Inc. and Forest Lane Capital
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Interviewing for a job envisioned by someone else? Instead create a job by hiring yourself, finding a company to acquire and transforming the company into a disruption machine. Become a business artist! Express yourself by mastering the nexus of Entrepreneurship and M&A. Opportunities for disruption and innovation are everywhere, get into the game.
A Tale of Two Startups – The Best Strategies, The Worst Strategies*
Monday, September 16, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Michael Glenn, Perkins Coie
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Take part in a discussion of what went well and what didn’t in a case study of the IP strategy adopted by two startups.
Business Model Canvas: A Practical Guide*
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Will Kaigler, CMU Swartz Center
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Many aspiring entrepreneurs have heard of the business model canvas, but few actually use it correctly. This workshop will focus on the proper techniques to leverage the full value of this important tool for business planning and validation.
Is My Idea a Good One?*
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Kit Needham, Project Olympus
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Have an idea or a technology that you think solves a big problem? Before you start building your product, learn how to correctly do “customer discovery” so you create a solution that customers will want and pay for.
Lean Startups*
Thursday, September 19, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Dave Mawhinney, CMU Swartz Center
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
The Lean Startup is a technical approach to generating and managing startups, helping to get an anticipated product or service into the hands of customers faster. Learn how to make your startup lean and efficient using entrepreneurial best practices in this seminar.
Overcoming Fear, Finding Success and Building a More Women-Friendly Startup Community*
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Dr. Lynn C. Yanyo, De Novo Ground
*Bring your own lunch
lynnyanyo@gmail.com
Presentation
Entrepreneurism is a hot topic today but was not visible in the late 1900's. Invention or innovation were prized back then. Invention or innovations are only small, small components of entrepreneurism. Getting from idea to market to profit requires a big picture view and many different talents. Entrepreneurism also requires an ability to be accepting of ambiguity, unquantifiable risk or simply being luckily uninformed.
Learn how entrepreneurism has changed over the last 50 years, what is needed to be successful today and focus on how anyone can be a successful entrepreneur, if they choose.
START SMART LAW: Introduction to Startup Law: Get the Answers to YOUR Legal Questions!
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Gates Hillman Center 4405
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates & Chip Dougherty, CMU
Join us for a lightning round of Q&A with top startup and intellectual property lawyers. The evening will be kicked off with a quick overview of the most common startup legal issues: contract law, IP protection, raising capital, entity formation and employment law. Then you’ll get to ask YOUR most pressing legal questions.
Splitting the Founder’s Pie & Other Aspects of Equity Compensation*
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Frank Demmler, Startup Whisperer, 2 X Frank Entrepreneurial Yoda-for-Hire
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Founder Share Vesting
Founder's Pie Calculator
Cutting the Founder's Pie
Equity compensation can be a very mysterious concept for first-time entrepreneurs. Learn how to make critical decisions from the division of the Founders' Pie through stock option grants.
Agile Product Development*
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Sean Ammirati, Birchmire Ventures
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Learn an iterative and interactive framework to manage the process of building your startup's technology solution. Master specific tips for implementing this framework in your venture and hear case studies from local Pittsburgh companies who have taken advantage of these techniques.
Labs to Launch: Demystifying Early Stage Venture Funding Milestones and Expectations*
Thursday, October 3, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Kelly Coyne, Co-Founder/Managing Partner, Grit Ventures
*Bring your own lunch
Get an introduction to venture capital for early stage startups by learning things across the board from hardware to software, deep tech to consumer. Venture Capitalists tend to look for similar signals in determining whether a startup is ready for its first round of institutional funding. From pre-seed to Series-A: funding milestones including product, customer validation, pilots, business models and launch.
Financial Modeling*
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Phil Compton
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Cap Table Example
Financial Model Template
If you’re going to start a company, mapping out your financial projections will be an important part of that process. Learn the basics and gain insight on how to incorporate assumptions and flexibility into a model. Understand and be able to discuss key terms such as burn rate, cash runway and EBITDA which will allow you to more confidently support projections to your investors, Board and fellow team members. Includes a user-friendly example of a cap table.
