Programs

Undergraduate

Graduate

Doctoral

Faculty

Technology Development Fund

Community and Youth

Advising and Consulting Services

Women Entrepreneurs Blog @ Simon

Undergraduate Programs

UR Entrepreneurs Club
https://sa.rochester.edu/clubs/UREntrep/about

UR Entrepreneurs works to promote and facilitate entrepreneurship in the UR community by providing education, inspiration, and networking opportunities. We inspire and facilitate members of varied backgrounds to form foundations and collaborations for development and launching of ideas. The UR Entrepreneurs also develops professional relationships with businesses and other entities that can offer advice and support.


Kauffman Entrepreneurial Year (KEY)
http://www.rochester.edu/college/ccas/AdviserHandbook/KEY.html

The University of Rochester defines entrepreneurship as “transforming an idea into an enterprise that generates value,” implying that the enterprise outlives the creator and that it positively affects others. The Kauffman Entrepreneurial Year (KEY) Program offers selected students a fifth, tuition-free, year of college to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. Qualified UR students may propose to devote as much as an entire academic year to internships, special projects, business plan development, research into various facets of entrepreneurship, or analysis of how culture and public policy influence entrepreneurial activity. Students may apply from the time that they have been accepted into a major through the first semester of their senior year.

To learn more about the Kauffman Entrepreneurial Year Program, its guidelines, and how you may want to proceed with your application, you should attend an information session. The same information is presented at each meeting; you need only attend one. The fall application deadline is Thursday, November 1, 2012 at 4:00p.m. Submit applications to Liz Monte in Lattimore 312.

Note that a special review process is implemented when a student includes any course taught outside of Arts, Sciences and Engineering, the Eastman School of Music, or includes graduate courses offered by the Simon Graduate School of Business; ordinarily these courses are not approved.


Kauffman Entrepreneurial Year (KEY) Information Sessions Spring 2013
All information sessions will be held from 4:00pm to 5:00pm in Lattimore 306A

  • Tuesday, January 22
  • Wednesday, January 30
  • Thursday, February 7
  • Monday, February 11
  • Tuesday, February 19
  • Monday, February 25

Kauffman Entrepreneurial Year (KEY) Application Deadline Spring 2013: Thursday, March 21 at 4:00 p.m. to Lattimore 312.

For more information, please contact KEY Program Administrator Liz Monte (liz.monte@rochester.edu).

Click here for an overview of the application process.

Click here to download an application.

Click here to view past KEY Project descriptions.

Click here to hear current and past students talk about their KEY projects.

Join the Facebook group to talk to current and former KEY students.


Urban Fellows Program
http://www.rochester.edu/college/rccl/civic/urbanfellows

The Urban Fellows Summer Program emphasizes civic engagement, promotes learning about urban issues, and encourages a celebration and appreciation for cross-cultural issues and urban living. Through the Urban Fellows program, University of Rochester students work in area community agencies, study urban issues, and meet with local leaders, all in an effort to contribute to the Rochester community.

Eighty-five college students—about one-half from the University of Rochester—have served at least 30 different organizations since Urban Fellows began in 2002. Run by the local nonprofit Leadership Rochester with the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering, Urban Fellows is a collaborative effort funded by the Rochester Area Community Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and City Hall. Stipends are available to fund these fellowships in the Rochester Community.

Friday, February 15
Urban Fellowship Application Due

For more information, please contact Jenna Dell (jdell2@admin.rochester.edu).

Click here for a video overview of the Urban Fellows program.


Rochester Youth Year
http://www.youthyear.org

The Rochester Youth Year Program provides an unusual opportunity for recent college graduates to engage in their community and provide much needed service to the youth of Rochester. It also offers a rare opportunity for recent graduates to become immersed in the life of the city as well as to connect to civic leaders of Rochester and Monroe County. Throughout the year, the program staff will work to develop special opportunities for Fellows to network with potential employers and young professionals living in the area.

