Workshops
- The Fundamentals of Incubator Management
- Seed Accelerators: Growing Your Incubator's Influence, Bottom Line and Relevance
- Food Manufacturing and Business Incubation
- Facilities Management
- Business Incubation in a Global Market
- Developing a Successful Incubator
- Strategic Fundraising for Your Incubator
- Fostering Business Growth in Rural Communities
- Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurs
The Fundamentals of Incubator Management
Monday, Oct. 1
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Many new incubator managers have more questions than answers. How do I attract clients? How do I provide the kind of business assistance they need most? Where will my revenue come from? And how does graduation work? This workshop takes an in-depth look at every aspect of business incubation, covering client intake, incubator services, business models, missions and graduation.
Workshop topics include:
- The history and evolution of business incubation
- Elements of incubator business models and governance
- Steps in the incubation process
- Why and how to track impact
You’ll also learn about creating incubator mission statements and governance structures, working with a board of directors, generating revenue and achieving financial self-sustainability, recruiting clients and more.
Speakers
Tom Strodtbeck, Director of Events and International Programs, National Business Incubation Association, Liverpool, England
Strodtbeck oversees the development, programming and execution of NBIA's International Conference on Business Incubation and Training Institute. Under his direction, NBIA successfully launched three new training initiatives: the Incubator Management Certificate Program, the Summit for Advanced Incubation Professionals and NBIA Webinars. He has presented on the subject of incubation and business creation in the U.S., Mexico, England, Malaysia, China and France.
David Terry, Executive Director, West Texas A&M University Enterprise Network, Amarillo, Texas
Terry is an entrepreneur with more than 10 years of experience in facilitating the growth of new ventures. During that time, he has assisted more than 800 small businesses. He is also a sought-after speaker and trainer. Terry is first vice chair of NBIA's Board of Directors and a member of its executive committee. He was recently recognized by the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce as a recipient of the inaugural Top 20 Under 40 award for business leaders.
Who should attend? What you’ll learn:
Please note: This workshop is a requirement of the NBIA Incubator Management Certificate Program. Visit www.nbia.org/certificate to learn more about this program and its requirements. |
Seed Accelerators: Growing Your Incubator's Influence, Bottom Line and Relevance
Monday, Oct. 1
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
This advanced workshop, taught by two industry veterans, will highlight everything you need to know to design and implement a first-rate seed accelerator program. Topics will include program design, prospect recruitment, development of seed capital sources, identification of mentors and establishment of an entrepreneurial support network.
The workshop will address how to:
- Integrate the incubator into the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem
- Implement essential programming to build bigger companies by enhancing your program’s value proposition, strengthening client offerings, improving deal flow and diversifying revenue sources
- Identify the sophisticated services and partnerships your incubator program should offer
Speakers
Karl LaPan, President & CEO, Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, Fort Wayne, Ind.
LaPan has more than 12 years of experience in the incubation industry and operates one of the top incubators/research parks in the U.S. He has raised more than $30 million while building out more than 74,000 square feet of office, manufacturing and wet laboratory space. LaPan co-authored Creating Winning Business Plans with Steve Franks. His latest work is the first in a series of incubator guide books titled Strategies for Advancing Your Organization and Yourself. He has also co-authored a revision of NBIA's best-selling work, Best Practices in Action. LaPan serves as second vice chair of NBIA's Board of Directors.
Mark Long, President, Long Performance Advisors, Ellettsville, Ind.
Long operates a global consulting company focused on accelerating efforts in incubation, technology transfer, sales and marketing, and business and economic development. He is currently an instructor in entrepreneurship and management at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Long is the former president and CEO of the Indiana University Research and Technology Corp., which owns and operates the Indiana University
Emerging Technologies Center, a life science incubator. He has more than 20 years of experience in clinical diagnostics in sales, marketing and technical services.
Who should attend? What you’ll learn:
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Food Manufacturing and Business Incubation
Monday, Oct. 1
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Kitchen and food processing incubation programs are gaining popularity quickly. This workshop will provide models of best practices, answers to regulatory and licensing issues, examples of support and services unique to the food industry, and how to build collaboration among managers and other experts working with this targeted type of program.
Workshop topics include:
- Best practices for food processing incubators in a variety of contexts
- The importance of marketing for client success
- How to develop resources and support programs for food processing clients
- Regulations – how to keep our food supply safe and clients informed
Speakers
Lou Cooperhouse, CEO, Food Spectrum, LLC, Avalon, N.J.
Cooperhouse is CEO of Spectrum Growth Strategies, which provides expertise in business innovation and incubation, cluster development, technology commercialization and knowledge transfer. Previously, he was director of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center (recipient of NBIA’s 2007 Incubator of the Year award in the manufacturing and services category), president of the New Jersey Food Incubation Network and a member of NBIA’s board of directors. He now serves on the New Jersey Food Processors Association board of directors and is a board member of the United Fresh Produce Association.
Ron Tanner, Vice President of Communications, Education, and Government and Industry Relations, National Association of Fancy Food Trade, New York, N.Y.
