Columbia Entrepreneurship

CURE FormForward 2017
2017-03-31 08:00 - 11:30 UTC | Times Center, 242 W 41st St, New York, New York, 10036
On March 31, 2017, the Center for Urban Real Estate (CURE) at Columbia University, along with partners MetaProp NYC and Columbia Entrepreneurship, is hosting its first ever FormForward event for GSAPP students, faculty, alumni and the public. The event, as part of the MetaProp Pre-Accelerator at Columbia University initiative, illustrates Columbia University’s and MetaProp NYC’s commitment to becoming the global thought leaders in advanced PropTech development by showcasing the next generation of technology to be applied to the built world. In addition, some of the leading minds in PropTech will predict the future of the real estate industry and the challenges technology can solve.

Startup Finance and Accounting: Best Practices Investors Are Looking For
2017-03-23 13:00 - 15:00 | Columbia Startup Lab, 69 Charlton, New York
Thursday, March 23rd between 1:00 am & 3:00 pm.
Columbia Startup Lab 69 Charlton St @ Varick
Ground Floor of the SoHo West WeWork Building
SIGN UP REQUIRED
Please email cm3014@columbia.edu to request your slot
Please sign up for an 30-minute office hour with early-stage public accountant and partner at EisnerAmper John Pennett, a long-time friend to Columbia Entrepreneurship.
John will answer your questions and cover:

What angels are looking for in a set of credible financials
What really impresses them
What they DON’T want to see

John Pennett has worked with dozens of start-ups, providing advice on corporate structure, fund raising and preparing to meet investors, grant accounting and requirements, bookkeeping and taxation. He has 30 years of public accounting experience. John is a frequent writer and speaker on topics related to issues impacting early-stage businesses.
John supports entrepreneurial organizations around the country with content and program development, and serves as a mentor to several early-stage companies. John has lead the accounting, auditing and strategic advisory work for more than a hundred IPO, private financing and mergers and acquisitions with an aggregate valuation in excess of $1 billion. In addition, he has served as the interim lead of the firm’s Risk Advisory Practice, leading internal audit, contract compliance and Sarbanes-Oxley implementation and testing. John previously worked as an Audit Partner for an international accounting and consulting firm.

Studio Hours
2017-03-22 14:00 - 16:00, 2017-03-08 14:00 - 16:00, 2017-02-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio, 490 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, 10027, United States
Do you have an idea and want to get personal design thinking feedback from the Design Studio? During Studio Hours, teams or individuals are invited to discuss their projects or ideas one-on-one with human-centered designers in the Studio. Teams of Columbia affiliates are also welcome to use the studio space for working independently on their entrepreneurial projects.
You do not need to register in advance for Studio Hours. Just drop by!
If you have questions, please reach out to us at designstudio@columbia.edu.

Innovation Grant Info Session - Design Diagnosis
2017-03-21 16:00 - 17:30 | Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio, 490 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, 10027, United States
Innovation Grant Design Diagnosis
This info session will be led by Designer-in-Residence Adam Royalty. Using a human centered design approach, he will help you flesh out the knows and unknowns of your innovation plan. In particular, he will focus on understanding the people you are trying to impact, learning from existing solutions, and generating ways to test out some of your core hypothesis. The goal is to strengthen your Innovation Grant submission by articulating it’s key features.

About Adam
Adam Royalty comes to Columbia Entrepreneurship from the Stanford Hasso Plattner Institute of Design the d.school. Since his arrival in the fall of 2014, he has been co-teaching “Launching New Ventures” and “Green House” with Professor Dave Lerner at Columbia Business School. In the 2015 Spring semester Adam is co-teaching a course aimed at helping students conceive, test, plan, pitch, and launch social ventures with Professor Sarah Holloway at SIPA.
Adam heads up The Columbia Design Lab offered by Columbia Entrepreneurship to the University community to use as a set of tools, methodologies, and resources for turning ideas into action. Adam and the design team teach young Columbia entrepreneurs how to use the methods and mindsets of design-thinking to understand problems more deeply and solve them in innovative ways
About the Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio
At the Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio we teach students, alumni and faculty customer-centric methodologies for developing innovative, and practical solutions to ill-defined problems.
These methodologies, called “human-centered design”, give entrepreneurs, students, and faculty an agile approach to gaining critical customer insights and integrating them into their products, services, and businesses.
We encourage innovators to delve into the needs of market segments, frame customer problems, rapidly generate prototypes, and build viable solutions. Through workshops, sprints, and projects, the Design Studio brings diverse members of Columbia’s community together to build innovative solutions.

Commission on Status of Women - Youth Forum at CSW61
2017-03-11 09:00 - 2017-03-12 18:00 | United Nations Headquarters
The Youth Forum at the 61st Session on Commission on Status of Women (CSW 61) is critical opportunity for young people and adolescents in all their diversities to convene in advance of the official opening of CSW to amplify their common concerns and advocacy efforts.
The Youth Forum is a safe space for young people, particularly young women and girls, to openly, and strategically discuss the challenges and opportunities in their local, national, regional and global contexts in accelerating progress to achieve gender equality and sustainable development.
Make your voices count!