Rochester Youth Year (RYY) combines the talent and expertise of community agencies, students, faculty and administrators to create and enhance the resources and support systems available for Rochester's youth. The program is the product of collaborative efforts among the University of Rochester, SUNY Geneseo, Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. John Fisher, Nazareth College, and the College at Brockport.

Monday, March 11
Rochester Youth Year Application Due
2013-14 Rochester Youth Year Application - PDF coming soon

For more information, please contact Jenna Dell (jdell2@admin.rochester.edu).

Rochester Youth Year Brochure - PDF

Watch a YouTube video of past Rochester Youth Year Fellows reflecting on their year of service.


Mark Ain Business Model Workshop Series and Competition
http://www.rochester.edu/entrepreneurship/ain.html

The Mark Ain Business Model Workshop Series and Competition provides aspiring student entrepreneurs at the University of Rochester an opportunity to attend a series of three workshops that cover the following topics: articulation of their concept, sizing up market dynamics, development of business and operational models, and exposure to startup implementation issues.

At the conclusion of the workshops, student finalists present their concept, analysis, and recommended business model to a panel of distinguished alumni entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship professionals in a competition with a first-place cash prize of $10,000. The competition is made possible by support from Simon alumnus and entrepreneur Mark S. Ain '67, founder of Kronos Incorporated, the Chelmsford, Massachusetts-based market leader in the workforce management industry.


Charles and Janet Forbes Entrepreneurial Competition
http://www.hajim.rochester.edu/entrepreneurship/index.html

The primary goal of the Charles and Janet Forbes Entrepreneurial Award is to encourage current, full-time UR undergraduate engineering students to consider the commercial potential of their design project or research. Monetary prizes are awarded. Students, individually or in teams, compete by submitting a business plan for a manufacturing or a technical business, which is often based on their senior design projects but not limited to those projects.

Many competitors enroll in ENT 225: Technical Entrepreneurship, which guides students in writing a full business plan.

For more information or for students who intend to compete for the Forbes Award, please contact Maureen Konopka.


Eastman New Venture Challenge
http://www.esm.rochester.edu/iml/entrepreneurship/newventurechallenge.php

The Eastman New Venture Challenge is a contest to encourage new thinking and innovative ideas in music. It gives Eastman students the opportunity to fulfill a business plan that could result in the launch of a new entrepreneurial enterprise. Successful entrants will have demonstrated creativity, innovation, uniqueness, and added value to the music field.

For more information, please contact Professor Ramon Ricker (rricker@esm.rochester.edu) at the Institute for Music Leadership.


New York State Business Plan Competition
http://www.rochester.edu/entrepreneurship/nybp

The New York Business Plan Competition, The Premier Collegiate Contest, is a venture creation and innovation competition that was established in 2009 to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship throughout New York’s colleges and universities. This year, the 10 major regions of New York (Capital Region, Central New York, North Country, Mohawk Valley, Finger Lakes, Western New York, Southern Tier, Mid-Hudson, New York City, and Long Island) will hold regional competitions prior to the finals. The top teams from each of the regional zones will advance to the final statewide competition where the teams will go head-to-head for more than $225,000 in cash and in-kind prizes at the University at Albany in the spring.


Graduate Programs

Master of Science in Technical Entrepreneurship and Management (TEAM)
http://www.rochester.edu/team

The Master of Science in Technical Entrepreneurship and Management, or TEAM, degree program at the University of Rochester offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a technical cluster of their choice while receiving a strong foundation in entrepreneurial management. Through a fast-paced curriculum at the University’s Edmund A. Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business, students can complete the program in as little as one year.

TEAM graduates are equipped with detailed technical knowledge in their field while becoming business-savvy. They have the tools to innovate, lead, and strategically manage in an industry that increasingly rewards interdisciplinary expertise.

To learn more about the TEAM program, please contact the Center for Entrepreneurship at 585.276.3500 or e-mail andrea.galati@rochester.edu.


