Next Forum: Nurturing Cleantech Innovation

How do you help our planet become more sustainable? How do you create jobs? How do you help clever entrepreneurs bring innovation to market?

Answer: Create a cleantech incubator.

Cleantech incubators are typically non-profit organizations that are dedicated to accelerating the success of early-stage companies engaged in the development of technology, products, or services for the cleantech industry. These incubators typically provide support to a portfolio of entrepreneurs and emerging companies through a variety of programs.

They rely on people like you.

Join us for our next Sustainability Forum, this Wednesday, March 6 at 8 am at the Cummings Center conference room. Our special guest speakers include Joan Popolo, ACTION (Assoc. of Cleantech Incubators of New England), Tom Kinneman, North Shore Innoventures, and Newburyport Cleantech Center.

Next Forum: Inspiration to Funding

We have a special Forum lined-up for you April 4.  In conjunction with The Cleantech Open, we have a strong line-up of entrepreneurs who’ve been recognized for their innovative technology.  On top of that, there’ll be folks from the Association of Cleantech incubators, Fraunhofer CSE’s ULaunch program, and our own NSIV.  All-in-all, this will be a big Forum with tested innovators and industry supporters.

Join us from 8:00 am – 10:30 am Wednesday April 4, 2012 at 100 Cummings Center, Conference Room 221E, Beverly, MA (1 mile south of Route 128 on Route 62, or come by train to the Beverly Depot).

Agenda

1.      Networking & coffee

2.      The Cleantech Open: what you should know

3.      Fraunhofer CSE: How the ULAUNCH Program helps fund start-ups

4.      Assn of Cleantech Incubators: Why you should join an incubator and finding the right one

5.      Cleantech Open Participants:
             

7AC: Regional CTO winner, $2.3MM “A” round, NSIV Graduate

ArcticSand: Regional CTO Winner, NSIV member

Teleos Solar: CTO Semi-Finalist, NSIV member

Learn about the benefits of participating in the Cleantech Open, hear success stories from prior participants and plug in to resources available to support Cleantech entrepreneurs.

New spot for the Forum

Just a reminder: the Forum is being held at the North Shore Innoventure Center facilities at the Cummings Center in Beverly. Look for Building 100 on your right as you enter from Route 62.  We'll be in the spacious conference room marked Suite 221 E.  Hot coffee and networking will be awaiting you.  Special guests: SolSolution.

Governor Patrick Taps NSIV's Dr. Farmer

Congrats to North Shore Innoventure's active and esteemed leader!

Martha C. Farmer of Manchester was appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick to serve on the board as a trustee of the North Shore Community College, which has campuses in Danvers and Lynn.

Farmer is the president, CEO and co-founder of North Shore InnoVentures, a nonprofit business incubator for life sciences and cleantech start-ups, operating the Biotech InnoVenture Center in Beverly and the Cleantech InnoVenture Center in Lynn. 

Read more here from the Gloucester Times.

NSIV Kicks-Off "Entrepreneur U"

First Seminar: "Avoiding Common Legal And Tax Mistakes of Start-Ups"

Come join the North Shore InnoVenture incubator team on Wednesday July 20^th at 8 a.m. at the Cleantech Center in Lynn for the first meeting of Entrepreneur U, a series of seminars on key business issues for early-stage business leaders.

Entrepreneur U

The objective is to give member companies in the NSIV Incubator system a comprehensive introduction to important issues and functional skills needed to successfully build a business.  Topics will run from basic legal issues, to setting up your accounting and IT systems, to building your team and finding funding.  Each month, an expert from our team of sponsors, mentors and advisers will cover a key topic that you need to know.

These seminars are not about your cool technology or awesome business concept but instead cover the basic nuts and bolts of running an early-stage business with limited resources.  The focus is not on theory but on the essential and practical issues that you need to deal with now.
 

Wed., July 20: Avoiding Legal & Tax Mistakes

Kicking off the series, are Nicola Lemay and Bob Warren of Foley Hoag  "Avoiding Common Legal And Tax Mistakes of Start-Ups." 

Nicola Lemay, JD, MBA, is a partner at Foley Hoag LLP and is the Chair of the firm's Taxation Department. Bob Warren, JD, CPA, is a corporate attorney at Foley Hoag LLP counseling entrepreneurs and venture capitalists on a wide range of issues in support of their companies’ growth, from corporate formation to compensation strategies and liquidity transactions.   

All current NSIV incubator members, candidate companies, sponsors, mentors and advisers are invited.

The seminar will open with coffee and informal networking to get warmed up.  Presenters will then cover the key issues in an interactive presentation that will run about an hour.  They will  stick around for questions and one-on-one office hours to deal with your company specific concerns.  In addition to other entrepreneurs, many of our sponsors, mentors and advisers will also be there, so there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss the issues, make valuable connections and get additional input.

The event is free but help us to plan by sending an email to Laura Van Drie at intern@nsiv.org.  You can also register on site on Wednesday.

Blue Ocean Institute

Eric Graham, director of Fraunhofer's Techbridge gave us a tip on an upcoming event:
Carl Safina, an empassioned visionary for ocean conservation, is speaking in Boston on March 30th at the Westin Copley. The event being hosted by the E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) makes this event of particular interest to North Shore InnoVenture’s Sustainability group and the Cleantech InnoVenture Center.
Here's the link to the Blue Ocean Web site for additional details about the organization: http://www.blueocean.org/home .