Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Organizing a "Startup Weekend-esque" event for science-based start-ups

Hi,

I'm working with Jim Tung (2015 Chair-elect of the Portland section of the American Chemical Society) to on organizing a  "Startup Weekend-esque" event for science-based* start-ups, and we are looking for as much help or advice as we can get.

Due to the nature of science-based start-ups, they don't lend themselves well to  the "build a MVP and market test" part of the standard start-up weekend format, which I'd be happy to talk about  later, but would benefit from rest of the "startup weekend package/experience." Also Startup Weekend is an organization with resources that would be great to tap into.

Our target location is Salem, during a week day(s) sometime in March or April of 2016, so we can invite the state legislature and governor to attend. Obviously we are targeting science entrepreneurs in Oregon. We also wish to include those in southern Washington, and possibly as far south as Redding CA and east into Idaho. We also wish to include in-state and out-of-state investors.

If you'd like to help or have advice, please contact me at wahl.troy@ocari.biz.

*: pharmaceutical, biofuel, biosynthesis, catalysts, nanomaterials, green chemistry (a type of cleantech), medical devices, polymers/new materials, etc...

Thank you,
Troy

Monday, March 23, 2015

ACS Presents: How to Create a Safety Culture while Growing your Business

The Portland section of the American Chemical Society (ACS), and Oregon City Applied Research Incubator Inc, invite you to attend "How to Create a Safety Culture while Growing your Business" as part of our efforts to encourage scientific entrepreneurship in the Portland Oregon Metro Area. If you are thinking about starting your own business or joining a start-up, please come. If you are thinking about being a professor with your own research group, please come. Not a chemist, please come because the principles discussed apply to all types of businesses (at the minimum, every business has someone using cleaning supplies).

For you business students and faculty, please come. From CEOs to the least paid janitor, safety is everyone's responsibility. Also, this will be a good chance for you to meet your future business partners.

We have invited biology, chemistry, physics, and business students and faculty from colleges, and universities throughout the Portland Metro Area to attend. So if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, this should be a good networking event for you.

"How to Create a Safety Culture while Growing your Business" will be held at Portland State University in the Science Research and Teaching Center (SRTC) room B1-52 on April 14th at 4pm.

To attend, please contact either Jim Tung (2015 Chair-elect for the Portland Section of the ACS, jimtung@gmail.com ) or myself (Founder of Oregon City Applied Research Incubator, wahl.troy@ocari.biz).

The flyer for this event can be viewed here:

Friday, March 13, 2015

Updated Business Plan

After much fiddling, I've finally finished updating OCARI's business plan (Oregon City Applied Research Incubator Business Plan ). This version reflects many of the things I've learned since writing the original business plan and explicitly touches on several state policy issues. While being more comprehensive, it is long.