Simon School MBA Entrepreneurship Concentration
http://www.simon.rochester.edu/research-centers/the-center-for-entrepreneurship/academic-programs

The Simon School is committed to the teaching of entrepreneurship. The Entrepreneurship concentration allows MBA students to draw from a variety of carefully selected courses to become a business generalist, well versed in organizing and managing resources. Graduates with this concentration have started their own ventures or have pursued “intrapreneurial” careers with major corporations. Students often combine this concentration with finance or marketing to further enhance their educational base. This is especially true for those pursuing investment banking/M&A where the entrepreneurship knowledge can be very useful.


Simon Entrepreneurs Association
http://www.simon.rochester.edu/clubs--organizations/index.aspx

Simon Entrepreneurs Association (SEA) is a student-run, faculty, industry, and community advised organization, centered at the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester. The association was founded in September, 2005 on the following vision:

We declare the possibility of instilling entrepreneurship as a way of being in all endeavors and integrating students, faculty, alumni and external resources to create a platform for launching successful ventures and contributing to the development of a top ten entrepreneurship program.

Implicit in this declaration is the realization that entrepreneurship is a way of managing one’s life and resources to undertake new ventures. It can be applied not only to emerging technologies, but also to family and small businesses, initiatives and restructuring in large corporations, social impact, and personal projects. It is the goal of SEA to create an environment that fosters such thinking in all disciplines by creating a portfolio of academic, professional, and social activities that integrate entrepreneurial interests and resources from throughout the Rochester community.

In doing so, SEA believes it will help create leaders with the skills to thrive within uncertainty and ambiguity. Additionally, SEA activities will accelerate the rate of Rochester companies started per year, spurring economic growth in the region. These outcomes will prove to be self-perpetuating as they will yield knowledge that is fed back into the curriculum and attract more highly qualified students to Simon, ultimately leading to a program that is internationally recognized as top ten.


VISION-CONNECT

The VISION Program is the unique student-managed portion of the Simon School's M.B.A. experience. Designed each year by a committee of second-year M.B.A. students, the program was established to complement the academic curriculum and to prepare effective managers for today's dynamic business environment. The VISION Program is required for all first-year full-time M.B.A. students.

In 2007-2008, the VISION Board has established a new Corporate Social Responsibility initiative -"VISION CONNECT"- in association with the University of Rochester Center for Entrepreneurship. Simon students have the opportunity to work on real world projects such as marketing and business plans for not-for-profit organizations and their clients in the Rochester area. Students evaluate and choose the projects based on their area of interest and receive VISION credits based on the project length and feedback from the agency. Most of the projects will be 2-4 weeks in duration.

VISION CONNECT PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS:

  • City of Rochester Economic Development Department
  • Small Business Development Center
  • Ibero-American Action League, Inc.
  • Action For a Better Community, Inc.
  • The Community Place of Greater Rochester, Inc.
  • NeighborWorks
  • Urban League of Rochester, NY, Inc.

For more information, contact VISION@simon.rochester.edu.


Summer Entrepreneurship Internship Program
http://www.rochester.edu/entrepreneurship/intern.html

The Summer Entrepreneurship Internship Program, supported by Simon alumni Mark S. Ain and Steven Levinn, is a 10-week position at local startups or economic development organizations for Simon School and TEAM graduate students. Interested students should submit their resumes to cfe@rochester.edu on a rolling basis.


Mark Ain Business Model Workshop Series and Competition
http://www.rochester.edu/entrepreneurship/ain.html

The Mark Ain Business Model Workshop Series and Competition provides aspiring student entrepreneurs at the University of Rochester an opportunity to attend a series of three workshops that cover the following topics: articulation of their concept, sizing up market dynamics, development of business and operational models, and exposure to startup implementation issues.