Solve at the United Nations
2017-03-06 - 2017-03-07 | The United Nations Headquarters, 46th Street and 1st Avenue, New York, NY, 10017, United States
Want to help fix the world? Solve is an initiative from MIT aimed at developing real and lasting solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. As part of Solve at UN, we invite students to join us for a full-day Solve-a-thon where you will work to ideate, refine, prototype, and pitch new solutions to challenges in healthcare, education, sustainability, or economic prosperity. The event will be facilitated by members of the NYC chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World, along with Solve subject matter experts who will provide technical background on the challenges before and during the ideation process. At the end of the day, you’ll pitch your ideas to the group for audience awards, and you’ll have a solution ready when the challenges are officially launched in May. Join us to develop responses to big issues, meet new friends, and spend a day at the United Nations!
All attendees must be registered students, and able to commit to the full day of the event. Solve will provide lunch for all attendees, but is unable to provide funding for travel or lodging.

Columbia Startup Lab - Application Deadline
2017-03-03 23:55 - 23:59
Deadline, March 12th Midnight
Apply Now for the FY 2017
Columbia Startup Lab Cohort
Application
What is CSL?
CSL is Columbia University’s recent-alumni co-working space. It is a cross-school initiative between Columbia Entrepreneurship, Columbia Business School, School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Columbia College, Columbia Law School, and School of International & Public Affairs. Resident ventures form a 71-person cohort of entrepreneurs from each of the partner schools. Together they comprise more than 40 startups. In its third year, the Lab has been “corporate headquarters” for more than 110 Columbia-founded ventures. To date, about 20% of the teams are hiring, raising funding, and are cash flow positive with about 10% driving annual revenue of more than $1M. The Lab has become the symbolic nexus for Columbia’s commitment to entrepreneurship.
Eligibility
CSL is open to recent alumni founders within five years of graduation, and their teams, from each of the partner schools listed above who are committed to working on their venture full-time. Recent-alumni who graduated in May 2012 or later are eligible to apply.
Application Process, Details and Dates
Sunday, March 12 at 11:59 PM EST: Applications Due

Teams must select one Columbia University-affiliated founding member from the above mentioned schools to apply
Only one application per team will be considered, regardless of the school in which the founder is affiliated

Week of March 14: Review of Applications
Weeks of March 20-31: In-person interviews
Week of April 3: Admissions decisions announced
Quick Facts

Admitted teams may spend up to one year in the space and are required to commit to a minimum of four months.
The space is administered by WeWork and includes: furnishings (desk and chair), WiFi, water/coffee, cleaning/maintenance and access to common facilities across the global WeWork network.
CSL provides ongoing workshops, office hours, networking events, and community building activities to help resident ventures advance their businesses. All CSL teams are encouraged to participate.
Columbia University affiliated tenants are required to commit to a four-month term in the space at a rate of $250 per month/per seat. The cost per seat for non-Columbia University team members is $400 per month/per seat.

Questions? Contact Sandra Merrill at skm2147@gsb.columbia.edu.
Application

Design Sprint: Prototyping your MVP
2017-03-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio, 490 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, 10027, United States
Great ideas deserve to be shown off. This hands on, high energy design sprint will teach you the fundamentals of prototyping, and will end with you building an early Minimum Viable Product that can be tested on your users. Join us if you have an idea for a product, project or venture and want a boost in getting it out to your users. Bring any mock ups, renderings or materials needed to assemble your MVP. (A reminder will be sent to teams by email ahead of the Sprint).
Teams and individuals are welcome. While the official Sprint only lasts from 2-4pm, the hour after the Sprint (4-5pm) will be open for teams to test their prototypes on other teams with the support of coaches.
If you have questions, please reach out to us at designstudio@columbia.edu.

YES, You Really Can Use This! -- Applying Data Science to Real-World Problems
2017-03-02 17:00 - 18:30 | Davis Auditorium, Schapiro, New York City, 10027, United States
ABSTRACT:
Booz Allen Hamilton’s Dan Liebermann and Ben Arancibia will cover what it takes to get data science done in the real world. They will be sharing stories from the trenches – covering experiences and lessons learned from turning data science theory into reality when the problem (and the solution) are far from known. The talk will heavily engage the audience to hear their perspective, and cover the approach Booz Allen took to solve its clients’ problems. The goal is to get the audience thinking about what they would do in these situations and how they would apply their classroom experience.
BIOGRAPHY
Dan Liebermann, a Lead Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, has a track-record of leading successful analytical and technical engagements while drawing on his project management skills. Dan has ten years of experience conducting data analysis and managing data science projects where he has used his combination of consulting and data science skills to help his clients derive the most value from their data. His work has included applications in statistics, machine learning, data mining, and population modeling, in addition to supporting the organizational and people sides of developing a data science capability. Dan has used tools such as R, Bayesialab, and Excel to perform statistical and analytical techniques. Dan holds a M.P.A. with a specialization in Management from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University.
Ben Arancibia, a Lead Data Scientist in Booz Allen Hamilton’s Strategic Innovation Group has significant experience in statistical analysis, Big Data analytical processes, database development, as well as, the R, and Python programming languages. Ben’s work includes applied data science, building Big Data systems, and web application development. Prior to working for Booz Allen, Ben worked extensively in international development managing software development projects and as a GIS developer. Ben holds a MS in Data Science from the City University of New York where his graduate research focused on fraud detection in financial foreign assistance transactions. He holds an undergraduate degree from William and Mary in quantitative economics.

