Friday, March 30, 2012

DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR TRDA'S IGNITING INNOVATION PROGRAM - APRIL SESSION 4 DAYS AWAY!

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Midnight APRIL 2, 2012 !

I2 Capital Accelleration Logo

Are You a Florida Tech Company Looking to Raise Venture Capital?

How Can the Igniting Innovation (i2) Capital Acceleration Program Help You Succeed?

The Igniting Innovation (i2) Capital Acceleration Program, is offered by the Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA) with support from Space Florida.

It consists of three months of intense mentoring that kicks off with a one-day boot camp, and culminates with a day of presentations to a panel of investors that will provide honest feedback on your business. The i2 Mentor Network is a statewide network of "been there, done that" technology entrepreneurs that have founded and raised capital for their own companies. Our mentors have collectively raised over $300 million for their own companies, and will work with you to prepare your company (team, financial statements, business plan, sales/marketing strategy and much more) for the capital raising process. The i2 team has a network of angels, venture capitalists and pre-seed funding resources within our i2 Ventures Network to accelerate the connection of great companies to Florida's investment community.

Two mentoring sessions will be held in 2012 -- one began in January and the next session begins in April 2012. The most promising companies from each i2 Accelerator session will be invited to participate in the annual Igniting Innovation Showcase, which will be held in September 2012. The i2 showcase attracts investors, mentors and industry partners from all over the country, and has a $100,000 grant award for the most promising presenting company. The winning company will be selected by attending venture capitalists based on revenue growth potential within five years and the ability to create a return for investors.

What are the Benefits of Participating in the i2 Program?

  • Fast Track selection opportunity for i2 Showcase and the $100,000 grant competition
  • Immediate, honest feedback on your business plan, and its potential attractiveness to angels, venture capitalists or other sources of capital
  • Accelerated path to the i2 Ventures Network (angels, venture capital firms, gap funding sources)
  • Ongoing access to a deep, statewide network of experienced "been there, done that" mentors that have walked in your shoes and raised capital for their own companies
  • Quick-drop education on best practices for business plan development, financial modeling, market strategies and closing your first customers
  • Access to a statewide network of critical business service providers at reduced rates
  • Usage of the TRDA Innovation Center for workspace, meetings and classrooms

What are the Criteria to Participate in the i2 Program?

Florida-based technology companies with the following criteria are eligible for the i2 Accelerator:

  • Headquartered in Florida with at least 80% of employees also in Florida
  • Potential for rapid revenue growth within five years
  • Relevant technical expertise on team for product strategy
  • In one of the following sectors -- Internet/Media/Mobile Apps, Cleantech, Biotech/Medical Devices, Gaming/Simulation, Defense/Aerospace, Software/IT and telecommunications.

What is the Cost to Participate?

There is no cost to apply to the i2 Accelerator program. If your company is selected to participate, there is a $750 fee to participate in the three month session (payable in monthly increments of $250). This fee includes the kickoff boot camp, all mentoring sessions, and access to the TRDA facilities for workspace and meetings, and participation in the final investor presentation day. We also will provide three months of limited post-session support (maximum of five hours/month) for i2 Accelerator graduate companies that have met stated growth milestones are are ready to actively pursue capital. There are no additional costs for post session investor introductions for companies that are ready to meet with investors, nor is there a fee to participate in the i2 Annual Showcase if your company is selected to present.

How Do I Apply?

Simply fill out the online application located at www.i2florida.com/how-to-apply.

If you are selected for the April 2012 session, a mandatory one-day kickoff boot camp will be held at the TRDA Business Innovation Center in Melbourne, Florida on April 12, 2012. Applications for the April session are due by April 2nd, 2012 and selections will be announced no later than April 6, 2012.

Questions?

Contact Brenda McMillan at bmcmillan@trda.org or (321) 872-1050 ext. 103.

i2 email logo
Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA)

Like us on Facebook[Insert social links hVisit our blogere - se
ect the logos from the toolbar on the left side.]

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

UCF CECS Senior Design Day - Symposium & Showcase - April 13th

UCF College of Engineering & Computer Science

Senior Design Day


April 13, 2012 (8:00 AM – 3:00PM)

4th Annual Senior Design Symposium on Renewable

& Sustainable Energy

& the CECS Senior Design Showcase

Presentations in Eng. 2 – Lecture Hall 102 / Symposium & College-wide Projects Showcased in Eng. 2 - Atrium

Senior Day Registration - Symposium & Showcase
Parking & Directions will be provided.

