entrepreneur

Weiser to lead Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiative

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 07:00:00 +0000

Weiser to lead Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiative Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/19/2017 - 00:00

Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation (RIO) Terri Fiez named Phil Weiser as faculty director of the �鶹��Ƶ Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiative, effective Jan. 3. Weiser most recently served as dean of the Law School from 2011 to 2016.

"Phil is regarded across the community and on the campus as an incredible advocate for innovation and entrepreneurship," Fiez said. "It’s terrific to have him join the RIO team." Weiser rounds out the RIO team driving the Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiative, which also includes Fiez and assistant directors George Deriso and Sarabeth Berk.

CU Boulder faculty, researchers, postdocs, staff and students are at the heart of countless innovations, creations and collaborations that have changed the world over the years. The Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiative aims to build on this rich history of innovation and entrepreneurship by engaging the entire campus and collaborating with the surrounding community to bring entrepreneurial mindsets and methodologies to faculty, staff and students. In so doing, the initiative advances Chancellor DiStefano’s goal of making CU Boulder the go-to public university for entrepreneurship, startups and innovation.

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiative, an interdisciplinary, cross-campus initiative housed within the Research & Innovation Office, is charged with enhancing and elevating innovation and entrepreneurship efforts across campus, as well as collaborating with and engaging partners from the community. In so doing, it will further CU Boulder’s overall global reputation as a top innovation university.

"For over the last decade, CU Boulder has built an increasingly impressive set of activities and collaborations in the innovation and entrepreneurship arena,” Weiser stated. “I am delighted to work with Vice Chancellor Fiez and leaders across the campus and community to take it to the next level."

In addition to taking on this new leadership role, Weiser will continue in his current roles as the Hatfield professor of law and telecommunications and executive director and founder of the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. In his role as executive director of Silicon Flatirons, Weiser helped launch a number of campus and community entrepreneurship programs, including Startup Colorado, Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network, Global Entrepreneurs in Residence, Entrepreneurship Seed Award and Governmental Entrepreneurial Leadership Accelerator.

Weiser joined the CU Boulder faculty as a professor of law and telecommunications in 1999. As an internationally-known scholar, Weiser has researched issues related to entrepreneurship, innovation and law over the last two decades, publishing a number of books, law journal articles and popular pieces. Before becoming dean, Weiser served as senior advisor for technology and innovation to the National Economic Council director at the White House from April 2010 to June 2011. Prior to joining the White House, Weiser served as the deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.

January 19, 2017 Original Article

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CU invention serves as muscular 'gas gauge' for Buffs in training

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 07:00:00 +0000

CU invention serves as muscular 'gas gauge' for Buffs in training Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/28/2016 - 00:00

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLuCEPSLT3U]

Whether it’s a wide-receiver hauling in a pass, a runner sprinting the 1,500-meter, or a power forward taking the ball to the hole, athletes share one fundamental need as they strive for peak performance: They must have enough carbohydrates, a.k.a. sugar or “glycogen,” stored in their muscles to power them well.

Inigo San Millan, director of the Sports Performance Program at the CU Sports Medicine and Performance Center on the Boulder campus, uses his invention to measure muscle glycogen levels in pro cyclist Lachlan Norris.

Until recently, the only way to scientifically gauge that level was via an impractical surgical biopsy. Non-scientifically, athletes knew they’d run out of fuel when they bonked mid-race or lacked the power to score.

But thanks to a new ultrasound technology developed by CU researchers and used by CU Boulder football, track and field, and basketball players, athletes can now painlessly measure their muscle glycogen levels in real-time in 15 seconds.

“We have basically developed a glycogen gas gauge,” explains Inigo San Millan, PhD, director of the Sports Performance Program at the CU Sports Medicine and Performance Center on the Boulder campus.

With the CU Buffs football players, San Millan would often test key athletes after practice and before they hit the weight room. If their arms lacked glycogen he might advise they focus on legs, or vice versa. He also used it post-game, to determine how long it took certain players to recover. “It has played an important role in dialing in the nutrition, training workload and recovery plans of our players and it’s been a big educational tool to help us establish protocols.”

San Millan, a former pro cyclist and an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the CU School of Medicine, began developing the technology in 2011 with colleague Dr. John Hill, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine. The two saw it as an indispensable tool for athletes, who lose power, fatigue faster and run the risk of injury when they train hard with low glycogen stores. They also saw it as a potential tool for helping Intensive Care Unit patients fend off cachexia, the tissue-wasting that often occurs post-trauma when muscles – starved of glucose – break down protein for fuel.