DEADLINE: Data Science Day Demo and Poster Submissions
2017-03-01 23:00 - 23:05
The Data Science Institute is excited to begin soliciting demos and posters from CU faculty and their students to be shown at our upcoming Data Science Day @ Columbia University:
WHEN: Wednesday, April 5, 2017
WHERE: Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall
TIME: [TENTATIVE] Invited Speakers: 9AM-2PM | Demos + Posters: 2PM-5PM
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Wednesday, March 1st, 2017
NOTIFICATION DATE: Week of March 13th, 2017
The audience will be mainly people from industry and government interested in learning more about research going on at the Institute. We are excited to showcase our research through demos and posters to generate industry enthusiasm prompting further engagement with the Institute.
Submissions selected for presentation will receive free admission to the event.
Information about last year’s Data Science Day may be found via here.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Tamer Fund Grant
2017-03-01 08:00 - 21:00
Application for the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures Open Now!
The Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures. This Fund provides seed grants of up to $25,000 to nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid early-stage social ventures. Ventures must be led by Columbia University students or alumni, or be advised and have significant involvement by Columbia University faculty or researchers. Tamer Fund seed grants will be made to approximately seven ventures each year.
More information on selection criteria can be found here.
Apply before the March 1st deadline here!

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Exec Ed Course - Design Your Innovation Blueprint
2017-02-28 08:00 - 17:00
Learn How to Design Your Innovation Blueprint
Exec Ed Course: Design Your Innovation Blueprint: Leveraging Systematic Inventive Thinking
Application Deadline: February 28th
Course Description
Whether you’re an entrepreneur or an intrapreneur, having a toolbox for daily innovation is essential. Discover how to create a sustainable culture and practice of innovation throughout your organization using the Systematic Inventive Thinking method with Professor Gita Johar, faculty director of Columbia Business School Executive Education’s new 3-day program, Design Your Innovation Blueprint: Leveraging Systematic Inventive Thinking.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: The XPRIZE Visioneers 2017 - United States Summit
2017-02-28 | On Line
Who are the XPRIZE® Visioneers?
XPRIZE is an innovation engine, a facilitator of exponential change, a catalyst for the benefit of humanity. Our incentivized prize competitions have launched the new space industry, resulted in an exponential increase in efficiencies to clean up devastating oil spills, and helped open up a new generation of super fuel-efficient vehicles. The XPRIZE Visioneers challenge invites YOU to see if you have what it takes to become a Visioneer, and delve into the Grand Challenges that face our world.
The Visioneers of 2017 will form teams to tackle different Grand Challenges. Their objective? Help the world’s top innovators deliver some of the most “impossible” breakthroughs. It’s a tough job, indeed, but the rewards are enormous. Visioneers will be the driving force behind the next generation of prizes to help push humanity forward. And you were saying you wanted to do something meaningful? This is it.
Signs You Might Be Visioneer Material
You’re compelled to make the world a better place. Duh.
You’re audacious — some might call you obsessed — with finding your path to making real impact.
You’re an information junkie: constantly consuming the latest news and technology to help bring about the breakthroughs our world needs.
You connect the dots: not satisfied with simply comprehending the problem, you tend to see problems as unfilled opportunities. Always stumbling upon the subtle links between seemingly disparate subjects or situations, you can’t resist dreaming up potential solutions.
The Challenge
We are seeking industry disruptors, social advocates, tinkerers, innovators and empathetic leaders who are excited to get their hands dirty in a problem, participate in deep research, talk to experts and inventors, and then talk to them again. You must be eager to debate, learn, analyze, create, and work closely with other team members. You understand how to set audacious goals and possess the vision of a breakthrough for a currently unsolved problem.
Imagine being partnered with a team and tools to lend your vision and skills to the art of designing an XPRIZE competition — that’s exactly what we’re doing for next class of Visioneers.

Connecting Local to Global: NYC Tech and Startups
2017-02-24 16:00 - 18:00 | Hub@Grand Central Tech, 335 Madison Avenue, New York City, NY, 10017, United States
Networking for Columbia Startups
Developing They International Markets
Register by emailing
IARSVP@cityhall.nyc.gov
The Mayors Office for International Affairs and the New York City Economic Development Corporation is excited to invite NYC-based companies that are looking to gain market share internationally to a special event on Friday, February 24th, from 4 pm – 6 pm at the Hub @ Grand Central Tech, located at 335 Madison Avenue.
This networking event will bring together NYC-based startups and tech companies with economic representatives of governments from around the world, as part of the Connecting Local to Global series from the NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs. The economic representatives will include trade commissioners, international investment agency representatives, economic, consular officers, and leadership from bilateral chambers of commerce.
This is an opportunity for you to meet officials from the countries you may consider expanding into. This event is for companies that intend to maintain their headquarters here in NYC, but want to explore selling internationally.
Space is limited, so RSVP ASAP, but no later than Wednesday, February 22, 2017, by emailing IARSVP@cityhall.nyc.gov. For accessibility information or for questions about the event, please contact Austin Wise at awise@cityhall.nyc.gov.

