Launch-in-9 A “lean start up” at Portland State University* Charla Mathwick, Associate Professor Marketing Antonie Jetter, Associate Professor Engineering & Tech Management * Supported by Venture Well. Thank you!

PSU Background Oregon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem  Ranked 6th in US – per capita new business formation  PSU Business Accelerator – among top 25 in world Urban university  many non-traditional students  long tradition of community-based learning  limited track record as an entrepreneurial university  young engineering school, committed to innovation in teaching Grass-root faculty effort, gaining momentum Launch-in-9

Launch-in-9 Launch-in-9 is a branded curricular pathway, aiming to become a valued credential among employers  Diverse teams -- student-initiated projects  Earn capstone credit  Employs lean-start up methods  University provides:  $2,500 per qualifying start-up project  Mentors, community network, IP advise, faculty oversight Prepares students for careers in:  Their L9 venture or other start-ups  Intrapreneurial product development, R&D

Kickstart Weekend Beta Project L9Ideate! Founder Meet- up Broader student reach, event formats? Annual event and L9 integration Initial Session Interest? Launch-in-9 Program Iteration

PSU Kickstart Weekend Launch-in-9

Sources of Ideas 2014 Ideate! Workshop ½ day “charrette”, students brainstorm technology solutions for a pertinent social problem Beta Project Funding & support for student inventions (up to $1000 for prototyping material, access to equipment, etc.) Launch-in-9

Annual event and L9 integration 16 projects 4 funded teams Initial Session Soft Launch, Experiment, Iterate 2nd L9 cohort 4 funded teams Interest? Launch-in-9 Program Iteration Kickstart Weekend Beta Project L9Ideate! Founder Meet- up

Pitch & Seed Funding  Clean Tech Challenge  New Venture Championship  Three-Minute Thesis  Noce Business Pitchfest  Starve-up Pitch No full-blown business launch Employment: start-ups and related established firms Launch-in-9 Program Outcomes

Annual event and L9 integration Soft launch with 4 teams Initial Session Seed Project Pipeline 2nd L9 cohort with 4 teams Initial Session Scale Interest? Kickstart Weekend Beta Project L9Ideate! Founder Meet- up Launch-in-9 Program Iteration

Tech. driven Market driven Design driven Organic Founder’s Meet-Up Apply to L9 Lean Start-up MVP Testing Tech/Mkt Validation Pitch & Fund Final Pres. Prototype Biz Model Growth Strategy On to… Angel Funding, Biz Plan Competition, Incubator, Crowdfunding, …. Launch-in-9 Sophomore – Junior YearsSenior or Final Grad Year Post Graduation Launch-in-9 Culture & Ideation

 $ 2,500 is not too little to move forward  L9 does not put already existing ideas to work but triggers ideas  Not everybody is in it for the start-up – many students simply want the experience  Business students do not outnumber engineering students  Employers value L9 capstones, even those that do not succeed. A 360 experience that develops independence, resourcefulness, and preparation for careers where the only certainty is change. William Newman, Mging Director NW Technology Ventures  L9 never fully fits into the normal capstone sequence, requiring ongoing faculty involvement  Despite testing, judging, reviews: founders have difficulty abandoning their ideas for good Launch-in-9 Testing reveals wrong assumptions

 Very early stage venture development  Student-initiated ideas  Broad acessibility with focus on degree completion Launch-in-9 What’s different:  Further growth of project pipeline  Employment credentials: create online badging system that showcases students’ engagement with L9 (e.g. on LinkedIn)  Systematically assess student outcome What’s next:

John Maseda (engineering) 2013/14 “I find the launch in 9 program is the singular most valuable experience of my academic career.” Jeremiah Scott (engineering) 2014/15 “This element--understanding not only what is feasible, but also what is needed by the market, and how to define that--has pushed me to go beyond the work of engineer into the realm of innovator and inventor. I will never regret choosing Launch-in-9.” Emily Wooton (business) 2013/14 Student Feedback

Launch-in-9 Thank you!