At the conclusion of the workshops, student finalists present their concept, analysis, and recommended business model to a panel of distinguished alumni entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship professionals in a competition with a first-place cash prize of $10,000. The competition is made possible by support from Simon alumnus and entrepreneur Mark S. Ain '67S (MBA), founder of Kronos Incorporated, the Chelmsford, Massachusetts-based market leader in the workforce management industry.


Eastman New Venture Challenge
http://www.esm.rochester.edu/iml/entrepreneurship/newventurechallenge.php

The Eastman New Venture Challenge is a contest to encourage new thinking and innovative ideas in music. It gives Eastman students the opportunity to fulfill a business plan that could result in the launch of a new entrepreneurial enterprise. Successful entrants will have demonstrated creativity, innovation, uniqueness, and added value to the music field.

For more information, please contact Professor Ramon Ricker (rricker@esm.rochester.edu) at the Institute for Music Leadership.


New York State Business Plan Competition
http://www.rochester.edu/entrepreneurship/nybp

The New York Business Plan Competition, The Premier Collegiate Contest, is a venture creation and innovation competition that was established in 2009 to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship throughout New York’s colleges and universities. This year, the 10 major regions of New York (Capital Region, Central New York, North Country, Mohawk Valley, Finger Lakes, Western New York, Southern Tier, Mid-Hudson, New York City, and Long Island) will hold regional competitions prior to the finals. The top teams from each of the regional zones will advance to the final statewide competition where the teams will go head-to-head for more than $225,000 in cash and in-kind prizes at the University at Albany in the spring.


Simon School Venture Capital Fund (SSVCF)
http://ssvcf.com/

The Simon School Venture Capital Fund is an early stage student-run VC fund run by 2nd year MBA students at the Simon School, University of Rochester. The SSVCF is an evergreen fund and was initially funded by alumni donations. The fund is guided by an advisory board, which consists of successful entrepreneurs, VC investors, and accomplished professionals in other fields.

The purpose of the Simon School Venture Capital Fund is to create unique and experiential learning opportunities for students with respect to entrepreneurship and venture capital investment. The Fund will provide a unique educational experience for Simon students through hands-on due diligence, interaction with entrepreneurs, presentations to advisory board members, direct participation in investment decisions, and ongoing monitoring and analysis of investments. The objective is to make sound investment decisions based on comprehensive due diligence and investment analysis with the intent to perpetuate the life of the fund. The SSVCF will serve as a hallmark activity for the Simon School and increase the School’s visibility and participation in Rochester’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Doctoral

Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship Grants
The Dissertation Fellowship Program is now accepting applications for 2013. The program will award up to fifteen Dissertation Fellowship grants of $20,000 each to PhD, DBA, or other doctoral students for the support of dissertations in the area of entrepreneurship. Recipients may use the grant to pay for costs associated with their dissertation, including data collection and analysis, databases, specialized hardware/software, and travel. All proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday, September 19, 2012.

Click here for complete information and to download the application documents.


Faculty

Center for Entrepreneurship Faculty Seminar
Part of the Center for Entrepreneurship Lecture Series, the Faculty Seminar is the second part of this unique program. A leading entrepreneurship educator moderates a seminar on a focused entrepreneurship topic. The seminar is open to all entrepreneurship faculty and staff in the Upstate New York Region. Representatives from such schools as the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Nazareth College, and SUNY Geneseo have attended in previous years. Topics have included "Good Capitalism, Bad Capitalism"; "The Future of Entrepreneurship Education"; and "Creativity and Innovation." Launched in 2007, this series has featured Jeff Timmons of Babson College, Bob Litan of the Kauffman Foundation, and Steve Mariotti of the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE).


Kauffman Faculty Research Grants
The University of Rochester has adopted a broad definition of entrepreneurship: "Transforming Ideas into Enterprises that Create Value," where the value could be economic, cultural or social. From 2005 to 2008, the University offered research grants on a semi-annual basis for clinical and tenured faculty at UR who were conducting research that helped us better understand how entrepreneurship thus defined may play out in different fields.

