UC Davis Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy July 6-10 Draws International Researchers
Scientists Learn Lab-to-Market Paths to Make World a Better Place

(DAVIS, CA) – The Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of California, Davis, announced today that 45 students from around the world have been selected to attend the third annual Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy to be held July 6–10 in Incline Village, Nev.

The Academy is taught by experts from top venture capital firms, law firms and research institutions and gives attendees the knowledge and skills they need to commercialize their research.

The participants—graduate students, post-doctoral researchers and faculty from a wide range of science and engineering fields—represent 20 U.S. and international universities. They will bring a wealth of knowledge about cutting-edge, sustainable and environmentally technologies.

“The Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy is focused on enabling the best science and technology, developed in our universities and national laboratories, to drive the next generation of innovative solutions in the marketplace,” said Andrew Hargadon, faculty director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and an associate professor at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.

“The diverse student body at this year’s Academy will bring a fresh batch of ideas to the table, and will leave armed with the tools they need to propel their ideas forward.”

The five-day program covers the basics of entrepreneurship with sessions on intellectual property, elevator pitches, development strategies, market validation, business presentations, team building and establishing an organization.

The program also includes networking and mentoring sessions with venture capitalists, attorneys and research scientists on the Academy’s faculty. Serial entrepreneurs also share their experiences launching new ventures.

During the week, Academy participants work in teams to prepare a business concept. Each group’s work will culminate with a presentation to a panel of faculty members.

The Academy’s faculty includes venture capitalists from American River Ventures, CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund, DFJ Element, DFJ Frontier, Intel Corporate Ventures, Nth Power, Physic Ventures and Sierra Angels; attorneys from Morrison and Foerster, and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; and representatives from Southern California Edison and Sempra Utilities.

Peter Santangeli, founder of Greenbox Technology and head of the company’s engineering division, will be the keynote speaker at a networking dinner on July 8. Santangeli is the former vice president of engineering at Macromedia, where he led development of the company’s Flash Media Server and Breeze Web conferencing solutions. Greenbox is creating an interactive energy management platform that enables households to save money and reduce their carbon footprint.

The Academy’s founding sponsor is the Kauffman Foundation. Major sponsors include Chevron, Pacific Gas and Electric and Sempra Energy Foundation. Additional sponsorship is provided by Mariah Power and the Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization.

The Academy is held at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, a UC Davis-affiliated, state-of-the-art research facility built using best practices in green construction.

For more details about the Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy:
http://entrepreneurship.ucdavis.edu/green

About the UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship

The UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship, a Center of Excellence at the Graduate School of Management, is dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and innovation through educational programs that bridge science, engineering, and business. Under the faculty direction of Andrew Hargadon, the center provides gives MBA students, science and engineering researchers the skills, knowledge and tools they need move ideas out of the lab and into the world, where their solutions can directly address broader global issues. Whether for profit or for social benefit—or both—the center’s programs enable students to envision a better world and make it a reality.

http://entrepreneurship.ucdavis.edu

Media Contact:

Nicole Starsinic
Associate Director
UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship
nstarsinic@ucdavis.edu
(530) 574-6531