Hosted by: MechE Communications Lab

There is a little bit of mad scientist in every entrepreneur; however, turning a crazy idea into a successful business requires organization and strategy. In this highly interactive workshop, Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan, managing director of the Luminate optics accelerator program, attendees learn to assess markets, establish product advantage, and build skill-balanced teams. The workshop encourages resourcefulness, resiliency, and communication. The course will conclude with an overview of the Luminate entrepreneurship program and tips on how to apply to be in the 2020 cohort.

Luminate is the world’s only start-up accelerator focused on only on optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI). The program admits 10 companies annually and supplies $100K in seed funding for a 6-month residency in Rochester, NY. During the residency, which includes lab and office space, participants pursue an aggressive curriculum and receive personal mentoring from industry experts. The program culminates in a Demo Day at which a total of $2M follow-on funding is awarded to four winners.

Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan is a serial entrepreneur and seasoned executive with 25 years of experience in Clinical Devices and Consumer Electronics. Sujatha has started, built and grown three start-up businesses in cardiac surgical equipment, optical communications, and nanomaterials. Working with regional investment councils, she provides guidance to start-ups, M&A strategies for growing businesses and vetting of technologies to investors. Dr. Ramanujan holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan and is an Executive Board Member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Details

Tuesday, June 11, 2019
10:30 am–2:30 pm
MIT Room 3-270

Lunch will be served

For more information and to register, visit the event page.