Click here to see a list of Kauffman Faculty Research Grant awardees from the years 2005-2008.

Click here to see a video of three faculty presenting their research findings on March 4, 2009.


Technology Development Fund

http://www.rochester.edu/TechnologyDevelopment/index.html

The Technology Development Fund promotes transfer and translation of research into commercial applications through monetary awards to advance promising UR technologies towards commercial applications. In so doing, it enhances the University's economic impact and its mission of active dissemination of knowledge to society.

Awards can range from $40,000 to $100,000 to support projects of approximately one year in duration. The Fund supports technical and administrative staff salaries, equipment, and supplies. It does not fund faculty salaries or overhead.

Qualified applicants include any faculty member, post doctoral fellow, graduate student, or other employee of the University, who has submitted an Invention Disclosure to the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) prior to or simultaneous with application indicating intent to pursue commercial opportunities.

The application solicits information from applicants pertinent to the fund evaluation criterion. The Screening Committee, composed of potential coaches and mentors with appropriate expertise, often from outside the University, are assigned the task of reviewing and selecting the project(s) with the best chances of advancing the technology's commercial value.


Community and Youth Programs

Center for Entrepreneurship Lecture Series
Occurring in both the fall and spring semesters, the Center for Entrepreneurship Lecture Series features a leading entrepreneurship educator as a guest speaker. The educator presents a free lecture, open to the general public, in the late afternoon. The lecture is followed by an evening reception where the speaker can interact with the event attendees. The next morning, the lecturer moderates a Faculty Seminar, open to all entrepreneurship faculty and staff in the Upstate New York Region. Launched in 2007, past lecturers in this series have included Jeff Timmons of Babson College; Bob Litan of the Kauffman Foundation; Steve Mariotti of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE); Tina Seelig ’79, executive director, Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Stanford University; Nanette Levinson, director of the International Communication Program and associate professor at the School of International Service, American University; Marcus Hill, Prison Recruiter, and David Joekel, Executive Relations Manager, of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program; Daniel Lazarek ’91 (MBA), Chief Financial Officer and Co-owner, Access Insurance Holdings Inc.; Mary L. Walshok, Associate Vice Chancellor for Extended Studies and Public Programs, Dean of University Extension, and Associate Professor of Sociology, University of California at San Diego; Jane Plitt, entrepreneur and author of Martha Matilda Harper and the American Dream: How One Woman Changed the Face of Modern Business; and Nick Lantuh ’90S (MBA), president and director, NetWitness Corporation.

Click here to watch videos of past lectures.


The F.I.R.E. Lecture Series
The F.I.R.E. (For Inventors, Researchers, and Entrepreneurs) Series is a regular lecture series designed to educate the university community about the many aspects of Technology Transfer, what it means to be an inventor, what every researcher should know in order to protect potential intellectual property rights, and the complexities of starting a business. This lecture series is run out of the University of Rochester Medical Center Office of Technology Transfer.

Click here for upcoming lecture information.


Global Entrepreneurship Week
http://www.unleashingideas.org/

The vision of Global Entrepreneurship Week states that for one week, millions of young people around the world will join a growing movement of entrepreneurial people to generate new ideas and to seek better ways of doing things. Dozens of countries are coming together to participate in an initiative that aims to inspire young people to embrace innovation, imagination, and creativity. To think big. To turn their ideas into reality. To make their mark. The University of Rochester participated in the first-ever Global Entrepreneurship Week in 2008, touching over 600 people with a variety of entrepreneurial activities.


Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!)
http://www.yeausa.org

Transform ideas into enterprises in this yearlong academic program. Start as a student and finish as the CEO of your own company! YEA!, Inc. is responsible for the organization and implementation of the University of Rochester’s YEA! class.

For more information on the program, call YEA! Inc. at 585.272.3535 or e-mail Heather Forbes at hforbes@yeausa.org.