An Afternoon with Y Combinator Partners Dalton Caldwell and Kat Manalac
2017-02-24 15:00 - 16:00 | Columbia Startup Lab, 69 Charlton St. @ Varick, NYC, 10014, United States
Join Columbia Entrepreneurship
at the Columbia Startup Lab
for an Afternoon with Y Combinator Partners
Dalton Caldwell and Kat Manalac
Friday, February 24 – 3:00 to 4:00 pm
Columbia Startup Lab – 69 Charlton St. at Varick, NYC

Dalton Caldwell was the cofounder and CEO of imeem (acquired by MySpace in 2009), and the cofounder and CEO of App.net. He has a BS in Symbolic Systems and a BA in Psychology from Stanford University.

Kat Manalac was Chief of Staff to Alexis Ohanian, cofounder of reddit, before joining YC as its Director of Outreach. Prior to that, Kat was at WIRED Magazine where she managed brand and strategy. Kat has a BS in Communications from Northwestern University.

How Does Technology Enrich Urban Policy?
2017-02-23 18:00 - 20:00 | Faculty House, 64 Morningside Drive, New York, NY, 10027, United States
Sidewalk Labs is an Alphabet company that imagines, designs, tests, and builds new technologies that address big urban problems across a range of areas, from mobility to housing to government services.

Confirmed Speakers:
Rohit Aggarwala: Chief Policy Officer, Sidewalk Labs
Rohit is an experienced executive and thought leader in sustainability, environmental, and urban issues. A member of the team building Sidewalk Labs, an urban innovation firm founded by Dan Doctoroff and Google, he is also the co-chair of the Regional Plan Association’s Fourth Regional Plan for the New York metropolitan area and an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Noelle Francois: CEO, Heat Seek NYC
Noelle has a background in social justice, with a focus on housing policy and community development. Heat Seek NYC is a civic hacking project turned nonprofit tech startup, aimed at keeping the heat on for thousands of New Yorkers each winter. Noelle leads efforts to forge partnerships with community organizations and tenant advocates to ensure that Heat Seek’s sensors go to tenants who need them the most.
Miguel Gamiño Jr: Chief Technology Officer, The City of New York
Miguel previously served the City and County of San Francisco as Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Executive Director of the Department of Technology. Prior to joining San Francisco in July 2013, he served the City of El Paso, Texas as the Chief Information & Innovation Officer, and Director of the Department of Information Technology Services. In that role he co-founded, along with the Washington, D.C. CTO, the Council of Global City CIOs.
Maria Gotsch: President and CEO, Partnership Fund for New York City
Maria leads the Fund’s investment operations and spearheaded the creation and operation of a number of the Fund’s strategic initiatives, including: FinTech Innovation Lab; New York Digital Health Accelerator; NYCSeed (seed financing for IT/digital media companies); BioAccelerate Prize NYC (proof-of-concept funding for university-based biomedical research); Arts Entrepreneurial Loan Fund (low cost loans for mid-size arts groups); and ReStart Central and Financial Recovery Fund (assistance and funding for small businesses impacted by 9/11/01).
Andrew Rasiej: Founder & CEO, Civic Hall
Andrew is a civic and social entrepreneur, technology strategist, and Founder of Personal Democracy Media focusing on the intersection of technology, politics, and government. He recently founded Civic Hall, a 18,000 square foot community center and event space for civic innovation in NYC. He is the Chairman of the NY Tech Meetup, a 50,000+-member organization of technologists, venture funders, marketers, representing start up and more mature companies using technology to transform themselves, New York City, and the world. He is the Founder of MOUSE.org which focuses on 21st century public education. He is also Senior Technology Advisor to the Sunlight Foundation a Washington DC organization using technology to make government more transparent.
This is event is sponsored by the NASDAQ Educational Foundation which awarded Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) a multi-year grant to support initiatives in entrepreneurship and public policy.