“Whether you are running a marathon or recovering from an accident, when the body runs out of glycogen the same thing happens: the muscle eats itself to feed itself,” explains San Millan.

The duo scientifically validated the methodology and licensed their patented technology to a Denver-based company called MuscleSound, and it has been used by an array of professional, Olympic and collegiate sports teams, including the Colorado Rapids, Colorado Rockies, Oregon State University and U.S.A. Cycling.

This year, MuscleSound rolled out a smart phone application with an ultrasound attachment for use by trainers in gyms. Military and medical applications are also in the works.

It works much like a fetal ultrasound. A coach or doctor runs a small hand-held wand over a muscle, emitting sound waves which bounce back in varying degrees based on how much water is present. (Carbohydrates soak up water so more water means more glycogen). On a nearby screen, an image appears with black showing glycogen-rich muscle while white indicates depletion. Then an algorithm spits out a Muscle Energy Status score. If it’s too low, the athlete may need to load up on carbs or lighten up on training. Glycogen depletion in a certain region may also be a sign of a brewing injury. If the score is too high, it may mean the athlete is training too little or eating too much and at risk of fat gain.Three-time Olympian and CU alumna Jenny Simpson, who took home the bronze medal in the women’s 1,500-meters in August, came to the center weekly during a tough stretch of training before Rio, for MuscleSound and other testing.

She said it gave her one more piece of information to fine-tune her training.

“The whole old-school idea that you just go out and push as hard as you can and rely solely on coaches’ observations to guide you is shifting,” she says. “This is a tool that is showing how coaching can work really harmoniously with science.”

December 28, 2016 Original Article

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Top 16 in 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Top 16 in 2016 Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/15/2016 - 00:00

In 2016, we again celebrated a campus community that brings innovation and positive impacts to Colorado and the nation. We marked new discoveries, faculty achievements, Olympic medalists and a resurgent football program while welcoming high-profile visitors to campus and sending satellites throughout our solar system. Enjoy this recap of an outstanding year.

See the Top 16 list here

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Stolen backpack spawns creation of student venture Mµ tag

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Stolen backpack spawns creation of student venture Mµ tag Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 12/12/2016 - 00:00

Catalyze CU grads invent tiny tracker for your valuables

For anyone who has lost a backpack or purse, Lang Mei feels your pain. After a thief stole his backpack from a coffee shop in Paris last year, the business administration senior began thinking about how to prevent that from happening again.

Mei had placed his bag on the floor next to the table leg. The next time he looked down, his bag was missing. Gone were his laptop, money, passport and school papers. Mei, who spoke little French, had a frustrating conversation with a French policeman who couldn’t speak English. Mei never got his bag or belongings back.

From that experience, informµ was born.

"Informµ is the simplest way to keeping belongings safe," said Mei, who is majoring in information management with a certificate in entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business. "Informµ is revolutionizing how we keep track of our most important things. By utilizing IoT technology, informµ eliminates the stress, expense and wasted time associated with losing your valuables."

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated computing devices that can transfer data over a network.

After returning to CU Boulder, Mei began working on a small tracking tag that could be attached to any item. Mei collaborated with Rishabh Berlia, an electrical and electronics engineering major who had a similar experience when he lost his backpack containing not just his end-of-semester lab report, but two of his friend’s lab reports. The two became informµ co-creators.

Mµ tag uses Bluetooth technology and an app to track belongings quickly. A tag smaller than a quarter links to a smart phone or a wearable device like an Apple Watch. When people move away from their belongings, with an adjustable range up to 100 feet, a notification pops up on their phones or devices and a map shows the location their property.

For example, if you are at a restaurant and are about to leave without your wallet, the quick notification function will notify you on your phone or wearable device right away. It informs you that you’re out of range of your belongings.

Mei and Berlia prepared for their project by participating in Catalyze CU, an eight-week summer startup accelerator designed for CU students, alumni and faculty. Catalyze CU combines mentorship and equity-free grants to help the most promising ideas and technologies succeed.

After gathering a team to work on the innovative tracking device, informµ was founded in September 2015 and officially registered in Colorado in 2016. Team members include Prayash Thapa, computer science, and Raza Qazi, PhD, electrical, computer and energy engineering.