Creative Techniques: Examining & Eliminating Barriers to Business Growth*
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Lisa Salley, API
*Bring your own lunch
Check back for more information
To Trust or Not to Trust: What Every Startup Needs to Know about Privacy and Cybersecurity*
Thursday, October 10, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: John Funge, DataTribe
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Privacy and cybersecurity are no longer back office tasks sequestered away from the core of a business. With a steady drum beat of high-profile security breaches and cases of customer data mismanagement, privacy and security are increasingly becoming board-level topics for companies large and small. They are both a threat and opportunity. This seminar will provide an overview of key privacy and cybersecurity regulations, trends and practices that every startup needs to know.
Building a Successful Team*
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Kit Needham, Project Olympus
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Got an idea for a startup but need to find co-founders or teammates? Worked on a business startup as part of a class project and want to pursue it afterwards – with or without some of your classmates? Want to join a student startup team and know what to expect or ask for? Learn successful techniques to help your team create a solid foundation that can help your startup thrive, attract funding and avoid problems in the future.
START SMART LAW: Startups v. Investors: How to Negotiate a Term Sheet
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Pitt Law School, Room 113
Presenter: David Lehman & Adam Kelson, K&L Gates
Join us for a fun negotiation exercise in which you’ll play the role of startup or investor. Receive a quick overview of the legal issues associated with investing in startups and then divide into investor and startup groups, who will meet separately to decide on the terms they want. The evening will end with a negotiation led by two of Pittsburgh’s top startup lawyers.
Angel Investment for Women Entrepreneurs*
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Christine Ferguson, Ferguson Financial Consulting, Inc.
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
In 1997 only 1.7% of the billions of dollars of venture capital invested in startups went to women-led businesses; 21 years later that percentage has stayed nearly flat, at around 2% in 2017 according to financial data and the software company Pitchbook. Come and learn about women-focused angel investment funds that are increasing the pipeline of investment going to women-led and women-owned early stage companies, and providing women entrepreneurs with a welcoming environment in which to pitch their startups, including Next Act Fund right here in Pittsburgh.
The Art & Science of Negotiation*
Thursday, October 17, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Taya R. Cohen, PhD
*Bring your own lunch
We negotiate daily in a variety of contexts: business, family and social. Negotiations serve several purposes: (1) establishing new or renewing old relationships; (2) changing behaviors and expectations; and (3) resolving conflict and disputes. How effectively we negotiate exerts important effects on the quality of life we live and how successful we are at work. Why do we sometimes get our way, while other times we walk away feeling frustrated by our inability to achieve the agreement we desire?
This seminar covers several key principals for successful negotiation and conflict management, and is designed to address a broad spectrum of negotiation challenges that are faced by managers and professionals.
Learn strategies for claiming and creating value in negotiations, how to effectively prepare for a negotiation, how to avoid common negotiation traps and helpful phrases and questions to use in negotiations.
Investor Presentations – Beyond the Pitch*
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Jim Jen, AlphaLab
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Come learn about what makes an effective investor presentation, including an overview of the content that most investors expect to see, how it fits into their investment analysis and potential pitfalls. In addition, learn about other factors that are important to raising investment and building investor relationships.
B2B Product Marketing*
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Suzy Teele, ARM
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Marketing to companies is different than selling to consumers...or is it? Learn the best practices for awareness, attraction and engagement in B2B Product Marketing...and what often doesn't work.
Insurance for Startups*
Thursday, October 31, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Laurie Kuzneski, Kuzenski Insurance Group
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Need insurance for your startup? Learn what you need and when you need it.
Federal SBIR/STTR Process and How Startups Can Take Advantage of Free Money*
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Ralph Hershberger, Madera Associates LLC
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Learn the history of SBIRs, the various funding from Phases 1 & 2 and which agencies participate and discuss the current template, review process and how a startup can secure free funding through the government.
