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Events  | Spotlight |  Resources  |  Programs  | Partners |

December 1, 2023
Calling ALL Current CMU Student Entrepreneurs!

Register Your Team by December 1, 2023 to Receive a Coach


Registration is now open for the 2024 McGinnis Venture Competition, a platform exclusively for Carnegie Mellon University's community of student entrepreneurs. This competition brings together Carnegie Mellon's best and brightest student entrepreneurs to compete for $60K in investments. All participants receive crucial interaction with alumni entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, an opportunity to raise capital and valuable feedback about ventures.

Learn more about the competition and hear from previous participants at the next info session:

Info Session - January 10, 2024
Register

Register your team by December 1, 2023 to receive a coach!
Find out more and register!
IN THE NEWS
From left: Andrew Shantz, UBS; Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, Dean, Tepper School of Business; Ed Stack, Dick's Sporting Goods; Meredith Meyer Grelli, Tepper Faculty and Entrepreneur In Residence, Prasant Baratam, MBA Tepper School of Business and Dave Mawhinney, Executive Director, Swartz Center
The Swartz Center Hosts Family Business Leadership Speaker Series with Ed Stack, Dick's Sporting Goods 
The CMU Swartz Center's 2023-24 UBS Family Business Leadership Speaker Series began this week on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 with a full audience of two hundred and fifty. Ed Stack, Executive Chairman of Dick's Sporting Goods, discussed his journey in expanding his father's business into America's top sports retailer with Tepper Faculty and Swartz Center EIR Meredith Meyer Grelli. A key moment was Stack's reflection on the Parkland shooting, which led to his decision to remove assault rifles from his stores and advocate for gun reform, despite a $250M sales loss. He remains firm in his choice.

Register now for the next Speaker Series talks.
Isaiah Rodgers Wins $1.5K at the PDMA Pitch Competition During Global Entrepreneurship Week
Tepper School of Business student and Innovation Scholar Isaiah Rodgers recently won $1.5K at this year's PDMA Pitch Competition in the undergraduate division during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), which took place the week of November 13-17, 2023. His company, Clutch Car Management, is a roadside assistance and mobile mechanic service that partners with gig workers to create a more streamlined and efficient business. 
CMU HCII Researchers Receive $3M NSF Grant to Expand AI-powered NoRILLA Platform and Intelligent Science Stations in Schools
A team of HCII researchers has received a $3M NSF grant to create engaging, inquiry-based science learning opportunities for young children in the classroom. The project builds on the NoRILLA intelligent science exhibits the team created in collaboration with museums and science centers across the country. NoRILLA was created by Nesra Yannier, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon alumna and Special Faculty.
Read more
CMU Spinout, Power3D Among Eight Projects to Receive Phase I Award in the New DOE Microbattery Design Prize
Rahul Panat, an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and a team of CMU researchers in collaboration with Missouri University of Science and Technology have developed a revolutionary new method of 3D printing battery electrodes that creates a 3D microlattice structure with controlled porosity. Power3D, is among eight projects to receive a Phase I award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its Microbattery Design Prize.  
Read more
Sabrina Black (CFA, 1979)

CMU Highlights Thirteen Alumni-Owned Businesses in Feature Story 
In the spirit of the recent Small Business Saturday, thirteen Tartan entrepreneurs around the world and across the U.S. are bringing their passion and innovation to the retail sector. They were recently featured in Carnegie Mellon University's 'Merry and Tartan' story.
Read more
The Customer Discovery Kickstart Program Concludes
Fall 2023 Cohort
The CMU Swartz Center's Project Olympus Customer Discovery Kickstart program recently concluded its fall 2023 cohort. Fourteen startup teams completed the program including undergraduate and graduate students and alumni from Dietrich College, School of Computer Science, College of Engineering, Tepper School of Business and CMU's Qatar campus. See descriptions of the teams here.

The Kickstart program is for early-stage startups to explore the feasibility of their business ideas. Startups in the 4 week program learn about the fundamentals of customer discovery, including conducting customer discovery interviews and receive coaching from experienced Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.