Crowdfunding the next prototype

The informµ team developed a device that can help people keep track of their important items. They are trying to crowdfund the creation of their next prototype and to help move the project forward. Prototypes will be distributed within the community once they have the money to purchase enough components. Find out more by reading the informµ crowdfunding page.

Mµ tag features

Prevention: It solves the core problem of lost or forgotten items by preventing people from forgetting their belongings or having them stolen, rather than finding out later, often when it’s too late to recover them.
Battery saving: Using Bluetooth saves battery life, both on the phone and the tag.
Works even with application closed: Users are notified of the loss even if they accidently killed the app, a feature competitors don’t have.
Smart device with no false notifications: A learning algorithm is being developed that helps identify patterns in the way people interact with their belongings, ensuring a user is notified only when necessary.
Wearable advantage: Mµ tag integrates with wearable devices that are proven to be more effective than just mobile phone notifications, reducing the risk of missing the notification.
Form factor: Mµ tag is 70 percent smaller than some other products. It comes with a rechargeable and replaceable battery, which enables it to last longer than other products on the market.

December 12, 2016 Original Article

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Innovation and entrepreneurship at the core of nearly $6 million gift

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Innovation and entrepreneurship at the core of nearly $6 million gift Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/09/2016 - 00:00

One of the top CEOs in the Republic of Indonesia has pledged nearly $6 million in a philanthropic investment to support the Leeds School of Business’s efforts in entrepreneurship at CU Boulder.

The donor, Tandean Rustandy, is a 1987 Leeds School graduate and founder and CEO of the Jakarta-based PT Arwana Citramulia Tbk. Heading of one of the world’s largest ceramic tile manufacturing companies, Rustandy credits his success to his CU Boulder degree and wants to create more educational opportunities for the next generation of global business leaders.

“Without CU Boulder and Leeds, I would not be who I am today,” Rustandy said. “I come from a very humble family with working-class parents in Indonesia. No one was educated after middle school. I was the first of my family to go to college, and now it’s important that I give back to CU. It’s not about me as an individual and my success, but it’s about the success of the institutions that help create us. This is the legacy I want to leave.”

Rustandy’s philanthropic commitment will be distributed over time. The gift will advance strategic initiatives and strengthen core offerings in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and design within the business school and collaboration across campus; establish an endowed professorship in global entrepreneurship and innovation; and establish an endowed chair in global entrepreneurship and strategy.

Rustandy’s investment adds to an array of CU Boulder initiatives supporting entrepreneurship and innovation.

“We are deeply humbled by Mr. Rustandy’s gratitude to CU Boulder,” said Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. “Located in one of the nation’s most entrepreneurial cities, CU Boulder has a unique advantage as one of the top public entrepreneurial universities in the world. The leadership of the Leeds School and our alumni support, both philosophically and philanthropically, reaffirms our commitment to prepare CU graduates with an entrepreneurial mindset and skills.”

Central to these efforts is a focus on integrating the rich entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Colorado Front Range into the student experience at CU Boulder.

“Our aim is to elevate our efforts in entrepreneurship, innovation and design in new, refined and disruptive ways in and outside of the classroom, said Sharon Matusik, who recently was named interim dean of the Leeds School, to begin on Jan. 1. “To have Tandean step forward with this meaningful investment to continue our long tradition of entrepreneurship helps further not only our momentum with curriculum advancements, but also our world-class reputation.”

December 9, 2016 Original Article

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Huffington Post: The Qualities that Make an Amazing Entrepreneur

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Huffington Post: The Qualities that Make an Amazing Entrepreneur Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 12/06/2016 - 00:00

Nicole Glaros & David Slayden TechStars

A Q+A from TechStars’ Nicole Glaros and David Slayden, TechStars

Nicole Glaros is Partner and Chief Product Officer at TechStars and David Slayden is associate professor at the �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Media, Communication and Information & executive director of IXDMA, a graduate degree program

When I am asked what qualities make for an amazing entrepreneur, a lot comes to mind. First I think about graduates of BDW who have started their own companies; and I also think about the students who have participated in the New Venture Challenge out of the Law School at CU. But I can’t think of anyone who is better suited to answer the qualities question than Nicole Glaros who through TechStars has made it her business to mentor and fund early-stage companies. The formula can be tricky to pin down but here’s where we landed.

December 6, 2016 Full Article

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Inventions to look for at ATLAS Expo Dec. 7

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Inventions to look for at ATLAS Expo Dec. 7 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/02/2016 - 00:00

ATLAS Expo is a showcase of more than 100 student projects in virtual reality, physical computing, mobile apps, human-computer interaction, design, information and communication technology for development, and more.