Office Hours: Immigration and Innovation in the Trump Era
2017-02-23 11:00 - 13:00 | Columbia Alumni Center, 622 W. 113th Street, New York, NY, 10025, United States
Strategic Paths for Foreign National Founders and Entrepreneurs
Thursday, February 23rd between 11:00 am & 1:00 pm.
Columbia Alumni Center 622 West 113th st.
SIGN UP REQUIRED
Please email cm3014@columbia.edu to request your slot
If you’re an international student or recent alumnus concerned with recent or pending changes to U.S. immigration law and policy, we encourage you to sign up for office hours with Michael Serotte.
Michael Serotte, Founder and Senior Partner of Serotte Law, focuses on helping immigrant entrepreneurs and startups. Michael serves as Immigration Counsel for Stanford’s StartX and Graduate School of Business, Duke’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, and numerous private accelerators including Unshackled, Alchemist, and Founder Institute. His client list includes many Bay Area startups.
Michael also advises on the immigration-related needs of employers in a wide range of industries, including technology, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and media. He also enjoys working with individuals who have complicated business and investment immigration cases, and Canadians who have been denied entry at the U.S. border.
Michael’s background in business, finance and entrepreneurship offers his clients a valuable perspective on business and investment immigration strategies for both established companies and startups.
After earning a BBA in Accounting and Finance as an undergraduate at the University of Miami, he worked as an accountant with the predecessor of Ernst & Young, and practiced law and worked in finance in Washington, DC. While Serotte Law has clients all over the U.S. and foreign countries, Michael travels to his offices in the San Francisco, New York, Buffalo, and Toronto to meet in person.
Michael’s biggest thrill comes when his team gets a case approved when other lawyers said it couldn’t. And when the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl! .

Design Sprint: Test Your Business Model
2017-02-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio, 490 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, 10027, United States
Friday, February 17th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Riverside Church Room 430
This Design Sprint will be a great opportunity for anyone with an early idea or venture that they want to put to the test. Using design thinking techniques, we’ll walk you through how to test your business model by identifying your key assumptions, developing low resolution prototypes, and learning more about your users’ needs. This sprint will be particularly helpful for teams in Columbia’s many venture competitions but is open to anyone with an idea for a project or venture.
Teams and individuals are welcome.
If you have questions, please reach out to us at designstudio@columbia.edu.

Perspectives on Modeling the Human Body
2017-02-15 18:30 - 20:00 | Columbia University Medical Center, Presbyterian Building, 622 W 168th St, New York, NY, 10032, United States
HTA will be hosting a discussion with Dr. Anjali Chelliah, who is using 3D models to inform pediatric heart surgery, and Frank Sculli from Biodigital, a company using interactive 3D visualization software with applications in education and business-consumer engagement.
Anjali Chelliah, MD: Dr. Chelliah is a board-certified pediatric cardiologist and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center.
She received her undergraduate and medical degrees at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively. She pursued specialty and subspecialty training at Boston Children’s Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, Children’s National Medical Center, and the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Chelliah specializes in non-invasive cardiac imaging, including echocardiography, fetal cardiology, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and cardiac computed tomography. Her research interests include using 3D printing to guide congenital heart disease (CHD) surgery, minimizing radiation exposure in children with CHD, and using fetal and pediatric echocardiography to predict and improve clinical outcomes.
Frank Sculli, BioDigital CoFounder and CEO: Frank cofounded BioDigital in 2003 on the premise that advancements in 3D and information technology will transform the way we understand health and medicine. With a focus on health literacy, BioDigital looks to empower patients and professionals with engaging, understandable health information and Frank continues to use this vision to drive innovation.
With extensive experience in management and internet technology, Frank leads product development and has consulted to numerous prestigious medical institutions. Prior to cofounding BioDigital, Frank worked in R&D at Honeywell, and later as a consultant to major organizations such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Bank of New York, Pfizer and the Pennsylvania Treasury Department. Frank holds a Master of Science in Engineering from Columbia University and received his bachelor’s from the University of Michigan.

Lightspeed Partner, Krish Parikh on Entrepreneurship
2017-02-13 12:00 - 13:00 | CS Lounge, Computer Science Department
Lightspeed partner, Krish Parikh, will be visiting Columbia on Monday, February 13, from 12-1PM to host a session for students interested in learning about VC/startups/entrepreneurship. Lightspeed Venture Partners is an early stage investor in both enterprise and consumer companies, including Snapchat, Nest, Nutanix, Docker, and GrubHub.
Krish will give insight into what trends VCs are seeing in the tech ecosystem and Lightspeed’s investment philosophy. As summer/graduation approaches and many students are thinking of career options, he will offer perspective on how to think about various career choices including working at large tech companies, starting a company, or joining a startup. Food & beverages will be provided. To RSVP: https://lightspeedatcolumbia.splashthat.com/
Krish Parikh, Lightspeed Venture Partners
For those interested in experiencing entrepreneurship over a summer in a risk free setting, he will also cover the Lightspeed Summer Fellowships. Lightspeed Summer Fellowships are essentially a scholarship and an entrepreneurial boot camp all rolled into 10 weeks – Lightspeed provides funding, office space, mentorship and a platform so entrepreneurs can spend their summers devoted to launching their idea into a company. Now in its 11th year, with over 250 alumni, the program is designed to enable young, technology savvy entrepreneurs to work full-time with the guidance of seasoned venture capitalists and other successful founders on building all aspects of a business from the ground up. Each team member will receive $15,000 and each team will receive $5,000 in discretionary funds. In addition Lightspeed provides free office space, an entrepreneurship series designed to help new founders quickly get up to speed on building a startup, and a series of mentors and connections to get started. Fellows are under NO OBLIGATION to Lightspeed and Lightspeed receives NO EQUITY as part of the program.
To view a 3 minute overview of the program: http://bit.ly/2g7Wlw3

