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University and community innovation opportunities explored during Boulder Startup Week

brad bernthal speaking at boulder startup week panel

The future of higher education and connecting CU Boulder with the startup community听were common themes woven throughout the six听University Track sessions at听Boulder Startup Week (BSW),听sponsored by CU Boulder.

From May 13-17, CU Boulder baby直播app,听staff and alumni discussed progress made across the campus听innovation听ecosystem as well as ways for community members to engage with the university听while benefitting their own ventures.听Here are our favorite key takeaways听from听BSW sessions during the week:听

On Getting Involved with the University

  1. "The benefit of having our community members involved is so important. CU Boulder is a research university, so there is a lot of value in bringing industry professionals to further educate听our students and help them apply their teachings to solve real world problems." 鈥撎Zach Nies,听computer science instructor at the College of Engineering and Applied Science and managing director at Techstars for the Boulder program
  2. "I'm an attorney by trade and got involved with by accident. My advice to you is to attend something听on campus that interests you. With all of the events on campus, there's something for everyone." 鈥撎Brad Bernthal,听associate professor of law at the baby直播app Law School and director of the Entrepreneurship Initiative for the Silicon Flatirons Center
  3. "At the CU Engineering School, we have community members and industry coming to us with problems they need solved. We have our students work on those problems in classes and we hire adjuncts to meet with teams to help them along the way as they develop solutions." 鈥撎Daria Kotys-Schwartz,听professor at CU鈥檚 College of Engineering and Applied Science and co-director of Idea Forge
  4. "Project needs vary class by class, but don't be afraid to walk the halls or Google professors online who might be a good fit. Just reach out to them, and you'd be surprised at what you can find. There could be a way to collaborate." 鈥撎Andy Goldstein, CEO of Longpath Technologies听and Entrepreneur-In-Residence with Venture Partners at CU Boulder
  5. 鈥淭he partnerships are really beneficial for both sides, but the partnerships only work if there are win-win opportunities for both parties involved.鈥澨撎Claudia Bouvier, CU Boulder alumnae and co-founder of

On Recent Changes in Higher Education

  1. "While baby直播app has had significant budget cuts in recent years, we still have strong and听thriving university systems across our听state." 鈥撎Terri Fiez, vice chancellor for Research and Innovation
  2. 鈥淭here has been a pivotal change in the last 5-6 years in higher education and people going into computer science. Between 2012, our department had 300 computer science majors. Four听years later we have 1,000+.鈥 鈥撎Dirk Grunwald, post-bacc baby直播app director and听professor in the College of Engineering and Applied Science
  3. "In the Disaster Science discipline, we鈥檝e seen the need for more flexible systems. We face so many challenges that no one discipline can solve, but if we can come together with other disciplines, that鈥檚 when we have the opportunity for breakthrough. That collaboration can also be applied to everywhere on campus, not just in our department." 鈥撎Lori Peek, professor at the College of Arts and听Science and director of the
  4. "We moved our CMCI Studio听to downtown Boulder not because we鈥檙e anti-education, but because we鈥檙e pro-learning. We needed to bring students out of the traditional classroom and really teach them how to learn.听Students need to know that using your imagination and failure are not hindrances to the process of learning, but a part of the process of learning." 鈥撎David Slayden, associate professor at听the College of Media, Communication and Information and Executive Director of CMCI Studio

On the Future of Higher Education

  1. "We need to bring听in industry to define curriculum and tie them in closer to research projects and outcomes." 鈥撎Mark Rentschler,听professor at the College of Engineering and Applied Science and CEO and President of , a CU Boulder spinout
  2. "Walls between our disciplines, not just across colleges but within colleges as well, will become blurred so students can develop either broader skill sets." 鈥撎Dirk Grunwald,听post-bacc baby直播app director and听professor in the College of Engineering and Applied Science
  3. "Youth are going to have a much larger role in what their education will look like. They are already demanding change and听action in response to issues like gun violence and听climate change." 鈥撎Lori Peek, professor at the College of Arts and听Science and director of the Natural Hazards Center
  4. "Since Terri arrived, we鈥檝e seen an uptick in the willingness to cross boundaries and enact positive change across campus. We need our universities to be faster, leaner and take more chances." 鈥撎David Slayden,听associate professor at听the College of Media, Communication and Information and Executive Director of CMCI Studio

On Aerospace Innovation

  1. "baby直播app is one of the leading states in the country for aerospace. People say aerospace is our state's best-kept secret, which I think is silly -听it should be听promoted! Also, a听vast majority of baby直播app aerospace companies are smaller than you think, with 10 or less people. There's a lot going on in the ecosystem across the state and not just at the larger, more well-known companies like Lockheed Martin or Ball Aerospace." 鈥撎Abby Benson, assistant vice chancellor for Research and听Innovation, Office of Industry Collaboration and AeroSpace Ventures
  2. "While getting my master's in engineering听at CU, I was able to develop听a course on commercial space, since it wasn't taught in textbooks. From my lessons learned at CU, I was able to start my company,听Advanced Space, and we听have since moved from the startup phase to operating as a听small business." 鈥撎Bradley Cheetham, instructor at College of Engineering and Applied Science and CEO and President of
  3. "When a reviewer tells you your idea won't work, that's a call to figure out how to make it work. Someone from NASA once told me this, and听I proved him wrong. When looking back you'll realize that persistence and听collection of knowledge are keys to launching a startup." 鈥撎Al Gasiewski, professor at the College of Engineering and Applied Science, director of the NOAA-CU Center for Environmental Technology and senior vice president of science and technology at CU Boulder spinout, Orbital Micro Systems
  4. "CU Boulder created the AeroSpace Ventures initiative five听years ago because听we realized there's so much happening with aerospace on campus. Our researchers, labs and听units were all talking to industry, and听we needed to bring all of these people together to communicate more cohesively." 鈥撎Abby Benson,听assistant vice chancellor for Research and听Innovation, Office of Industry Collaboration and AeroSpace Ventures

To learn more about听innovation and entrepreneurship at CU Boulder, visit the听Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative.听

Photo Captions: Boulder Startup Week speakers听from left to right, top to bottom: Claudia Bouvier, Martha Russo, Brad Bernthal, Zach Nies; Terri Fiez, Dirk Grunwald, Lori Peek, Mark Rentschler, David Slayden; Sarabeth Berk; Al Gasiewski. (Credits: CU Boulder, Patrick Campbell)

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