Taking place on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 5–6:30 p.m., this lively event is free and open to the public. Here are just a few examples of the kinds of projects visitors will have a chance to explore. (Many more here.)

	Chill Out Carly Students: Marla Bernstein and Carolyn Castanon Project: A teddy bear that offers encouraging and comforting words when hugged or squeezed. The furry friend is based on an MP3 Trigger Arduino board.
	Tesseract - A Virtual Reality Exploration and Puzzle Game Students: Rachel Robinson, Austin Holler, Cade Haley, Rebecca Robb Project: Escape a maze of odd structures and winding bridges by exploring every surface —floors, walls and ceilings—of the 3D environment where the rules of physics have been suspended. Having built the game in Unity, the team was able to experience and refine their project in ATLAS' brand new Mixed Reality Lab, using some of the best technology currently available.
	Tentacles of Light Students: Ariel Riggan and Sarah Wachter Project: A lamp that resembles a squid, providing fun and decorative lighting for children to enjoy. Wiggan and Wachter designed their lamp in Rhino and 3D printed it in the ATLAS BTU Lab.
	Low-Cost, Internet-Connected Water Quality Monitoring Unit Student: Fuji Robledo Project: A comprehensive monitoring system that records water quality data and transmits it to the cloud. With a pricetag less than one-fifth the cost of commercial systems, it has the potential to significantly improve water quality in Pakistan, where it is slated to be deployed, as well as elsewhere in the developing world.
	The Explanimated Textbook Student: Megan Leahy Project: An interactive textbook that outlines key functions of human physiology with dynamic content, including animations of biological processes, video and interactive graphics.
	Lampalarm Students: Mike Gough and Chandler Zastrow, Project: Using an Arduino and a variety of sensors and relays, Gough and Zastrow designed and coded the Lampalarm so it is switched on by any mobile phone alarm, so long as the phone is placed in a specific spot on the lamp. Snooze the alarm, and the light temporarily goes out.

If you go

What: ATLAS Expo: A showcase of student and faculty work in creative technology and design

Who: Free and open to the public

When: 5 to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7

Where: Roser ATLAS building, 1125 18th St. Throughout the 1st floor and in the Black Box (Basement level 2).

December 2, 2016 Original Article

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Colorado entrepreneur brings a world of experience to the classroom

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Colorado entrepreneur brings a world of experience to the classroom Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/30/2016 - 00:00

Cynthia Banks didn’t have the opportunity to study abroad as a student. The summer after graduating in 1989, she helped a marketing professor take a group of undergraduates to Australia to study at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. The experience was so successful she was asked to take more students back to Australia.

That led the Colorado native to launch an international education organization a year later that would eventually send 30,000 students to 27 countries and offer 150 programs worldwide. Today, Banks is sharing her entrepreneurial insights with CU Boulder students as an instructor in the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business.

“I found out there was a huge market for international education,” Banks said. “Starting a business like this when I was 24—had no money and people didn’t believe I could do it—despite all the noise that goes on around you, the best advice I ever received was to trust myself and stay the course. That has provided so beneficial throughout my life.”

Banks founded AustraLearn in 1990, which took students to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. The company expanded to become GlobaLinks Learning Abroad and provided worldwide internships and semester and summer programs across all majors.

The logistics of getting an international business up and running in 1990 were challenging. With no internet or email at the time, Banks used fax machines and made international phone calls at $10 a minute to communicate with people in other parts of the world. Getting forms signed and mailed added days of delays.

Other considerations she had to focus on when sending students overseas included ensuring their health and safety, making it an affordable and meaningful experience, and having a reliable support system in place.

Banks discovered a rising demand for international internships that offer transcendent career experiences for students. Internships were facilitated in such far-flung locations as Shanghai, Argentina and New Zealand, and became wildly popular for both students and businesses.

“Students loved getting work experience abroad and receiving academic credit,” Banks said. “Companies would take students in and give them real work. For instance, in China, our students were viewed as extremely capable and were often given large projects within a few days of arrival. The overseas company would just say, ‘You’re now in charge of marketing for the entire project.’

“Students really had to step up, think on their feet and practice the skills they had learned in their classes,” she said. “Some students received full job offers at those companies after they graduated.”