Tanner has worked for the NASFT, and its almost 3,000 members, since 1987. The NASFT presents over 55 educational programs each year. Tanner has appeared on the Today Show, CNN, and the Food Network, and has been quoted in Newsweek, The New York Times, and Parade Magazine. He serves as the NASFT liaison with many associations and government organizations, including the National Grocers Association, the Organic Trade Association, the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Who should attend? What you'll learn:
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Facilities Management
Tuesday, Oct. 2
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
In addition to running entrepreneur support programs, most incubator managers also are responsible for a physical facility, with duties such as writing and enforcing lease agreements, contracting for utilities and deciding how to allocate space. More importantly, perhaps, are the considerations that go into choosing incubator space and understanding the program’s overall community dynamics. This workshop explores the relationship between an incubator facility and the community it serves.
Workshop topics include:
- Key factors for choosing a location for a new incubator or maximizing the impact of an existing facility
- How the local economic climate and other key factors affect incubator performance
- Essential safety and security issues for all incubators
The workshop will include case studies and real-life examples of how effective incubators integrate successfully into the communities they serve.
Speakers
Sandra Cochrane, Technology Business Consultant, Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Cochrane assists high-growth start-up and early-stage technology companies. She previously managed the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center in Kalamazoo. SMIC won the NBIA Incubator Innovation Award in 2006 and the NBIA Outstanding Incubator Graduate – Technology Category award in 2008 under her leadership. A frequent NBIA presenter, listserv contributor and source for books and newsletters, Cochrane is vice president of the Michigan Business Incubator Association board of directors and a current NBIA board member.
Rick Roeser, Business Development Specialist, Wisconsin Business Innovation Corp., Spooner, Wis.
Roeser has more than 25 years of experience in business and economic development. Over the past 10 years, he has developed and managed a regional business incubation program, which has included construction of 10 facilities totaling 180,000 square feet of space for mixed-use business incubation and acceleration. Through this process, Roeser has gained extensive knowledge of federal construction grant programs. He serves on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Business Incubation Association and the National Business Incubation Association.
Who should attend? What you'll learn:
Please note: This workshop is a requirement of the NBIA Incubator Management Certificate Program. Visit www.nbia.org/certificate to learn more about this program and its requirements. |
Business Incubation in a Global Market
Tuesday, Oct. 2
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Get the tools you need to develop a program that helps client companies enter foreign markets, either from abroad into your domestic market or vice versa. This workshop will show you how to leverage critical resources, evaluate clients, gauge market conditions and determine whether your program is best suited to launch companies, receive them or both.
Workshop topics include:
- How to analyze your program’s motivation for going global
- Where to look for allies, resources and partnerships
- Examples of Soft Landings programs, the challenges they have faced and the solutions they have used
- How to earn NBIA’s Soft Landings designation
The workshop will include materials and examples relevant to both U.S. and international attendees.
Speakers
Ana Greif, International Programs Development Officer, National Business Incubation Association, Tucson, Ariz.
As NBIA's international programs development officer, Greif works with economic development professionals from around the world to create and execute strategies to help them achieve goals in business incubation and technology commercialization. Greif is NBIA's main point of contact for Latin America; she has expanded NBIA's influence to several Spanish-speaking countries through consulting and training services. Greif has conducted studies and projects related to business incubation in Mexico, and has planned and organized NBIA's Latin American conferences on business incubation.
Tom Strodtbeck, Director of Events and International Programs, National Business Incubation Association, Liverpool, England
Strodtbeck oversees the development, programming and execution of NBIA's International Conference on Business Incubation and Training Institute. Under his direction, NBIA successfully launched three new training initiatives: the Incubator Management Certificate Program, the Summit for Advanced Incubation Professionals and NBIA Webinars. He has presented on the subject of incubation and business creation in the U.S., Mexico, England, Malaysia, China and France.
Who should attend? What you'll learn:
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Developing a Successful Incubator
Tuesday, Oct. 2
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Are you developing an incubator or thinking about developing one? This comprehensive course addresses all aspects of incubator development and is limited to those who are developing or considering developing an incubation program. The presenters will draw on their experience launching more than 60 incubators to discuss the elements of a successful incubator start, including:
- Needs assessments
- Incubator business plans
- Site evaluation
- Facility design
- Organizational structure
- Staffing and compensation
- Programs and services
- Marketing and client recruitment
Materials will include the latest information on industry best practices (U.S. and international), lists of key resources, sample documents and more. The presenters will take you through the process of developing an incubator and help you identify all factors that should be considered before embarking on your project.
Speakers
Carol Lauffer, Partner, Business Cluster Development, Menlo Park, Calif.
Lauffer is a consultant in incubator development and technology commercialization. She is the former managing director of the Panasonic Incubator, a corporate venture-backed incubator in Silicon Valley, Calif., as well as a former principal in Panasonic Ventures. Previously, she was the associate director of the Software Development Forum, the largest organization for software start-ups in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she forged strategic partnerships with leading Silicon Valley technology companies and developed a full range of entrepreneurial business programs for software start-ups.
