Start something… and here’s who can help.

Startup Lifecycle (thanks YallaStartup for the image!)

See the image to the left? If you’ve drawn this on a paper napkin, and then scratched your head at the checklist…

Chances are: you need this list.

Over the last few days, there have been multiple meetups, CED Cafes and TiE Carolina events that have offered opportunities for entrepreneurs like you to connect with the Research Triangle region’s rich resources of support organizations to help make that light bulb idea of yours a reality.

A huge thanks to CED for starting this list, and the many more who pinged me with others. As they say, I only know what I know. SO. If you want to be included on the list, leave a comment with your organization’s name, description, and contact information and any special packages you have to support our entrepreneurs.

And now… the list:

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Bridging the Gap

Have you ever been prescribed a drug or therapy that didn’t seem to agree with your system?  Or diligently taken your medicine but experienced no improvement in your condition?  I’ve certainly dealt with this before, and after I finish feeling annoyed with my doctor, I wonder why on earth someone hasn’t figured this out yet!

In fact, many people ARE figuring this out – it’s called companion diagnostics.  And lucky for us, the folks at bioMONTR, a start-up in RTP’s Park Research Center, are making progress in our backyard.

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Kauffman Foundation Unveils ‘Startup Act’

Entrepreneurship is what powers this economy. It is imperative that we nurture our greatest asset as a nation in nurturing creativity, developing intellectual property and products with policies that create a more supportive environment for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO on The Kauffman Foundation | The Startup Act

Earlier this week, The Kauffman Foundation presented a proposal to spur the U.S. economy and increase job creation by accelerating the growth of startups and young businesses. The Startup Act aims to focus the attention of citizens and policymakers on the central role that high-growth startups must play to assure continued U.S. economic strength.

The unveiling of the Startup Act follows Kauffman data released last week that found that while more firms than ever have been created each year since the last recession began, the numbers of new firms with employees continues to drop—and this is a trend that pre-dates the recession.

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Investing in Opportunity

“Where are the jobs?”

Twenty-three percent, according to Twitter’s Topic Tracker, of the possible questions for President Obama, focused on jobs during his first ever Twitter town hall this past week.

With the next job report out July 8, even Warren Buffett is optimistic on jobs.  So optimistic, that he placed a little wager (one dollar, to be exact) that the U.S. unemployment rate – now at 9.1% – will dip well below 8% by November next year. [Update: June jobs report out. Just up 18,000]

But by 2020, the U.S. will need to create 20 million jobs to recover from the 7 million lost in the Great Recession and 13 million needed for the country’s growing population.

So, what’s with the downer post?

Quite the opposite actually. Despite the economic challenges, our region’s historically strong technology and innovation performance places us in a competitive position as demand for science and technology-driven growth builds.

Governor Perdue, Lou Tapper - Longistics, Cris Mulder - RTP, Secretary of Commerce Crisco

I’ve had the opportunity in the last few months to travel with Governor Perdue and Secretary of Commerce Crisco as they courted businesses from outside states, hosted the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and most recently in promoting the region at the BIO International Conference in Washington D.C.  And the message each time is abundantly clear from the Governor:  “I will take any meeting or make any call to bring new businesses or keep existing companies here.”

But actions speak louder than words. The governor has made calls for rethinking the state’s business tax structure, hoping to cut tax rates on small business and corporations in order to remain regionally competitive and spur new job growth. The governor also supported continued and increased state investments in business incentives and tax credit programs designed to support job growth. And, North Carolina also has a network of over 25 core public and private research laboratories supporting research in biotechnology and life sciences. And as the Governor says, it’s our strong regional collaboration that attracts businesses to look at the entire package.

Public-private partnerships are key.

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The Science of Start-ups

On the heels of President Obama’s and the White House Jobs and Competitiveness Council’s visit to the RTP and the Triangle region, it struck me as I listened in on the entrepreneurship and innovation/biotechnology sessions with corporate executives: one thing is clear, access to capital is critical. And investors aren’t investing. And if they are, they’re difficult to find.

To Ted Zoller of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flager School of Business and Director for the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, creating new jobs and companies goes beyond great ideas and ample capital.

“If we’re able to figure out where the opportunities lie and use networking as a tool, that will broaden the ability to focus each venture to the group of people that would best positioned to support that venture through success,” said Zoller.

His research relates to entrepreneurial networks. Dealmakers, as Zoller defines, are investors who have equity in three or more companies concurrently, are an part of the critical catalyst to bring entrepreneurs and investors together. Read more »

AG-Tech Landscape Grows in RTP

Agriculture is big business in North Carolina, bringing in $70.1 billion to the state annually – that’s 18% of N.C.’s income.  More than 4,000 North Carolinians work in over 70 ag-tech companies, which include RTP-based BASF Group, Bayer CropScience, Monsanto Company, and Syngenta. And soon, the landscape will grow with the exciting announcements made this week!

