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Past Events

Interested in recordings of previous seminars?

Thinking about starting a company? What you need to know.

Transforming ideas and intellectual property into impactful business ventures is a critical component of UIC’s research efforts. Join us to learn how faculty and staff can manage potential conflicts of interest so that their startup can move forward as smoothly as possible.

Customer Discovery – Who’s buying?

As an entrepreneur, it’s your job to build a product that customers want to buy. Learn how to ask the right questions and have compelling conversations with potential customers to drive product development and validate your hypotheses about profitable market segments.

Defining Your Value Proposition – What’s the big deal?

Learn how to define your startup’s value proposition to ensure you can build a compelling and sustainable business. This session will teach you how to identify customer pain points to ensure your product or service is positioned around their values and needs.

Pitch your idea – What do investors look for?

Your pitch deck is your calling card. It’s what investors see even before they agree to meet with you. Learn how to package up your idea and create a persuasive presentation so you can grab their attention with a compelling story.

Forming a Company – Do it right the first time.

Ready to launch your new ventures? Join us to learn about the when, what and how of setting up your company and how to prevent expensive mistakes. Understand the pros and cons of an S-Corp, LLC and C-Corp and how investors will view different entity structures.

Immigration Law – Nobody looks good in orange.

Hiring talent from abroad can help your startup grow, but it comes with challenges. This session will help you navigate the immigration law essentials and focus on how international students and other entrepreneurs can stay in the U.S. in a work authorized status.

Financing Your Company – Money, that’s what I want!

Finding sources of funding is one of the most important and difficult tasks a startup undertakes. Take a detailed dive into the financing strategies and types of funding available for entrepreneurs, and gain insight on how to access funding.

SBIR 101– Everything you need to know.

If you’re working on the next technological breakthrough, your company may qualify for a federal SBIR grant. Join this in-depth discussion to learn about program eligibility, participating agencies, and what to expect when preparing a proposal.

Growing a Company – It’s all about the team.

There is no such thing as a solo entrepreneur but finding and keeping great talent is a challenge for companies of all sizes. Join us to learn how to build a team that will help drive success for your startup and the best ways to avoid costly mis-hires.

Technology Translation – Get your product market-ready.

Medical translation is one of the most complex and demanding types of commercialization. This session will explain how to take a bench technology from a crude prototype to a market-ready product. Learn about cost-effective methodologies that assure safety, reduce non-compliance risks, and increase speed to market.

Marketing Your Product – It’s time to get creative.

If people are not aware of your existence, then how will your startup grow? From branding to building a digital presence to getting customers for your business, learn how to leverage different marketing strategies to take your startup to new heights.

Social Media – Where business is done.

Social media can be your secret weapon to increase brand awareness with your target customers. The best part? It’s a cost-effective way to market your startup. Join us to learn how to maintain a clear, impactful and authentic social media presence.

Selling Your Product – Create a winning strategy.

You’ve developed a great new technology. You’ve invested thousands of hours of work. Now comes the tough part – selling your product. This session will explore various methods of selling products to customers and discuss the pros and cons of each.

Exit Strategy – There’s more than IPOs.

Most entrepreneurial successes don’t end with an IPO. Join us to learn about different exit strategies, the best time to sell your startup, and how to prepare yourself for a successful exit and navigate the process..