Living and studying abroad can be a challenging experience as students learn to navigate different academic and social environments, often in a second language. Stepping outside their comfort zone serves as a catalyst for increased self-confidence and helps them to be respectful of other cultures and political systems.

“That first-hand experience of living and studying in another country affects their career choices and their worldview,” she said. “Our students need to be prepared for a diverse workforce and to engage in meaningful problem solving. Studying abroad is a real-life road test for those skills.”

This is Banks’ first semester teaching entrepreneurship classes at CU’s Leeds School of Business. The entrepreneurship program aspires to make CU Boulder the leading public university in entrepreneurship. This comes about from their desire to help all CU students learn about entrepreneurship regardless of their major. The business school and its faculty want to empower students to think in an entrepreneurial way, as an exploratory thought process of entrepreneurship that does not just live in the world of business, but can be infused into many aspects of their lives.

“It’s about being willing to go through the process of thinking and problem solving,” she said. “It’s being willing to pivot and try new things until you get something to work.”

She already sees the impact of this in her students and looks forward to contributing to the global and innovative entrepreneurship program at CU.

Banks, who has a master’s degree in management and an entrepreneurial certificate from CU Denver, shares her knowledge and expertise in a variety of advisory roles, including recent
board service with NAFSA: Association for International Educators and has stated a new entrepreneurial adventure for women’s leadership called the Global Leadership League.

“I want to help other people figure out their journeys and make sure they get the opportunities I was given,” she said.

In 2014, after 24 years at the helm, Banks sold the company, an exit strategy giving her freedom to now teach at CU and give back to the community.

She feels so strongly about the benefits of an international experience that in 2011, Banks, her husband and their two kids moved to a tiny town in north Queensland, Australia, where they lived for a year.

“It was a great experience for all of us,” Banks said. “It was the best thing I could have done for our son and daughter (now 18 and 15). They developed their own sense of resiliency that I think has helped them with high school. It is never too late to study abroad, live abroad or just travel. A global perspective is good for ourselves and our communities, and that just never goes out of style.”

November 30, 2016 Original Article

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Daily Camera: Student-led Qualify wins Boulder's Esprit Challenge

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 14:28:22 +0000

Daily Camera: Student-led Qualify wins Boulder's Esprit Challenge Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/26/2016 - 08:28

Matthew DuBois

Qualify, a Boulder startup, won the $10,000 Esprit Challenge prize for its college dating application.

The challenge, sponsored by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, is an annual contest of Boulder entrepreneurs that started with 14 contestants who are whittled own to three finalists by the Tuesday night competition.

October 26, 2016 Daily Camera Full Article

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CU Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Accepting Applications

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 17:13:22 +0000

CU Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Accepting Applications Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/16/2016 - 11:13

The Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (ELC or the Clinic) provides law students with practical experience in transactional law while offering valuable legal services without charge to local startup businesses lacking access to legal resources. Applications to the ELC should be submitted in late-July through mid-August.

The Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (ELC or the Clinic) provides law students with practical experience in transactional law while offering valuable legal services without charge to local startup businesses lacking access to legal resources. The ELC pursues the following complementary student and client goals:

Provide a rigorous and practical educational experience by serving as an inspiration for students interested in transactional law;
Promote ethical values in transactional lawyers; and
Provide outreach that connects to communities outside the law school and serves clients that would otherwise remain under-served by the practicing bar.

By assisting entrepreneurs when they need help the most, the ELC provides CU Law School students hands-on opportunities to make a difference in the community.

The ELC provides various types of assistance, including:

Corporate Work
- Helping clients choose an effective entity structure
- Forming companies
  - LLCs, C-Corps, S-Corps, B-Corps
- Assisting clients in issuance of founders’ equity and creation of founders’ agreements
- Advising clients on how to comply with ongoing corporate legal requirements
- Advising on the fundraising process and on corporate finance issues
Commercial Work
- Drafting contracts and agreements relating to a client's business (or non-profit entity)
  - Employee & Independent Contractor agreements
  - Vendors agreements
  - Customer contracts
  - Website terms and conditions of use and privacy policies
  - Confidentiality agreements
  - Non-Disclosure agreements
  - Licensing agreements
Intellectual Property
- Advising clients on how to protect their intellectual property
- Working with the US Patent & Trademark Office

There are a few areas of practice that the Clinic does not cover, mainly: litigation (or situations where litigation appears likely); pure tax advice; and immigration law.

Applications and On-Board Process

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