KU workshop to introduce campus to fundamentals of entrepreneurship

LAWRENCE – Starting your own technology-based company and being your own boss is a dream for some people, but where do you begin? Inventors face a maze of legal and financial challenges that can stifle creativity and innovation before a company even gets off the ground.

To help sort it all out, the University of Kansas will host a free all-day workshop Tuesday, Oct. 9, designed to introduce faculty, staff and students to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.

Described as a "boot camp," the workshop reached the enrollment capacity of 200 in late September.

"We call it a boot camp because it's basic training for anyone interested in the topic," said Julie Goonewardene, associate vice chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship. "Some participants already have an idea and a business plan in mind. Others just want to see what it's all about. Everyone will find it informative and a day well-spent."

Participants will learn how the company startup process works at KU. They will also learn how to raise investment capital, how to protect and value intellectual property, and what resources are available at KU to provide assistance to inventors.

The workshop was organized by the KU Center of Technology Commercialization, which Goonewardene heads. It begins at 8:30 a.m. at The Oread in Lawrence and concludes in the afternoon with a series of private one-on-one coaching sessions for participants. The coaching will be provided by the workshop presenters, all of whom are nationally recognized experts with Silicon Valley experience. They include:
• Phyllis Whiteley, president and CEO, Didimi Inc., Berkeley, Calif.
• Mike Pellegrino, president, Pellegrino & Associates, Indianapolis and San Jose, Calif.
• Becky Voorheis, vice president, ApeX Therapeutics, Indianapolis
• Carlos Kemeny, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh
• Susan Rowinski, principal, Sue Rowinski Group LLC, San Mateo, Calif.
• Robert Herrington, founder and former chairman and CEO, Horizon Analog Inc., Lawrence
Given the strong response to this first workshop, Goonewardene expects KU will offer it again in the future and may also open it to the wider community. "Entrepreneurship is a key to a strong, more diversified economy," she said. "As the state's leader in research and technology invention, KU plays a major role in fostering the innovation that can help Kansas grow."
More information about the upcoming KU Entrepreneurship Boot Camp is available online.