3rd Annual – 2011 Symposium: Video & Publication

Progress Energy and a bevy of other local, national and global companies have been teaming with UCF’s College of Engineering & Computer Science (CECS) on renewable and sustainable energy projects during the past four years. On April 13, 2012, the 4th Annual UCF CECS Senior Design Symposium on Renewable and Sustainable Energy will be held to showcase some of the best energy innovation by graduating seniors. The 4th Annual CECS Senior Design Symposium and the Engineering Leadership & Innovation Institute (eli2) are examples of strategic commitments by UCF and Progress Energy to forge innovative, socially conscious energy solutions and to develop the leadership attributes of our future engineers.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Dan Arvizu Director, U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory. After more than three decades of professional engagement in the clean energy field, Dr. Arvizu has become one of the world's leading experts on renewable energy and sustainable energy. He frequently engages with national leaders in Congress, the Administration, academia, non-governmental organizations, and industry

During their senior year, UCF Engineering students bridge the gap between academic and professional experience by participating in year-long design and build projects that involve different disciplines of the engineering profession and include multidisciplinary teams. Along with their faculty advisors, engineering students work to develop innovative and creative product proposals, conduct the design analysis, design and build a prototype, and prepare engineering reports. At the end of their senior year, the students present and demonstrate their renewable and sustainable energy projects at the 4th Annual Senior Design Symposium as part of the College’s Senior Design Day that includes the Senior Design Showcase. All of the events are free and open to the campus community as well as to local industry.

Besides showcasing engineering innovation and talent development for the next wave of UCF engineers, the UCF CECS Senior Design Symposium on Renewable and Sustainable Energy provides invaluable experiences in project management, entrepreneurship, leadership, social responsibility and teamwork building. Applying classroom learning for the solution of real-world problems is something we do at UCF very well—and often. This year’s Senior Design Day Symposium and Showcase are great examples of innovation and experience-based learning at its best.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Seminar Today / 3.23.12 / 11-12pm / CREOL 102 / "Multi-contrast photoacoustic microscopy: listening to anatomy, function, metabolism, and biomarkers

Seminar: "Multi-contrast Photoacoustic Microscopy: Listening to Anatomy, Function, Metabolism, and Biomarkers in Vivo", Song Hu

CREOL Room 102

Friday, March 23, 2012 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM


Dr. Song Hu

Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis

Abstract:
Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM), combining focused optical excitation and ultrasonic detection, enables in vivo multi-contrast characterization of biological tissues down to the cellular level. In PAM, light absorption by endogenous biomolecules or exogenous biomarkers thermoelastically induces a local pressure rise and launches an ultrasonic wave, which propagates through the tissue and is received by an acoustic detector to form an image. This talk will focus on anatomical, functional, metabolic, and molecular PAM at various in vivo sites, including the brain, skin, and eye. The broad applications of PAM in neurology, vascular biology, oncology, and dermatology will be highlighted.


IEEE Student Chapter Seminar / 4.5.12 / CREOL 102 / 2-3:30 / “GaN-based Nanocolumn Emitters and Related Technologies", Katsumi Kishino

IEEE Student Chapter Seminar: “GaN-based Nanocolumn Emitters

and Related Technologies”, Katsumi Kishino

CREOL 102

Thursday, April 5, 2012 / 2-3:30pm

Dr. Katsumi Kishino

Sophia University

Abstract:

The problem of multi-color emission of

the InGaN-based nanocolumn LEDs was solved by

selective area growth (SAG) technique. Imploying

the GaN nanocolumn arrays, green LED and

near-infrared (1.46µm) LED were demonstrated

The monolithic integration of green and orange

emissions nanocolumn LEDs on the same GaN

template was successfully obtained (Fig.l)

Biography:

Katsumi Kishino is a professor in the Department

ofElectrical and Electronics Engineering, Sophia University,

Tokyo. He is conducting the research on nitride semiconductors

by rf-lv.IBE including GaNbased nanocolumn, nan-devices and

InN related materials, and on novel II-VI compounds on InP

substrates and related yellow-green emitters Dr. Kishino is a

fellow of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, a fellow of the

Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication

Engineers (IEICE) of Japan, and a senior member of IEEE

For More Information:

IEEE Photonics Society Student Chapter

Yifan Liu

liuyf423 @ knightsucf. edu

Chaptor Advisor:

Prof. Shin-Tson Wu

Free Webinar from GrowFL - How To Run Your Company Presented by Brent Britton

~ Free GrowFL Webinar Series ~

How To Run Your Company:
"Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask Before Helping Those Around You
(and Other Life Lessons I've Learned on Airplanes)"

Learn how to run a company, using nifty aviation metaphors.

Have your given yourself enought runway to launch?
Do your customers feel like they are in your first class cabin?
Who's really in control of your flight path?

This amusing talk presents a few important lessons for life and business drawn from long experience as an airline passenger. You will leave with some tips and tricks for staying airborne in the commercial world.