Rochester Scholars and Rochester Scholars Jr.
https://enrollment.rochester.edu/admissions/precollege

These innovative pre-college programs allow middle- and high-school students to gain new perspectives and meet peers with similar academic and personal interests while focusing upon an area of study. The wide range of course options include: "Entrepreneurship: How to Start your Own Business," "Sports Marketing," and "Digital Art." These non-credit courses are offered during winter, spring and summer breaks.

Click here for more information on the Rochester Scholars and Rochester Scholars Jr. programs.


Rochester Regional Business Plan Contest and Celebration of Entrepreneurship
http://www.htr.org

The 2013 Rochester Regional Business Plan Contest and Annual Celebration of Entrepreneurship encourages entrepreneurship and recognizes new, high-growth ventures in the Greater Rochester New York Region. This year's event offers contestants a chance at winning over $50,000 in cash and business service prizes, including a 1st place cash prize of $25,000. All finalists will receive a customized prize package, as well as significant exposure to the business and investment communities. More information coming soon.


Golden Horseshoe Business Challenge
http://www.rochesterbiz.com/GoldenHorseshoe/

The Golden Horseshoe Business Challenge was targeted toward entrepreneurs in cities in Western New York and Ontario, Canada. The first-place winner received $100,000 in cash to help implement the winning business plan. Judges included a select group of venture capitalists. The competition was made possible by generous support from Simon alumnus and entrepreneur Mark S. Ain '67, founder of Kronos Incorporated, and the Finger Lakes WIRED grant from the Department of Labor. Participants in the Golden Horseshoe Business Challenge were required to first compete at the regional level. The competition was held in 2007 and 2008.

Click here for an overview of the 2008 Golden Horseshoe Business Challenge.



Advising and Consulting Services

Advising and consulting services at the University of Rochester Center for Entrepreneurship include personal counsel from entrepreneurship faculty and support from talented Simon Graduate School of Business students. Professional mentoring, on a flexible schedule, will help entrepreneurs and businesspeople improve on their business models; identify problems and formulate solutions; and create connections and networking opportunities. Open to University faculty and staff, students, and the greater Rochester community, this service offers multiple benefits to aspiring entrepreneurs, businesspeople, not-for-profit organizations, and established companies.

To learn more about advising and consulting services or to schedule an appointment, call the University of Rochester Center for Entrepreneurship at 585.276.3500.


Women Entrepreneurs Blog @ Simon

http://www.webatsimon.com

The Women Entrepreneurs Blog @ Simon provides a fact-filled online forum for women interested in starting their own businesses or furthering an existing entrepreneurial venture. The blog contains helpful information on starting a business, creating a business plan, finding financing, legal direction and much more. It also features insights from leading Western New York female entrepreneurs and business leaders, including:

  • Suzanne Clarridge, president, C.E.O. and founder of My Brands Inc.
  • Yvonne DiVita, founder and president of Windsor Media Enterprises L.L.C.
  • Lauren Dixon, C.E.O. of Dixon Schwabl Advertising
  • Jane Glazer, founder and president of QCI Direct
  • Marita Greenidge, founder and president of Crimson-Jade Consulting Inc.
  • Alyssa Gruber, Simon M.S. Marketing Candidate, Class of 2010
  • Cindy Hirschberg, intellectual property attorney at Brown & Michaels, P.C.
  • Elisabeth Hager, founder and CEO of Balan Biomedical
  • Jackie Marchand, president of WomanTours, Inc.
  • Sherri McArdle, co-CEO of McArdle Ramerman & Co.
  • Victoria Reynolds, deputy district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration's District Office in Buffalo NY
  • Judy Seil, director of the Department of Planning and Economic Development of Monroe County, NY
  • Claire Siegrist, a Rochester area middle school student participating in the Young Entrerpeneurs Academy
  • Stella Slaight, vice president of business and professional banking at M&T Bank
  • Kitty Van Bortel of Van Bortel Subaru