With the N.C. Biotechnology Center as its backdrop, a non-profit organization working to strengthen biotech initiatives in the state, two major announcements were made:

• Governor Perdue Announces $13.5M Greenhouse Incubator – Alexandria Ag-Tech Center
• Syngenta announces $71 million expansion in RTP

Alexandria AG-Tech Center

Announced Tuesday, the Alexandria AG-Tech Center is a $13.5 million, 50,000-square-foot agricultural research center near the Research Triangle Park that would include 18,000 square feet of greenhouse space.

The center will provide individual greenhouse modules and support areas along with shared amenities, according to Alexandria. Each greenhouse will have separate environmental controls, planting and support spaces. Completion is expected Summer 2012. Read more »

$20 Million Endowment for Biomedical Engineering Research

A $20 million endowment to foster research collaboration between bioengineers and clinicians, with the ultimate goal to develop new technologies to improve patient care, has been created by Duke University and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation.

The endowment’s ultimate goal is to develop new technologies to improve patient care.

The Duke Coulter Translational Partnership in biomedical engineering is being funded by $10 million from the Coulter Foundation, with additional investments from Duke and the Fitzpatrick Foundation that brings the endowment to $20 million for Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering. Read more »

Entrepreneurs. Electronics. Elevators. Expansions. Oh my.

Phew! It’s Friday. And what a week! A week filled with excitement and energy in and around the RTP and the Triangle. Bear with me as I recap… I promise, I have an important point.

• Entrepreneurs. As many of you know, we started the week with a bang as The Blackstone Charitable Foundation committed $3.6 million in 2011 to support a dense network of entrepreneurial support in this region.

• Electronics. The RTP community through wind rain and sun came out in force to recycle old electronics and donate reusable computers to Kramden Institute, Inc., a 501(c)(3)not-for-profit charitable institution to refurbish. Kramden then empowers hardworking, less-advantaged students in the community by giving them home computers, allowing them to bridge the digital divide and advance their achievement.

• Elevators. Elevator pitches that is – during a 2-minute lightening round from some of the most promising start-ups and some serial entrepreneurs at the CED Venture Conference. First, can I just say the coffee at the beautiful and expansive Raleigh Convention Center rocks! And second, we’ve got some serious rock-stars in this area. Michael Capps at Epic Games. You crushed it. Ben Weinberger at Digitalsmiths. Just to name a few.

• Expansions. I told you. It was a busy week! RTI International held a grand opening event for their gorgeous, new 127,000 square-foot LEED Silver Building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) on its main campus in the Park. And we celebrated with nearly 300 Biogen Idec employees and partners from the RTP and from around the region and broke ground for an 180,000-square-foot LEED office building, expanding their presence in the Park. Read more »

Get Off to the Right Start

As part of our series on Park Research Center and the impressive array of start-up companies that call the campus home, we’d like to highlight one of the campuses most prized amenities – Genesis Enrichment Center for Children.  A privately owned and operated preschool and child development center located right in the middle of RTP, GECC caters specifically to Park employees and their children.

GECC opened it’s doors at Park Research Center in 2007 and cares for children ages six weeks through twelve years.  Against a backdrop of beautiful trees and four spacious playgrounds dotting its surrounding, GECC is committed to providing a safe, happy, and clean environment allowing children to have fun while learning and growing.  

“Our mission is to allow parents to go to work feeling secure with GECC’s commitment to their children’s care and education.  A keypad entry system is used at our location to ensure the highest security, only giving access to those families enrolled.  We also have an open door visitation policy for our families, allowing them to come by at anytime throughout the day to observe their child,” says Susan Kibicho, Business Development Director.

Daily schedules vary for each age group; however, children have frequent opportunities to express themselves creatively through music, movement, art, and scientific exploration. Teachers provide frequent opportunities to develop emerging literacy and numerical concepts, with blocks of time reserved for daily weather-permitting outdoor play and activities.

GECC is open from 6:30am – 5:30pm weekdays.  Visit their website and call 919 549-9600 to speak with Rasheedah or Nisa for more information or to schedule an on-site tour!

Advancing Innovation. RTP Incubator Partners with Innovalyst

First Flight Venture Center (FFVC), a technology incubator and Innovalyst, a life sciences consulting firm committed to catalyzing innovation, today announced an innovative partnership to provide strategic and technical support to life science entrepreneurs in Research Triangle Park. Innovalyst’s ICaN (Intellectual Capital Network) will provide fit for purpose teams of industrial experts to FFVC’s life science and medical device companies.

“This foundational partnership between FFVC and Innovalyst represents a powerful pledge on behalf of FFVC to the life science community in the Research Triangle Park. We are committed to expand our life science focus and have augmented our wet labs by more than 50 percent in the last 18 months.” Explained Dr. Andrew Schwab, President, First Flight Venture Center.

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