Resource Night Recap: Competition Season Opens

Instructor John Zagula (founder, Ignition Capital) holds court in Shansby Auditorium

The winter quarter kicked off with the foundations of entrepreneurship on display inside Shansby Auditorium. A group of undergraduate and graduate students attended the first in the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship’s Resource Nights Lecture Series and heard from instructor John Zagula (founder, Ignition Capital), Amy Sallin, Business Plan Competition manager, and Terry Drayton, CEO of Livible.

WHAT ARE RESOURCE NIGHTS?

The Resource Nights Lecture Series seeks to answer several questions: Are you entre-curious but not sure how to begin? Have you always dreamed of creating a company? Do you already have a startup and want to take it to the next level? Those questions empowered students from across campus to either enroll in the Business Plan Practicum/Resource Nights (Entre 440/540) class, or join the community and drop in to learn first-hand from local entrepreneurs the essentials of business planning and what it really takes to get a company off the ground. The ten sessions include topics such as: From idea to product; Assessing risk; Business models and financials; Legal issues; Crafting and giving a great pitch. 

Resource Nights runs from Thursday, January 5 to Thursday, March 9 from 6 to 7:50 p.m. in Paccar 192 (Shansby Auditorium). Can’t make it in person? Lectures will be recorded and the links to stream each one will be posted to our website weekly. View the Resource Night schedule for links and complete listing of topics and guest speakers.

Each week you can read a recap of the previous session from the Buerk Center’s Amy Sallin. If you have questions about the lecture series, Buerk Center competitions like the BPC, the Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge or the Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge, email Amy at asallin@uw.edu.

FIRST SESSION

Last week we a fun first we had a fun first session of the BPP. Instructor John Zagula (founder, Ignition Capital) introduced the class with a lively overview of the realities of starting a new venture.  Terry Drayton, founder of Livible, Inc., followed up John’s intro with a passionate talk of his own about the realities of life as an entrepreneur. As a serial entrepreneur (he’s founded and managed nine companies, including HomeGrocer.com), Terry had a wealth of insight to share about experiencing the highest highs and lowest lows when you have the entrepreneurial DNA. Missed the session last week? The video is posted to the Resource Nights website.

In addition, I did my best to entice students to enter one (or more!) of the Buerk Center’s 2017 competitions—the Health Innovation Challenge (HIC), the Environmental Innovation Challenge (EIC), or the Business Plan Competition (BPC) Yes, entering a competition takes time and work, but the rewards are worth it (or so I’m told by past students!).

Taking part in a competition is a great way to make some real progress on your idea or vision (or perhaps a capstone project?) in a low-risk environment. You’ll gain visibility and receive feedback from the experienced entrepreneurial community and start to build your network. And yes, there is prize money! Did I mention last week that we’ve awarded over $2.5 million in prize money since 1998?!

I also promised more details about the various resources available to help through the process. See the Resources section below.

RESOURCES

Need team members or want to join a team?

Networking/Meetup Night for Team Formation
Thursday, January 19, 7:00–8:30 pm in Anthony’s Executive Forum (3rd floor of Dempsey Hall)

Students from programs and majors across campus are invited to our final networking event before the HIC, EIC and BPC get going. Join the Buerk Center and SEBA January 19 at 7:00 pm. If you’re a student putting together a team for one of the competitions or a student who would like to join a team (or if you’d just like to learn more!), take this opportunity to meet the participants and winners of SEBA’s Science and Technology Showcase (taking place just before the networking gets going) for a chance to meet potential teammates.

There will be plenty of food and beverages—bring your ID if you’re over 21. Don’t miss the opportunity, and the fun! RSVP now for the Networking Night. (Note: This site is for college/university student use only.)

Team Building Website

Don’t forget to check out the Student Entrepreneur Team Building site. Register an account as a team looking for members, or an individual with skills searching for a good team to join. (Note: This site is for college/university student use only.)

Office hours with experts & MentorConnect

Coming up during winter quarter the Buerk Center will host experts with a variety of industry and professional expertise. Students entering the HIC, EIC and BPC can make ½ hour appointments with these experts to get advice on their business summaries, financial projection, legal questions, etc. Dates and appointment times will be announced soon.

In addition, our MentorConnect site is a great way to connect with a professional via email for advice, questions, and feedback. The site requires a UW login, so if you’re a student from another college or university contact me for a guest login.

Please note that both these programs are available to students only!

Workshops & Panel Discussions

Experts from the community are invited to campus winter quarter to talk about important topics relevant to healthcare and environmental innovation. This series of four panel events is aimed at students entering the Health or Environmental Innovation Challenge. The perspective and knowledge gained will be valuable as teams prepare their 5-7 page business summaries, which are required to enter the HIC or EIC. These are free events, open to anyone in the community, whether or not they will be participating in the Challenges.  Food and beverage provided.

UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS AND EVENTS

Customer Discovery & Market Framework
Wed, Jan 11, 5:30-7:30pm, HUB 214

Regulatory Requirements and Intellectual Property
Wed, Jan 18, 5:30-7:30pm, HUB 214

Business Models and Financial Projections
Tue, Jan 24, 5:30-7:30pm, HUB 214

Polishing Up Your Business Summary
Wed, Feb 1, 5:30-7:30pm, HUB 214

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