{"317951":{"#nid":"317951","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Startup Summer","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERachel Ford has an entrepreneur\u2019s heart. It was evident when she was a Girl Scout in Powder Springs, Georgia, organizing her troop\u2019s \u2018Operation: Cookie Drop,\u2019 in which cookie buyers were encouraged to buy a box to send to American fighting men and women overseas. And it was evident last week at the graduation for the inaugural Georgia Institute of Technology Startup Summer, when two enterprises that she co-founded were in the mix of eight undergraduate student teams pitching their products and services to a group of faculty, mentors, fellow students and potential investors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat makes Ford\u2019s accomplishment so remarkable is that 79 student teams applied to be part of the final eight that qualified for the Startup Summer program. So, the odds weren\u2019t in her favor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was just thrilled that I managed to get into the program, but to have both of my teams get in is an amazing accomplishment. But it\u2019s a testament to the teams, not one person,\u201d says Ford, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor in finance. \u201cI was blessed to have two good teams to be part of. It was luck and serendipity, and a lot of hard work.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe graduation (August 15 at the Technology Square Research Building, or TSRB) showcased the results of all that hard work, the culmination of a 12-week summer program. Eight companies with working prototypes, gave startup presentations in the TSRB auditorium, real-world training that may net real-world results for these teams, all of them made up of undergraduate students \u2013 recently graduated seniors, mostly. It was a day of celebration for a new program that might be heralding a change in the undergraduate educational experience at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think we are at a point in time where this eventually will become the norm in all universities, and I\u2019m thrilled that Georgia Tech is taking a bold step in terms of leading this kind of movement,\u201d says program coordinator Raghupathy \u2018Siva\u2019 Sivakumar, a successful entrepreneur who has started two venture-backed companies, and is a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), which supported the pilot Startup Summer effort, along with the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Startup program is, \u201cpart of a larger initiative to have \u0027entrepreneurial confidence\u0027 be a signature feature of a large number of Georgia Tech undergraduate\u0026nbsp;students of all majors,\u201d explains Ravi Bellamkonda, the professor who chairs the Coulter Department. \u201cThe idea started with the realization that students increasingly want to work for their own startups and businesses. \u0026nbsp;Also, larger companies value employees who are creative and entrepreneurial and take initiative. \u0026nbsp;These two aspects combined to create a burning question in my mind. What if Georgia Tech designed a set of experiences where students create their own jobs as a part of their experience at Georgia Tech?\u2019\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe answer to that question led to a fruitful collaboration and partnership across many university departments, spearheaded by the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and the Executive Vice President for Research\u2019s office. They needed someone with entrepreneurial experience to help lead the program, and Sivakumar was glad to step in.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs an entrepreneur myself, I\u2019m passionate about this program, which provides a platform for students that are interested in entrepreneurship,\u201d Sivakumar says. \u201cOur broader vision, going forward, is to create a bouquet of programs for undergraduate entrepreneurs, from the first day a student lands at Georgia Tech until they leave, giving them the knowledge, skills and experiences to pursue their own opportunities when they go out into the world. Startup Summer is one key aspect of that, and only the beginning.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESivakumar offered a class for sophomores and juniors, \u2018Startup Lab,\u2019 in the spring that he\u2019ll bring back next spring. His co-leader in Startup Summer, Ray Vito (professor emeritus in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering) offers a freshman\/sophomore level class, \u2018Your Idea, Your Invention.\u2019 \u201cThese are just examples,\u201d Sivakumar says. \u201cOur vision is really to have 20 such programs, all through the education process of an undergraduate student.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESivakumar, having already created venture-capital supported companies (including, most recently, StarMobile and Asankya) was a logical choice to lead the program, with an instructional team that included Vito, Keith McGreggor (director of VentureLab at Georgia Tech), and Tech alum and entrepreneur Sanjay Parekh. These guys were tasked with choosing from among the 79 applicant teams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe biggest challenge going forward will be keeping up with the demand,\u201d Vito says. \u201cThere is a lot of student interest. We looked at 79 teams, interviewed about 30 of them, and there were at least five or 10 teams in addition to the final eight that could easily have benefited from this experience. It took a fair amount of work on the part of the teams. A lot of it was in developing the technologies, and taking what they learned and essentially putting it to good use. The presentations went great today, and they seemed to all come together at the last minute. But then, the Tech culture is a last-minute culture.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESivakumar envisions a time in the not too distant future when the Startup suite of programs is helping to create up to 100 student-led companies a year, with a longer-range goal of 300. But creating little enterprises is not the only aim of the program. It\u2019s more like a targeted bonus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIts not just about starting companies, which only a small percentage of our students might do,\u201d says ECE professor and chair Steve McLaughlin, who partnered with Bellamkonda in helping to launch the program (and provide a major chunk of support). \u201cIts about creating leaders and equipping our students with a life skill over and above the superior education they get as engineers, scientists, and business graduates.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the summer program, eight teams went through 12 weeks of entrepreneurial training, most of that time spent on identifying potential customers and market needs. It took a lot of intent. One team (Filitic, an apparel analytics company) flew across country to meet with different clothing companies. Another team, Unmanned United, a drone technology company that spent a lot of time working outdoors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey practically went and lived with farmers in South Georgia,\u201d Sivakumar says. \u201cIt\u2019s one thing to hypothesize the problem, but another thing to actually be embedded with the customer and understand what their problems are.