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Startup Fundamentals Workshops

A series of hands-on workshops developed specifically for UMD faculty and graduate students to teach them a variety of skills necessary for launching a business venture.

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A series of hands-on workshops developed to teach faculty and graduate students relevant business concepts and skills, inform them of available startup resources at UMD and how to take advantage of those resources, provide them with access to legal support and advice surrounding their startups, as well as offering faculty and graduate students the opportunity to develop applicable skills and attain new tools to activate transformational impact.

Most workshops are offered two separate times during a week to allow for a more flexible schedule.

Examples of previous workshops include:

  • Business Development 101 for Startups 
  • Can my innovation become a startup?
  • Customer Discovery through I-Corps Program 
  • Intellectual Property Fundamentals
  • Identifying and Managing Conflict of Interest at the University of Maryland 
The University of Maryland offers access to over $600K in funding to startups founded to commercialize University innovations. Find out details about funding programs to validate technology, form your startup, enhance R&D and other. We will also discuss some startup opportunities available to any state of Maryland-based startups, or University System of Maryland affiliated startups.

Startup Advice from Experienced Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIR)

If your technology is marketable as a startup venture, the UM Ventures Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Program is available to provide expertise. 

UM Ventures is positioned to identify opportunities that could result in startup companies and provide a variety of services to encourage and launch that potential. This includes offering entrepreneurs access to Entrepreneurs-in-Residence—seasoned business executives with relevant domain expertise who guide the development of go-to-market strategies and business plans, form management teams, identify and help secure funding for ripe ventures.

The EIR provides feedback on technology, business planning and access to capital for inventors.

The EIRs help to advance early-stage technology transfer opportunities and expand and accelerate new business ventures. EIRs leverage their own personal networks, where appropriate, to benefit commercialization projects. They are experienced and knowledgeable about the technology commercialization process, have management level experience with early stage companies, and experience raising capital (e.g. angel, venture, grants).

Harry Geller

Harry Geller

Harry has started, owned and managed fourteen multi-million dollar businesses, primarily focused in the logistics, food services and real estate fields. Four of his companies have been named to the INC. 500 list of fastest growing companies.  

Read more about Harry
Doug Humphrey

Doug Humphrey

Doug has started many companies, had success and failure, and serves today on a variety of boards of advisors and directors, and as a business advisor to companies of all sizes. His startups include Digex, CORE Location, SkyCache/Cidera.

Read more about Doug
Dan Nadash

Dan Nadash

Dan is an experienced executive offering operations and business development expertise for startups. Dan also serves as a Site Miner for Maryland Innovation Initiative.

Read more about Dan
Laura Neuman

Laura Neuman

Laura has held public office and was CEO and company-builder in the private sector. Most notable achievement in business was to build technology startup Matrics, raising $17 million in venture capital; sold for $230 million.

Read more about Laura
David Powell

David Powell

David is Principal of DLPIBC, LLC, an international consulting firm, helping companies to promote their products and services in new markets and to increase revenue share in existing markets. He is familiar with telecommunications, software, SaaS, and international markets.

Read more about David
Kinneret Rand-Yadin

Kinneret Rand-Yadin, PhD

Kinneret is a MedTech Entrepreneur and Founding Director of SeeTrue Technology. With a Ph.D. in Cell Biology, a post-doctorate from the NIH, and years of experience working in a laboratory, she has a strong knowledge of biology fundamentals, global operations and manufacturing in a GLP/GMP environment, as well as clinical trial management for pharmaceutical drugs.

Read more about Kinneret
Sunny Sanwar

Sunny Sanwar

Sunny Sanwar is an engineer, entrepreneur and social scientist, unraveling the drivers and outcomes of innovation in energy market structures. Driven by a keen understanding of regulatory law, research in technology and applied sciences, Sunny traces the interplay among institutions, market behavior, and public policy–relevant outcomes.

Learn more about Sunny
QyanaStewart

Qyana M. Stewart, MS

Qyana serves as the CEO & Principal Consultant for GlobalForce Tech Consulting, LLC (GFTC), a company she founded in 2018. At GFTC, Qyana guides her clients to success by providing innovative, cutting-edge, and secure technological solutions.

Learn more abou Qyana

Use Startup Fundamentals Workshops to…

  • Find entrepreneurship events

    Upcoming business fundamental workshops can be found here. All attendees must register prior to the event.

  • Get business advice for my venture

    Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs), who are seasoned business executives with relevant domain expertise, offer one-on-one sessions and workshops to faculty, graduate students, and researchers on the development of go-to-market strategies and business plans, how to form management teams, identify and help secure funding for ripe ventures. They can provide feedback on technology, business planning and access to capital for inventors. The EIRs help to advance early-stage technology transfer opportunities and expand and accelerate new business ventures. EIRs leverage their own personal networks, where appropriate, to benefit commercialization projects. They are experienced and knowledgeable about the technology commercialization process, have management level experience with early stage companies, and experience raising capital (e.g. angel, venture, grants). 

  • Identify/apply for funding & grants

    Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs), who are seasoned business executives with relevant domain expertise, offer one-on-one sessions and workshops to faculty, graduate students, and researchers on raising capital (e.g. angel, venture, grants) and can provide access to capital. To sign up for an appointment, click here.

  • Launch my venture

    Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs), who are seasoned business executives with relevant domain expertise, offer one-on-one sessions and workshops to faculty, graduate students, and researchers on the development of go-to-market strategies and business plans, how to form management teams, identify and help secure funding for ripe ventures. The EIRs help to advance early-stage technology transfer opportunities and expand and accelerate new business ventures. To sign up for an appointment, click here.

  • Learn about entrepreneurship

    Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs), who are seasoned business executives with relevant domain expertise offer one-on-one sessions and workshops to faculty, graduate students, and researchers on the development of go-to-market strategies and business plans, how to form management teams, identify and help secure funding for ripe ventures. The EIRs help to advance early-stage technology transfer opportunities and expand and accelerate new business ventures. To sign up for an appointment, click here.

Contact Information

Startup UMD Suite, 7878 Diamondback Drive, College Park, MD 20740-3243