Columbia Startup Lab - Applications Open
2017-02-08
Apply Now for the FY 2017
Columbia Startup Lab Cohort
Application
What is CSL?
CSL is Columbia University’s recent-alumni co-working space. It is a cross-school initiative between Columbia Entrepreneurship, Columbia Business School, School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Columbia College, Columbia Law School, and School of International & Public Affairs. Resident ventures form a 71-person cohort of entrepreneurs from each of the partner schools. Together they comprise more than 40 startups. In its third year, the Lab has been “corporate headquarters” for more than 110 Columbia-founded ventures. To date, about 20% of the teams are hiring, raising funding, and are cash flow positive with about 10% driving annual revenue of more than $1M. The Lab has become the symbolic nexus for Columbia’s commitment to entrepreneurship.
Eligibility
CSL is open to recent alumni founders within five years of graduation, and their teams, from each of the partner schools listed above who are committed to working on their venture full-time. Recent-alumni who graduated in May 2012 or later are eligible to apply.
Application Process, Details and Dates
Sunday, March 12 at 11:59 PM EST: Applications Due

Teams must select one Columbia University-affiliated founding member from the above mentioned schools to apply
Only one application per team will be considered, regardless of the school in which the founder is affiliated

Week of March 14: Review of Applications
Weeks of March 20-31: In-person interviews
Week of April 3: Admissions decisions announced
Quick Facts

Admitted teams may spend up to one year in the space and are required to commit to a minimum of four months.
The space is administered by WeWork and includes: furnishings (desk and chair), WiFi, water/coffee, cleaning/maintenance and access to common facilities across the global WeWork network.
CSL provides ongoing workshops, office hours, networking events, and community building activities to help resident ventures advance their businesses. All CSL teams are encouraged to participate.
Columbia University affiliated tenants are required to commit to a four-month term in the space at a rate of $250 per month/per seat. The cost per seat for non-Columbia University team members is $400 per month/per seat.

Questions? Contact Sandra Merrill at skm2147@gsb.columbia.edu.
Application

Building Credible Financials for Early Stage Investors
2017-02-02 18:30 - 20:30 | General Assembly, NYC, 10 East 21st, Third Floor, New York City, NY, 10010, United States
Please join us for an evening with David Ehrenberg, a long-time friend, partner and mentor to Columbia University Entrepreneurship. He started Early Growth Financial Services to provide a service that didn’t exist when he was working at early stage companies – high-quality accounting and strategic financial consulting services on demand.
David will conduct 90-minute interactive workshop, which will lay out

What angels are looking for in a set of credible financials
What really impresses them
What they DON’T want to see

What You’ll Take Away:
Founders of early-stage ventures are in love with their products, and all too often, they want to tell the whole, long story. Early-stage investors are all to often jaded, cynical and well, just real busy. If they even give you 10 minutes, it is likely that they’re distracted. How can founders make the most out of their pitch? How can you edit your the financial side of your story down to the most compelling bits?
David has seen it all, from both sides of the conversation. In this workshop, he’ll help you understand what is most relevant to investors and what is superfluous. He’ll help you gain an understanding how to build credibility by telling a credible story through numbers.
Why It Matters: If you’re raising capital for the first time, you’ll be a novice going up against a hardened veteran. Most founders can clearly articulate their value proposition, but sometimes struggle when it comes to telling a concise and credible numbers story.
About the Expert

David Ehrenberg Founder, Partner and Chief Executive Officer,
Early Growth Financial Services
David Ehrenberg founded Early Growth Financial Services (EGFS) in 2008 to address the lack of on-demand financial support available to startups. David’s passion for mentoring entrepreneurs, and helping early-stage startups to thrive, led him to create the integrated financial solution that EGFS provides, from day-to-day accounting to strategic finance, tax, and valuation support.
As CEO, David has overseen incredible growth at EGFS, leading to its being ranked #5 in Silicon Valley Business Journals’ annual Fastest Growing Private Companies award for 2013. David’s articles and insights are frequently posted in such prestigious publications as Forbes, Inc, VentureBeat, Huff Post Small Business, Yahoo! Small Business Advisor, Startup Nation, and more. He is an active speaker and event leader who presents regularly to founders and others within the startup ecosystem. He also co-founded and moderated Pitch Flip LA 2013 in which investors from Silicon Valley presented to a broad sampling from the LA startup community.
David has strategic and operational expertise in all areas of early-stage finance, including strategic planning, forecasting, venture funding, debt financing, and M&A. Prior to founding EGFS, David was the first CFO for Abound Logic, playing an integral role in building out the company’s finance and administrative infrastructure. Before that, David was a Controller for Microsoft, in a division that focused on creating new products and business solutions. Earlier in his career, David was a key member of the finance team at Extreme Networks and Voice Stream Wireless and VP of Finance for Radiant Research, where he was responsible for selling the company in two transactions and ensuring a successful exit for investors and management.
About Our Partners

