Registration is now open for the Q3 Value Proposition Design Online Certificate Course and the VPD Webinar:
Value Proposition Design Online Certificate Course - Exclusively for pre-launch and early stage technology entrepreneurs who plan to seek external grant or equity funding. Participants utilize Lean Startup tools and receive feedback from instructors deeply experienced in science/technology entrepreneurship. In addition, industry experts and entrepreneur mentors offer insights, advice and connections. Successful completion earns a Certificate in Value Proposition Design from the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship.
Value Proposition Design Webinar - For anyone interested in learning about Lean Startup and innovation commercialization. This is a "light" version of the Online Certificate course. Includes specific examples of how startups have used Lean Startup tools to advance their ventures.
And please note that the entrepreneurs of North Minneapolis, South Minneapolis and the Midway area of St Paul - and elsewhere - really need help rebuilding. These mostly minority and/or immigrant businesses are essential to their immediate neighborhoods and contribute to the vitality of their regions. Following are a few Minnesota organizations helping with the rebuilding effort. If you are outside the Twin Cities, please find ways to help in your own community.
For researchers interested in exploring the
market potential of their innovations. Also good preparation for SBIR and STTR
grant proposals.
Four-part
series covers:
Product-Market Fit
Customer Discovery
Commercialization
Pathway
Market Assessment
Sessions
includes one-on-one advice from industry experts and entrepreneurs. $3,000
customer research grants available for UMN-affiliated participants. Successful
completion by UMN-based teams can qualify for nomination to NSF I-Corps
National Teams with $50,000 grant. Program certificate and LinkedIn badge
from Carlson School of Management Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship (upon completion of requirements).
FREE to current university students, staff and
faculty. $999 for nonacademic participants.
Medical:1-4 pm Feb 26, Mar 4, Mar 18, Apr 1. Taught by Carla Pavone, MIN-Corps program director, and Martha Sewall, medical
innovation consultant and former exec at Smiths Medical, who has launched
>15 medical products.
Science & Engineering:1-4 pm Feb 27, Mar 5, Mar 19, Apr 2. Taught by Carla Pavone and Dale Nugent,
engineering innovation consultant and Technology Marketing Manager and Venture
Executive at UMN Technology Commercialization office. He has also mentored
in two NSF I-Corps National Teams cohorts.
Agriculture, Food &
Environment:9 am-noon Feb 28, Mar 6, Mar 20,
Apr 3. Taught by Carla Pavone, Program
Director of MIN-Corps and Associate Director of the Holmes Center for
Entrepreneurship.
Innovation Commercialization + Entrepreneurship = Impact 11:30-1:00 pm at The Toaster, the new innovation hub at Walter Library on the East Bank.
NSF I-Corps: From Lab to Impact (2/17)
Launching a Science/Tech Startup (3/02)
Assessing a Science/Tech Opportunity (4/06)
Help! Startup and Commercialization Resources (5/04)
Increasing Research Impact Through Commercialization (for Veterinary Innovators) Noon -1:30 in St Paul.
Intellectual Property Basics and Processes (2/11)
Working with a Corporate Research Partner or Sponsor (2/25)
Experiences of Veterinary Innovators in Startups & Established Firms (3/17)
Academic and Industry Researcher Roles in Commercialization (4/07)
MIN-Corps can tailor lunch-and learns to your group. Contact Carla Pavone at pavo0003@umn.edu.
Value Proposition Design Workshops
Four half-day hands-on sessions: product-market fit, customer discovery, pathway to commercialization, market assessment. NSF-funded grants (up to $3,000) available for customer research. Successful completion can lead to nomination to the I-Corps National Teams program, including a $50,000 grant.
Congratulations to past MIN-Corps participants Anatomi Corp, Farm Vision Technologies, Darcy Solutions, and Aurora Concussion Therapy Systems, Inc., as well as other University of Minnesota spinoutsandMinnesota Cup participants for earning the first set of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Developments (DEED) Launch Minnesota innovation grants! See below for more info from Launch Minnesota:
DEED Awards Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants to 20 Minnesota Startups The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Developments (DEED) has awarded over $672,000 in Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants to 20 technology startups throughout the state. These grants require a one-to-one match with private dollars, bringing the total potential investment in these startups to over $1.3 million.
Launch Minnesota is a statewide collaborative effort to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation. Grants are targeted to the most promising, innovative, and scalable technology businesses in the state.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Developments (DEED) has awarded over $672,000 in Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants to 20 technology startups throughout the state. These grants require a one-to-one match with private dollars, bringing the total potential investment in these startups to over $1.3 million. Launch Minnesota is a statewide collaborative effort to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation. Grants are targeted to the most promising, innovative, and scalable technology businesses in the state.
“Launch Minnesota is off to a strong start. We’ve had an overwhelming response to our innovation grants so far,” said Kevin McKinnon, DEED Deputy Commissioner for Economic Development. “We’re impressed by what we’ve seen from Minnesota’s high-tech entrepreneurs.”
“I’ve seen firsthand that early stage startups need help reducing the risk of entry for scaling up their businesses – and Launch Minnesota’s Innovation Grants do just that,” said Jodi Hubler, Launch Minnesota Advisory Board Chair. “It’s exciting to be part of this movement to grow Minnesota’s startup scene.”
“Launch Minnesota is building on the energy of our state’s entrepreneurs, who are eager to expand their businesses, solve real world problems, and grow our Minnesota’s innovation ecosystem,” said Neela Mollgaard, Launch Minnesota Executive Director.
The Launch Minnesota Advisory Board, comprised of 10 individuals with diverse expertise, is the first to review grant applications. They evaluate the technology and possible ROI for Minnesota. The applications then proceed to an internal review committee for additional evaluation. The internal review of the next batch of grant applications will be completed by the end of February. Grant applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis until the $1.6 million in fiscal year 2020 funding for Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants is fully awarded. In July, another $1.6 million in funding will be available for fiscal year 2021.
In the first grant round, 17 business operations and three SBIR Phase II grants were awarded to 20 startup companies. Five individual founders at four of the 20 startup companies also each received a $7,500 housing and childcare grant.
