Andrew Hargadon, a faculty member in the Graduate School of Management, directs the UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship. (Neil Michel/Axiom Photo and Design)
Green technology academy nurtures entrepreneurs
To plant the seeds of commercialization and help grow more innovative green businesses, the UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship will host the first Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy March 26-30, at the new Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village, Nev.
"Selected science and engineering Ph.D. and post-doctoral students and faculty will spend a week learning to recognize, develop and bring to market green technology and advances built on their cutting-edge research," says UC Davis Associate Professor Andrew Hargadon, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship.
The curriculum is based on the academic principles of the Graduate School of Management's technology management and entrepreneurship programs. Throughout the week, the researchers will learn from UC Davis and other university faculty, investors, entrepreneurs and industry executives to understand the path from laboratory to market, and the resources that are available along the way.
The five-day program will mix participants in teams and immerse them in lectures, practical exercises and hands-on experiences. The academy will offer tracks focused on clean energy (energy efficiency and alternative fuels); clean air, water and soil; sustainable agriculture; remediation; and sustainable materials.
The Lake Tahoe location offers a world-class center for research and education, designed to support programs that help protect the quality and future of environmentally threatened lakes and watersheds. The recently opened $24 million facility was built with green technology and operates as a collaborative partnership between UC Davis, Sierra Nevada College, the Desert Research Institute and the University of Nevada-Reno.
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is providing lead funding for the academy. Other sponsors include: National Science Foundation; Sierra Angels; Sierra Nevada College; Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences; UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center; UC Davis John Muir Institute for the Environment; UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center; National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer; venture capital firm DFJ Frontier; and DFJ Element, a leading venture-capital fund investing in clean technology.
Information and application materials can be found on the Web site for the UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship.