1Mby1M Udemy Courses with Sramana Mitra: Financing

Raising money to build a startup is a huge challenge. To be able to raise any money at all, you must first understand how investors think. We have developed the following courses catering to entrepreneurs in different stages of their entrepreneurial journey.

Business Incubator Series: Micah Kotch, NYC ACRE At NYU-Poly, New York (Part 1)

By guest author Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold

I am talking to Micah Kotch, who serves as director of operations for NYC ACRE at NYU-Poly (the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy). NYC ACRE is seeded by a four-year, $1.5 million grant from the NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority).

NYC ACRE was created in partnership with the  New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York City Investment Fund, Columbia University, Pratt Institute, and NYU.

NYC ACRE is a subset of the NYU-Poly Varick Street Incubator, which Micah also helps to run. >>>

Featured Videos

Business Incubator Series: Fred Hoch And Terry Howerton, TechNexus, Chicago, Illinois (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold

I am talking to the co-founders and managing partners of TechNexus Fred Hoch and Terry Howerton. TechNexus was originally developed by private investment and community support in Chicago in partnership with the Illinois Technology Association (ITA) to serve as a “clubhouse” for the local tech community, and it evolved into co-working space and incubator for Chicagoan entrepreneurs. >>>

Business Incubator Series: Diane Dimeff, eSpace: The Center for Space Entrepreneurship, Boulder, Colorado (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Vandana Upadhyay

I am talking to Diane Dimeff, who is the executive director of eSpace: The Center for Space Entrepreneurship in Boulder, Colorado.

The center’s mission is threefold: 1) to help aerospace entrepreneurs to start new companies, 2) to develops commercial applications from the innovative technologies created within these companies, and 3) by collaborating with industry, government, and academia to provide career opportunities for high school, community college, and university graduates. >>>

Business Incubator Series: John Richards, BoomStartup, Provo, Utah (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold

I am talking to John Richards, co-founder and co-managing partner at BoomStartup, which is a mentorship-driven accelerator in Provo, Utah.

Irina: Hi, John. Where are you originally from?

John: I grew up in the Seattle area. Actually, I was born in Pennsylvania, and then my parents moved back to Seattle. I grew up in Seattle and had a long career in Seattle until I moved to Utah for the teaching position. >>>

Business Incubator Series: Mark Lieberman, Business Technology Center of Los Angeles County, California (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold

I am talking to Mark Lieberman, manager of regional economic development at the Community Development Commission of the County of Los Angeles. He has also been managing Business Technology Center of Los Angeles County for the past nine years. >>>

Business Incubator Series: John McIntyre, Citrix Startup Accelerator (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold

I am talking to John McIntyre, senior director at Citrix Startup Accelerator, which is an outgrowth of Citrix Labs, an internal research and innovation organization at Citrix with offices in Sydney (Australia) and Redmond (Washington), as well as a presence in Cambridge (UK), Santa Clara (California) and Fort Lauderdale (Florida).

Lunched in December 2010, Citrix Startup Accelerator is looking to invest and accelerate early stage businesses that are doing cutting-edge work in software technology, especially in the areas of mobile and cloud computing. They have a physical location in Santa Clara, but it’s a global program. They don’t want to be seen as exclusive to Silicon Valley. >>>

Seed Capital From Angel Investors: Pravin Gandhi, Seedfund – Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi, India (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Vandana Upadhyay

I am talking to Pravin Gandhi, a founding partner at Seedfund, which is one of the India’s leading early-stage venture capital funds, with operations in Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi.

Seedfund was founded in 2006 by Bharati Jacob, Mahesh Murthy, and Pravin Gandhi.  In 2010, they raised Seedfund II, which is a $54 million fund. The fund also runs its own incubator.

Irina: Hi, Pravin. Let’s start with your personal background. Where are you from and where did you receive your education? How did you arrive at this point in your life?

Pravin: I was born in Mumbai and did my schooling here. I did my undergraduate work at Cornell and then returned to India after I finished my undergraduate degree. Then I worked in a couple of companies because I really wanted to be an entrepreneur. >>>

Business Incubator Series: Bruce Wright And Molly Gilbert, Arizona Center for Innovation – Tucson (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold

I am talking to Bruce Wright and Molly Gilbert, both of whom are with the University of Arizona Office of University Research Parks (OURP).

Bruce Wright is associate vice president of OURP. He directs the office and serves as the CEO of the University of Arizona (U of A) Science and Technology Park and Arizona Bioscience Park. He is also president of both the Arizona Center for Innovation (AzCI) and the Campus Research Corporation (CRC).

