diverse group of smiling professionals

Under the best of circumstances, the process of building a successful startup company is difficult, and when that startup company is based on university intellectual property, this process can be even more challenging. 

Many times, entrepreneurs face a series of key decisions in the early days of their startups that dictate the degree of difficulty faced in subsequent years. The first-time entrepreneur may fail to realize the criticality of these early-day decisions, may receive poor advice concerning these decisions, or may simply make a poor decision. 

The University of Maryland, Baltimore's (UMB) Scientific and Medical Entrepreneurship Program team believes that the speed-to-market and overall success rate of new startups can be increased by exposing first-time entrepreneurs to business leaders who have already navigated these early challenges and to active early-stage investors. That belief underlies our new Scientific and Medical Entrepreneurship graduate certificate curriculum and is the theme of our Fall 2021 Speaker Series — a five-part lunch and learn series with local innovators, investors, and changemakers.

RSVP today to join one, or all, upcoming fall sessions to learn more from actual players in Maryland's innovation community:

Thursday, Sept. 30, 12 p.m.-1 p.m., EDT
Claire Broido Johnson | USM Momentum Fund

Thursday, Oct. 21, 12 p.m.-1 p.m., EDT
Elaine Haynes, CEO | Kalocyte (UMB)

Thursday, Nov. 11, 12 p.m.-1 p.m., EDT
Mckeever Conwell, founder | Rare Breed Ventures

Thursday, Dec. 9, 12 p.m.-1 p.m., EDT
Michael Ogunsanya, CEO | Mindstand (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)

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