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other teams were Sucette (which makes a pacifier that changes colors when the baby is running a temperature, or it gets too hot outside for safety); Narvaro (which offers revolutionary, 3D telepresence for hyper-real virtual experiences); Gimme (which makes software that vastly increases efficiency for small to medium vending machine owners); Cloudpin (which offers an easier way to wirelessly share content with people nearby, opening up new avenues for location-based digital marketing); SonoFAST (which incorporates an innovative polymer pad for medical ultrasound procedures, replacing the need for messy liquid ultrasound); and FIXD (which has developed a plug-in sensor and an app that helps you understand your vehicle by translating your check engine light).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat does this light really mean? In reality, this light can mean over 7,000 things,\u201d says John Gattuso, FIXD co-founder, who gave his company\u2019s presentation. \u201cSo a few months ago I get a call from my mom. She says, \u2018John, I\u2019m driving home from work and my \u2018check engine\u2019 light came on. What does it mean? Can you help me?\u2019 Me being 500 miles away, I wasn\u2019t much use. I told her to go home, go to a mechanic and they\u2019d be able to figure out. It turns out the problem was a malfunction in the airbag system. My mother\u2019s life was in danger, but because this light is so vague, she was none the wiser. Her car was talking to her but she was not able to listen.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach of the companies set up a table with information and demonstrations, and all were busy fielding questions, showing off their product or service, or explaining the technology behind it. The multi-talented Ford spread her time out among the two companies she helped start\u2013 Sucette (where she has utilized her biomedical engineering education and product development skills developed at DuPont, where she worked under a co-op arrangement), and FIXD (where she is putting her finance education to work in more of a business development capacity).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m trying to bridge the gap between science and business,\u201d says Ford, who dreams of being a CEO and a soccer mom \u2013 she wants to have it all. \u201cWhen I worked in industry, at DuPont, I found that you really need backgrounds in both.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Startup Summer teams were generally comprised of two to five students. Each team had a mentor that worked with them along the early stage startup path. For Chris Klaus, the former Georgia Tech student who launched the multi-million dollar ISS (Internet Security Systems), then founded (and still leads) Kaneva (a 3D virtual world that supports 2D web browsing, social networking and shared media), this meant answering a lot of one on one business questions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat\u2019s a startup? How do we reach customers? How do we set up a set up a web site? That kind of stuff,\u201d Klaus says. \u201cI acted as a sort of advisor, or coach, for Narvaro. It\u2019s a 3D telepresence concept that has never really been explored before. It\u2019s been done in science fiction, but now we have the technology, and it\u2019s about to explode, within the next 12 months. So I saw this as a unique opportunity to jump in and provide some guidance, offer any lessons that I stubbed my toes on along the way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe difference between the Startup program philosophy and a typical business school approach, Klaus says, \u201cis like the difference between researching how to drive a car and actually driving the car. You\u2019re going to make mistakes, everyone does, but you\u2019re going to learn much quicker if you get in the car and drive.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd the program is exactly what it implies it is \u2013 a start, not the end all, but a first step toward starting a viable business.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt sort of accelerates the learning curve for student entrepreneurs,\u201d observes Lee Herron, vice president of commercialization for the Georgia Research Alliance, who has spent most of his career starting bioscience companies and helping others do the same. \u201cI\u2019m not saying it makes them entrepreneurs, but it accelerates the learning curve. These were some very polished, well-coached, well rehearsed pitches, and some unique ideas.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHerron wonders if this does mark the beginning of a change in undergraduate education, a new element to the experience. Bellamkonda and McLaughlin both believe it very well could be that, and more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe that Startup Lab and Startup Summer are just the beginning of something big, not only for engineering students, but all Georgia Tech students,\u201d McLaughlin says. \u201cThe idea that we are giving students the exposure, experience, and confidence to create their own jobs is exciting to students and increasingly important for their careers and lives in general.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBellamkonda also sees the potential for economic benefits rippling throughout the Atlanta region.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne very likely outcome of this initiative is going to be a large number of student led startups that can vitalize the Atlanta economy further,\u201d he says. Still, he maintains that the primary aim goes beyond the rapid creation and rise of fledgling companies. He wants to help create a new entrepreneurial mindset. \u201cI honestly believe that this entrepreneurial confidence in Georgia Tech undergrads is going to be transformative in terms of their ability to be successful leaders, no matter what they pursue after they graduate.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Written by Jerry Grillo\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Undergrad entrepreneurs graduate inaugural business-building program"}],"field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Rachel Ford has an entrepreneur\u2019s heart."}],"uid":"27960","created_gmt":"2014-08-21 14:31:16","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:56","author":"Chris Calleri","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-08-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-08-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"318061":{"id":"318061","type":"image","title":"Frederick Grimm and Rachel Ford.jpg","body":null,"created":"1449244974","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:02:54","changed":"1475895027","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:27","alt":"Frederick Grimm and Rachel Ford.jpg","file":{"fid":"199992","name":"sucette.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sucette_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sucette_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3743691,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sucette_0.jpg?itok=K1BR8WDP"}}},"media_ids":["318061"],"groups":[{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1612","name":"BME"},{"id":"2301","name":"entrepreneur"},{"id":"100771","name":"Rachel Ford"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Calleri\u003Cbr \/\u003E Communications Manager\u003Cbr \/\u003E Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology \u0026amp; Emory School of Medicine\u003Cbr \/\u003E 313 Ferst Drive, Suite 2120\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, GA \u0026nbsp;30332-0535\u003Cbr \/\u003E Phone: \u0026nbsp;404.385.2416\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}