Academy Mentors and Speakers
We bring a range of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs to the Academy to participate as coaches, mentors and speakers. The 2009 roster includes guest faculty, mentors and speakers from the following:
- American River Ventures
- CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund
- DFJ Element
- DFJ Frontier
- DCM
- Intel Corporate Ventures
- Morrison | Foerster
- Nth Power
- Physic Ventures
- Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLC
- San Diego Gas & Electric®.
- Sierra Angels
- Southern California Edison
GTEA Mentoring Session with DCM
GTEA Mentoring Session with Chris Soderquist
The format of the Academy is a five-day immersive program integrating lecture, exercises, and team projects.
Students work within inter-disciplinary teams to identify, design, and validate new business opportunities, under the guidance of faculty, technology transfer staff, and experienced entrepreneurs and investors from environmental science and technology-based ventures.
Students in the workshop are introduced to the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
- Innovation strategies and work practices
- Evaluating market opportunities
- Pursuing IP patenting and licensing
- Building and managing teams
- Rapid prototyping and testing strategies
Scott Lenet, DFJ Frontier
Participants leave with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize, develop, and communicate potential commercial and knowledge distribution opportunities arising from their research and how to tap the social networks linking them to the entrepreneurial community.
Andrew Hargadon, Faculty Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Professor, UC Davis Graduate School of Management, leads students in an innovation exercise.