Chuck Wolfe, President, Claggett Wolfe Associates, Auburn, Calif.
Wolfe is an economic development professional with extensive experience working in domestic and international settings. His work has ranged from strategic planning and feasibility assessment to program design and administration. Wolfe has also founded two technology start-ups in the information management/software and electronic equipment sectors, and has worked with numerous small businesses in planning, marketing and capital acquisition. Wolfe has authored a number of guides on best practices and co-authored NBIA's Best Practices in Action: Guidelines for Implementing First-Class Business Incubation Programs.
Who should attend? What you'll learn:
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Strategic Fundraising for Your Incubator
Wednesday, Oct. 3
9 a.m. – noon
Raising money for nonprofits requires significantly more than just common sense. This workshop will provide an overview of incubator fundraising and provide specific techniques that you can implement in your program. Learn how to get results through networking, evaluate potential sponsors and build sponsorship packages that get the attention of sponsors and donors.
Workshop topics include:
- How to ensure your business cards get (and stay) in the right hands
- How to identify, evaluate and connect with companies and potential supporters
- Knowing how, when and how often to reach out to donors
In addition, this workshop will include tactics to leverage the incubator’s portfolio of programs to increase community involvement, deepen fundraising relationships and build sponsorships around programs and outcomes.
Speaker
Sarah Zink, Director of Business Development, TECH Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas
Zink oversees fundraising and business development at TECH Fort Worth, a nonprofit technology incubator serving the North Texas business community. Zink also works with TECH Fort Worth's clients on their communication and presentation skills. She has spent 10 years developing her dynamic presentation skills while raising money for such charities as Boys and Girls Clubs, Junior Achievement and Volunteers of America. An entrepreneur herself, Zink has built several businesses, including a corporate training company.
Who should attend? What you'll learn:
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Fostering Business Growth in Rural Communities
Wednesday, Oct. 3
9 a.m. – noon
Promoting a culture of entrepreneurship comes with special challenges in rural areas. Discover how a partnership between a virtual and a traditional incubation program has successfully engaged students as a resource to help grow businesses and create jobs – and find out how this model can work for you.
Workshop topics include:
- How to engage students to assess business needs, define optimal business performance steps and implement solutions to help rural businesses meet their potential
- How this model is replicable, even in challenging economic times
- The importance of the education in supporting business development
Speakers
Ann Nygard, Director, Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, Lyndon State College, Lyndonville, Vt.
Nygard is a business planning and marketing expert who has lived and worked in Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France and Rwanda, and for organizations such as Tiffany & Co. and the U.S. Library of Congress. She has served as executive director of the Northeast Kingdom Travel and Tourism Association, leading the first community-based National Geographic Geotourism MapGuide project connecting rural businesses to the global marketplace. She subsequently served as the associate director of National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations in Washington, D.C. before returning to her native Vermont.
Heidi Krantz, Vermont Small Business Development Center Advisor, Vermont Food Venture, Center for an Agricultural Economy, Hardwick, Vt.
Krantz has been a business owner and consultant for more than 30 years. Having worked with state and federal agencies, nonprofits and private businesses, she has extensive experience in organizational development and training, strategic planning and marketing. Also an entrepreneur, Krantz is the founder of the Team Resources Group, a Vermont-based organization that plans and implements interactive organizational development training. Prior to working with the Vermont Food Venture, she served as the community development coordinator for the town of Morristown, Vt.
Who should attend? What you'll learn:
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Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurs
Wednesday, Oct. 3
9 a.m. – noon
Nine percent of U.S. small businesses are veteran-owned. That’s 2.45 million businesses employing more than 5 million individuals. With more than 250,000 additional service members transitioning from military careers into the civilian workforce each year, learn about the many resources available to help support these potential incubator clients, and discover best practices for leveraging their skills for economic development.
This workshop also discusses:
- An entrepreneurship bootcamp that has trained more than 600 veterans – and how you can create a similar program to encourage start-up development
- Opportunities and resources for supporting veteran entrepreneurs
- How to effectively leverage veterans’ critical training and leadership skills for local and regional economic development
Click here to tell the presenters what you'd like to learn in this workshop!
Speakers
Tina Kapral, Director of Educational Programs, Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Syracuse University, Syracuse N.Y.
Kapral directs the development and delivery of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families' educational programs. She has a diverse background in management, operations, administration, customer service, employee relations, sales and marketing in the retail and private sectors. Before joining the institute, Kapral was manager of program services for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York, where she granted wishes of more than 130 children and developed a volunteer training program and evaluation process to ensure continuity in delivering the foundation's mission.
Mirza Tihic, Director of Employment Programs, Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Syracuse University, Syracuse N.Y.
Tihic is an experienced trainer, researcher and advisor to state agencies and higher education institutions throughout the country that are seeking to encourage entrepreneurship and economic self-sufficiency among disadvantaged groups. He has been instrumental in shaping state and federal policies and programs that help disabled veterans fully integrate into their communities. An adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Syracuse University, Tihic previously was national technical assistance specialist for the university's Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities
Who should attend? What you'll learn:
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