Spark Workshop: Hacking Community Solar
2017-02-01 18:00 - 20:00 | Uris Hall, Calder Lounge 1st Floor, Columbia Business School, 3022 Broadway , New York City, NY, 10027, United States
The Democratization of Solar Energy
Featuring Donna Sanders ’17BUS, co-founder of Social Solar,
with special guests Gary Skulnik, Founding Partner of OurPower, and Annie Su, Senior Analyst of Ecogy Solar
Pollution that arises from the burning of fossil fuels has several environmental, financial, and health consequences. As a result, international, national, and local laws are being enacted favoring renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. New York State, specifically, has enacted a Clean Energy Standard that mandates 50 percent of all energy come from renewable sources by 2030.
Social Solar, founded by Columbia University alumni, caters to NYC residents and businesses who are dissatisfied with being excluded from solar simply because they live in co-ops and condos, or because their business rooftop is too small. Social Solar’s service is a new shared solution that provides consolidation of solar needs to form one solar community as an inclusive option for solar power, utility savings, and cleaner air. Join us to discuss:

What are some of the financial and structural barriers prohibiting widespread community solar adoption in NYC?
What are viable community solar solutions?

For more event information, please click here. This workshop is supported by the Lang Center for Entrepreneurship, Social Enterprise Club, Green Business Club, and Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School; and the Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs (CORE) at Columbia University.
About the Spark Workshop Series
Spark Workshops provide social innovators with an opportunity to explore resources, connections, and potential solutions to help their social ventures. These workshops tap into the collective knowledge within Columbia University and the larger entrepreneurial and social impact community.
This workshop is open to all who are willing to bring their ideas, experience, and connections to help solve social and environmental challenges that these social innovators aim to address.
If you are unable to attend this event but would like more information on Spark, please register for our mailing list.
If you would like to suggest a future Spark workshop, please contact:
socialenterprise@gsb.columbia.edu

APPLICATION DEADLINE - Congressional Internship Program
2017-01-30 23:50 - 23:55 | Washington D.C.
University and College Entrepreneurs
Congressional Internship Program
Application Deadline January 30, 2017
Program runs mid-June to mid-August

The National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer (NCET2) announces a University and College Entrepreneurs Congressional Internship Program. This highly competitive program aims to educate and cultivate student leaders in policy issues that impact entrepreneurs and startups. The Program also seeks to build the student’s professional networks in the startup and policy communities in Washington D.C., in Silicon Valley, and at their home university and communities.
University and college students will intern in the offices of members of Congress – in the Senate or in the House of Representatives – with a high level of involvement in startups, tech transfer and/or entrepreneurship, at the pleasure of the office. Before beginning at Congress, interns admitted into the Program will also participate in a one-week Silicon Valley immersion to experience startup culture from entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, startup companies and corporations in the valley.
The internship program will run mid-June to mid-August 2017. The application deadline is on January 30, 2017. For more information about the program, visit: http://www.ncet2.org/internship.html or email interns@ncet2.org

Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Charlie Rose
2017-01-27 15:00 - 16:15 | Watch Live Stream by Clicking “Register Now” Below
This event is sold out.
Please see Columbia’s Facebook page January 27th at 3:00 PM
To See This Event On Facebook live.
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., will discuss a wide range of topics—from their friendship, philanthropy, and business; to global health, innovation, and leadership. Moderated by Charlie Rose, executive editor and host of the Charlie Rose Show. Welcome by President Lee C. Bollinger. Q&A with the audience to follow.

Immigration and Entrepreneurship
2017-01-26 18:00 - 20:00
Third Thursday is a recurring open forum and networking and info session for the Columbia University entrepreneurship community. It provides students, faculty, staff, and alumni the opportunity to hear ideas from across campus, form teams, and explore career options. You’ll hear from Columbia alumni and other experts on their experiences working in the field, how they’ve applied their Columbia experience in their careers, and more.
Thursday, January 26 (technically Fourth Thursday instead of Third Thursday due to the late start of the semester) will feature Megan Kludt, an attorney at Curran & Berger, LLP, a boutique law firm specializing in all areas of immigration, including business, achievement, investment, family, and humanitarian bases for immgration status.
Megan is very knowledgable on visa options for students after graduation, and specializes in complex immigration cases in the areas of business, academia, scientific research, and the arts. Additionally, she was selected by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) to provide emergency legal aid to children at the US/Mexico border and was honored as one of AILA New England’s Pro Bono Champions in 2016.
Megan holds a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, a Master of International Relations from Boston University, and a JD with an international concentration from Boston University School of Law.
At this month’s Third Thursday event, Megan will discuss

Options and requirements for various visas, such as: J1, O-1B, and H-1B
Visa options and NYC/NYS immigration resources for foreign startup founders
How much of an impact a lawyer/representation has on a visa application
How to find out whether or not a startup is qualified to help employees file for work visas
The process of hiring and granting a visa for a non-USA citizen that just finished school in the USA
The STEM extension of the OPT for foreign entrepreneurs launching startups (non-employed by existing and EVerify companies)
Shareholding issues that may caused by the immigration status of foreign entrepreneurs in start-up companies

This should be a particularly interesting discussion given the close timing of the event to the inauguration of President Elect Donald Trump, which will take place 6 days before the event. As Trump has promised to make many changes to the USA’s immigration policies, we are all curious to hear Megan’s thoughts on how his policies may affect international students looking to work in the USA upon graduation.
Food & Drink will be served! Catering will be provided by Eat Offbeat, a CU startup that delivers authentic and home-style ethnic meals that are conceived, prepared and delivered by refugees resettled in NYC.
Join us!
Have an announcement or idea to pitch to the group? Contact Ivy Schultz (is2350@columbia.edu) in advance and come prepared to pitch it!