Contact Melanie Simko, Program Manager, for more information about the next Kickstart program. Register for the virtual info session on December 5, 2023.
SWARTZ CENTER SPOTLIGHT
CMU Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Club Startup Career Fair

Date: Thursday, December 7, 2023
Time: 6:00 - 7:00 PM | ET
Location: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper Quad, 3rd Floor


*Open to ALL. Registration NOT required!
CONNECTS/START SMART LAW SEMINARS
The CONNECTS/START SMART LAW seminars have ended for the Fall semester and will return in January, 2024.

Can't make a CONNECTS? Watch on our YouTube channel. 

Find out more and see the full schedule.

99 Tartans


The mission of 99 Tartans is to partner with the highest potential, early-stage CMU alumni companies and accelerate their success through access to capital and networks. Find out more.

CMU ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLUBS
CMU GEC CMU UEA Scottie Ventures CMU Summit

The CMU Tech & Entrepreneurship group connects the CMU community, alumni and students, to build an entrepreneurial culture and provide resources to help the community succeed. There are multiple region-based chapters within the group. Find out more and join the CMU T&E blog,
the CMU Tech Entrepreneur
SWARTZ CENTER PATRONS
The following companies help directly support our programming and entrepreneurs.
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
PATRON OFFICE HOURS
Pillsbury and Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC are holding office hours for the CMU Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. The office hours are for any interested CMU graduate, undergraduate or alumni interested in entrepreneurship or connecting with members of the Swartz Center network.
Swartz Center Patron Office Hours
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Pillsbury

Legal Services Weekly Virtual Office Hours with Matt Kirmayer
Mondays 1:00-3:00 PM ET (10-12 PT)


Matt Kirmayer of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, is currently offering office hours for newly established startup and emerging companies. Matt specializes in representing technology startups and emerging growth companies, assisting with entity formation, fundraising and overall growth needs. Startup companies with a founder who is a CMU graduate, undergraduate or alumni is eligible to register for
an appointment.

To sign up for a 30 minute session with Matt, complete the Signup Form by the Thursday prior to your desired appointment. If you need to schedule an office hour outside of these regular hours,
contact Daria Stokes.
Legal Services Weekly Office Hours
Sign up for weekly office hours.
PATRON SPOTLIGHT

PwC

PwC builds trust in society and solves important problems—which is at the company's core. This guides how the company serves its clients, people and the world. To help its clients build trust and deliver sustained outcomes, PwC provides professional services across two segments: Trust Solutions and Consulting Solutions. Within these segments, PwC brings a range of capabilities to help organizations solve faster, solve more and realize more value. These capabilities include cloud and digital, deals, ESG, cybersecurity and privacy, governance/boards, risk, transformation, tax services and more. Across its global network of over 295K professionals in 156 countries, PwC is committed to advancing quality in everything it provides.
HOW TO WORK OUT OF THE SWARTZ CENTER


Swartz Center Education and Resources


No matter what phase of the entrepreneurship cycle you're in, there are programs and resources at the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship that will take your idea to the next level. Find out more.


Project Olympus Incubator Program


Want more help with finding product/market fit, developing your business model, making connections and attracting funding? Project Olympus will team you up with a business coach to develop a personalized ‘roadmap. Find out more
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES/RESOURCES
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT


The James R. Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellows program fast-tracks the careers of Carnegie Mellon University's first year graduate students who are passionate about entrepreneurship. Applications for the 2023-25 cohort are currently open through October 15, 2023. Find out more.
FIND OUT WHAT OUR PARTNERS ARE DOING
Have startup news or opportunities to share? Have questions about the Swartz Center Weekly Bulletin? Send news, opportunities or questions to Sonya Ford, Program Manager.
Visit the CMU Swartz Center website. Make a donation.
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Carnegie Mellon University Swartz Center For Entrepreneurship
5000 Forbes Avenue | Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890


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