Presented by: Brent Britton
Monday, April 9, 2012
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Brent Britton is firmwide chair of Emerging Business and Technology Law in the Tampa office of GrayRobinson, PA. Brent is the only graduate of the MIT Media Laboratory who is a lawyer, and he was recently described by 83 Degrees magazine as "arguably the most sought oafter one-man think tank for entreprenerus across Central Florida." Brent has been handling technoogy and IP related legal work for small and large companies around the world for more than 20 years. He is a lively and frequent speaker. He is admitted to practice law in California, New York, and Florida. He lives in South Tampa with his wife and two children.

To attend this free webinar, please register:

http://www.growfl.com/growflnews/events/growfl-webinar-apr-9


Hosted By:

The Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida was established in 2009. Initially funded by the Florida Legislature, the Institute has provided services via the State of Florida’s Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Pilot Program, known as GrowFL. With various partnerships throughout the state, the Institute collaborates with statewide partners to support the growth of second-stage businesses through localized entrepreneurial ecosystems.

To view our program requirements and apply, click

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

TRDA's Igniting Innovation Capital Acceleration Program Assists Florida Tech Companies Raise Venture Capital

I2 Capital Accelleration Logo

Application Deadline: April 2, 2012

Are You a Florida Tech Company Looking to Raise Venture Capital?

How Can the Igniting Innovation (i2) Capital Acceleration Program Help You Succeed?

The Igniting Innovation (i2) Capital Acceleration Program, is offered by the Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA) with support from Space Florida.

It consists of three months of intense mentoring that kicks off with a one-day boot camp, and culminates with a day of presentations to a panel of investors that will provide honest feedback on your business. The i2 Mentor Network is a statewide network of "been there, done that" technology entrepreneurs that have founded and raised capital for their own companies. Our mentors have collectively raised over $300 million for their own companies, and will work with you to prepare your company (team, financial statements, business plan, sales/marketing strategy and much more) for the capital raising process. The i2 team has a network of angels, venture capitalists and pre-seed funding resources within our i2 Ventures Network to accelerate the connection of great companies to Florida's investment community.

Two mentoring sessions will be held in 2012 -- one began in January and the next session begins in April 2012. The most promising companies from each i2 Accelerator session will be invited to participate in the annual Igniting Innovation Showcase, which will be held in September 2012. The i2 showcase attracts investors, mentors and industry partners from all over the country, and has a $100,000 grant award for the most promising presenting company. The winning company will be selected by attending venture capitalists based on revenue growth potential within five years and the ability to create a return for investors.

What are the Benefits of Participating in the i2 Program?

  • Fast Track selection opportunity for i2 Showcase and the $100,000 grant competition
  • Immediate, honest feedback on your business plan, and its potential attractiveness to angels, venture capitalists or other sources of capital
  • Accelerated path to the i2 Ventures Network (angels, venture capital firms, gap funding sources)
  • Ongoing access to a deep, statewide network of experienced "been there, done that" mentors that have walked in your shoes and raised capital for their own companies
  • Quick-drop education on best practices for business plan development, financial modeling, market strategies and closing your first customers
  • Access to a statewide network of critical business service providers at reduced rates
  • Usage of the TRDA Innovation Center for workspace, meetings and classrooms

What are the Criteria to Participate in the i2 Program?

Florida-based technology companies with the following criteria are eligible for the i2 Accelerator:

  • Headquartered in Florida with at least 80% of employees also in Florida
  • Potential for rapid revenue growth within five years
  • Relevant technical expertise on team for product strategy
  • In one of the following sectors -- Internet/Media/Mobile Apps, Cleantech, Biotech/Medical Devices, Gaming/Simulation, Defense/Aerospace, Software/IT and telecommunications.

What is the Cost to Participate?

There is no cost to apply to the i2 Accelerator program. If your company is selected to participate, there is a $750 fee to participate in the three month session (payable in monthly increments of $250). This fee includes the kickoff boot camp, all mentoring sessions, and access to the TRDA facilities for workspace and meetings, and participation in the final investor presentation day. We also will provide three months of limited post-session support (maximum of five hours/month) for i2 Accelerator graduate companies that have met stated growth milestones are are ready to actively pursue capital. There are no additional costs for post session investor introductions for companies that are ready to meet with investors, nor is there a fee to participate in the i2 Annual Showcase if your company is selected to present.

How Do I Apply?

Simply fill out the online application located at www.i2florida.com/how-to-apply.

If you are selected for the April 2012 session, a mandatory one-day kickoff boot camp will be held at the TRDA Business Innovation Center in Melbourne, Florida on April 12, 2012. Applications for the April session are due by April 2nd, 2012 and selections will be announced no later than April 6, 2012.

Questions?

Contact Brenda McMillan at bmcmillan@trda.org or (321) 872-1050 ext. 103.

i2 email logo
Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA)

Like us on Facebook[Insert social links hVisit our blogere - se
ect the logos from the toolbar on the left side.]