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How VC Gives a Boost to NYC's Digital Health Innovation Economy
2017-01-26 17:30 - 19:00 | Hess Commons, Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, 10032
We are excited to announce the Spring 2017 HITLAB Seminar Series! Every Thursday at 5:30pm, the HITLAB Seminar Series brings together leading experts—scientists, physicians, IT architects, public health practitioners, investors, attorneys, and more—who share a single vision: to design and scale healthcare technologies that will improve health outcomes around the world.
Smart Venture:
How Venture Capital gives a Boost to
NYC’s Digital Health Innovation Economy
Maria Gotsch, President & CEO of the Partnership Fund for NYC
RSVP is required by Wednesday, January 25th.
Reception to follow at 6:30pm at
Coogan’s Restaurant, 4015 Broadway at 169th Street.

Questions? Contact seminars@hitlab.org
See the Seminar Series website for the full schedule and to register

The Next Wave of Corporate Entrepreneurship with Steve Blank. What Comes After Innovation Theater?
2017-01-10 18:30 - 20:30 | Goodwin Proctor, LLC, New York Times Building, 620 8th Avenue, 26th Floor, Manhattan, 10018, United States
Join Columbia Business School Executive Education and
Columbia Entrepreneurship for an evening with
Steve Blank
in conversation with
Professor Rita D. McGrath, Columbia Business School and
Brian Murray, President and CEO, HarperCollins Publishers

The Next Wave of Corporate Entrepreneurship
What Comes After Innovation Theater?
Hosted by
Goodwin Procter, LLP
Offices of Goodwin Procter, New York Times Building
620 8th Avenue, 26th Floor
Corporate entrepreneurship is a very hot topic these days. Despite all the talk, however, actual innovation performance comes nowhere near to delivering on its promise. We are perhaps five years into the latest flurry of excitement about the prospects for innovation-fueled growth. Companies have traveled to Silicon Valley in droves, sponsored innovation boot camps, trained innovation ninjas, and otherwise promised their stakeholders that innovation is front and center on their agendas.
And yet.
Evidence suggests much of this activity is just ‘Innovation Theater’. Indeed, how many corporations focus their cultures around an innovation playbook, and train all staff in innovation practices.
In a recent McKinsey study, fully 94% of executives surveyed reported that they were unhappy with their organization’s ability to innovate. Similar research shows that corporations are spending a lot more of their profits on things like share buybacks and dividends than they are on innovation.
What’s next for corporate innovation?
Columbia University’s Senior Fellow for Entrepreneurship, Steve Blank is a retired eight-time serial entrepreneur-turned-educator and author. He has changed the way entrepreneurs around the world build their startups. His bestselling The Startup Owner’s Manual, and his earlier seminal work, The Four Steps to the Epiphany are both credited with launching the Lean Startup movement. His Lean LaunchPad class at Stanford, Berkeley, and Columbia has redefined how Universities approach entrepreneurship. His Innovation Corps class for the National Science Foundation forever changed how the U.S. commercializes science.
Professor Rita Gunther McGrath is a globally recognized expert on strategy, innovation, and growth with an emphasis on corporate entrepreneurship. Her work and ideas help CEOs and senior executives chart a pathway to success in today’s rapidly changing and volatile environments. Ms. McGrath was named one of the Top 10 Most Influential Business Thinkers by Thinkers50 in 2015 and 2013. Thinkers50 presented Rita with the #1 award for Strategy, the Distinguished Achievement Award (2013). She has also been inducted into the Strategic Management Society “Fellows” in recognition of her impact on the field.
Professor McGrath teaches Leading Strategic Growth and Change and will be launching Mastering Corporate Entrepreneurship, an online, seven-week executive education course in January. Registration is currently open.
Brian Murray is President and Chief Executive Officer of HarperCollins Publishers. Since being appointed CEO in 2008, Murray has led the transformation of HarperCollins from a traditional print publishing company focused only on English language publishing, to a dynamic print and digital publisher with broad expertise in foreign language publishing and more than $350M in digital revenues. Murray has led six acquisitions including Thomas Nelson and Harlequin. The acquisition of Harlequin in 2014 extended the company’s global platform and digital presence, resulting in the ability to publish in more than 30 languages and publishing operations in a dozen new countries. The Thomas Nelson acquisition in 2012 allowed for the formation of the HarperCollins Christian Publishing division, positioning HarperCollins as the leading publisher of Christian content in the world.