Using Digital to Achieve Business Goals*
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Laura Kelly, Dick’s Sporting Goods
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
In 2019, there's no such thing as digital and IRL (in real life). Individuals and companies online presence is real life, and your online strategy should reflect that. Learn how to choose where to be online, how to establish measurable strategies that impact your business goals and how your digital and traditional strategies work together.
From Classroom to Boardroom: Turning a Class Project into a Fully Fledged Corporation*
Thursday, November 7, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Alison Alvarez, BlastPoint
*Bring your own lunch
CMU Alumni (TPR '16, SCS '07) Alison Alvarez will talk about the process of taking a project from a Tepper entrepreneurship course and building it into a company worth millions of dollars and serving dozens of large corporate customers. Her company, BlastPoint, creates persona driven analytics solutions that solve hard problems in predicting customer behavior.
Topics covered:
- Finding a co-founder
- Building a prototype
- Finding the right market
- Lessons learned in pricing
- Creating a network for fundraising
Creating a Successful Video Pitch*
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Brian Staszel, CMU
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Is your video pitch effective for competing in an online business competition for entrepreneurs? Learn how to create a successful video and capture the attention of venture capitalists.
If you are planning to participate in the McGinnis Venture Competition, your first video pitch will determine if you advance to the second round!
Public Relations Primer: How to Earn Media Coverage*
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Emma Gielata, Matter Communications
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Learn the basic principles of PR and how to earn media coverage. This crash course will walk attendees through how to tell a compelling story, the best vehicle for delivering news and what angles resonates best with each type of publication (business, tech, trade and local).
Tune Up Your Perfect Pitch*
Thursday, November 14, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Daniel Teadt, CMU
*Bring your own lunch
Learn how to maximize your speaking voice to make sure you are heard, felt and understood in every pitch meeting. Voice expert Daniel Teadt will guide you in discovering how your voice can resonate with others and what it reveals about yourself, including solutions for finding your authentic sound, making the most of every word and enjoying the process of making your Perfect Pitch.
START SMART LAW: How to Form Your Startup Company
Thursday, November 14, 2019
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Pitt Law School, Room 113
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates
Presentation
Learn the basic legal issues involved with new company formation, including choice of entity, founder agreements, splitting equity and employee vesting. Hear from lawyers and clients, who will share their experiences forming startup companies.
You’ll then have a chance to work with law students to design a “legal roadmap” that will recommend the best entity option for your startup – all under the supervision of experienced startup lawyers! This workshop fills up quickly, so if you want to work with a law student, please send a description to sad111@pitt.edu by Friday Nov. 8th so that we can match you with a law student. (No obligation to form a company afterwards).
The Transatlantic Divide: Investigating the Differences in Investment Practices Between European and US Venture Capital Firms*
Monday, November 25, 2019
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad
Presenter: Dr Keith Arundale, Henley Business School, UK
*Bring your own lunch
Presentation
Though European venture capital (VC) returns now appear to be improving, historically they have underperformed US VC funds. Based on a unique dataset derived from over 2,500 pages of transcripts from 110 interviews with VCs, limited partner investors, corporate finance advisors and other stakeholders in UK, continental Europe and USA Dr Keith Arundale has investigated the structural, operational and wider environmental differences between European and US VC firms in an attempt to explain the performance difference.
The interviews covered the entire VC investment process from origination and due diligence, though approval, execution and monitoring to exiting deals. Keith will discuss how VCs go about these activities and highlight differences in approach between European and US VCs. The latter tend to be more aggressive, they are swinging for the “home runs”. UK / European firms tend to be more timid. This is not a cultural issue. It is due to real economic factors, including a more competitive environment in the US and issues with scaling, fragmented markets and a relative lack of later stage finance in Europe.
Participants in this workshop will be updated on the performance of VC funds in Europe and USA and discuss the reasons for the historic underperformance of European VC funds including structural, operational and wider environmental differences with the US.
The VC investment process will be reviewed and differences in approach between European and US VC firms explored. Participants should also gain an understanding of the characteristics of top performing VC funds and those with outlier performance.
Special Presentations
SBA Paycheck Protection Program Info Session
Thursday, April 9, 2020
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Presenter: Phil Compton
Presentation
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