Molly Gilbert is deputy director of OURP. She leads strategic initiatives there and serves as project manager for the Arizona Bioscience Park.

Our conversation is primarily focused on the Arizona Center for Innovation, the university’s technology business incubator. >>>

Business Incubator Series: Troy Henikoff, Excelerate Labs – Chicago, Illinois (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold

I am talking to Troy Henikoff, co-founder and CEO of Excelerate Labs, a Chicago-based intensive summer accelerator for startups. The program attracts dozens of mentors from around the country to work closely with, usually, ten teams of entrepreneurs. The 13-week program begins on June 1 and on August 31 culminates in an Investor Demo Day, where the entrepreneurs showcase their startups to more than 200 angel and venture investors. >>>

Business Incubator Series: Linda Darragh, ARCH New Business Incubator, University of Chicago – Illinois (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Vandana Upadhyay

I am talking to Linda Darragh, who is director of entrepreneurship programs and clinical associate professor of entrepreneurship at the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. She teaches the New Venture Lab and the Social Entrepreneurship Lab and has been a coach for the New Venture Challenge, Chicago Booth’s business plan competition. She launched the global version of the New Venture Challenge that assists executive MBA students on the London and Singapore campuses to start and expand entrepreneurial businesses. She also initiated the Entrepreneurial Immersion trip series that went to China in 2007 and to India in 2008.

Prior to this position, Ms. Darragh taught entrepreneurship courses at the Kellogg School of Management from 1999 to 2005. She organized Springboard: Mid-West, a nationally recognized investor forum for women entrepreneurs, in both 2001 and 2003. Her work with women seeking equity investment led her to initiate the Ceres Venture Fund, in which she is an investor. She is a board member of TiE Midwest, the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, and the Illinois Technology Association. >>>

Business Incubator Series: Ross Sanders, Bizdom U – Detroit, Michigan and Cleveland, Ohio (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Praveen Karoshi

I am talking to Ross Sanders, executive director of Bizdom U, which is a not-for-profit business accelerator, that is in some ways similar to Y Combinator and yet different in others. The founder of Bizdom U is Dan Gilbert, a serial entrepreneur, chairman and founder of Quicken Loans, among his many other companies. Bizdom U originated in Detroit in 2007 and is now expanding into Cleveland. >>>

Business Incubator Series: Jerry Creighton, Enterprise Development Center, New Jersey Institute of Technology – Newark (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold

I am talking to Jerry Creighton, executive director of the Enterprise Development Center at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).  Based in Newark, New Jersey, the center is home to nearly 86 high-tech and life sciences companies. The center’s entrepreneurs have access to the institute’s facilities and can partner with researchers to help grow their business. EDC is also in the heart of Newark’s University Heights Science Park and the Newark Innovation Zone. >>>

Business Incubator Series: Tim Lavengood, Technology Innovation Center – Evanston, Illinois (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Praveen Karoshi

I am talking to Tim Lavengood, executive director of the Technology Innovation Center (TIC), which is a not-for-profit business incubator dedicated to supporting the growth of very early stage tech companies. Founded in 1986, the incubator is based in Evanston, Illinois.
>>>

Business Incubator Series: Stephen Fleming, Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Tech – Atlanta (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold

I am talking to Stephen Fleming, who is a vice president at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where he is currently overseeing the Enterprise Innovation Institute.

The institute is focused on helping enterprises improve their competitiveness through the application of science, technology, and innovation. During fiscal year 2009, among other projects, the institute evaluated 149 Georgia Tech innovations and formed 20 new companies based on this intellectual property; the startups that were founded based on Georgia Tech intellectual property attracted nearly $111 million in investment. The institute also assisted 44 startup technology companies through its incubator, Advanced Technology Development Center, and ATDC companies attracted $151 million in capital activity through venture capital investment and M&As. >>>

Business Incubator Series: Art Boni, Donald H. Jones Center For Entrepreneurship, Carnegie Mellon University — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Part 1)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Praveen Karoshi

I am talking to Art Boni, director of the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship and professor of entrepreneurship at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.

Carnegie Mellon was one of the pioneers in introducing entrepreneurship courses nearly 40 years ago, in 1972. According to the university, today its Don Jones Center of Entrepreneurship averages three new business spin-offs every year. And, Carnegie Mellon University, the center’s incubation partner, each year supports an average of 10 new business spin-offs. In addition, Google, Apple, Intel, Microsoft, and Disney are campus residents providing students with many opportunities for entrepreneurial collaboration. >>>