January 2023 Newsletter 

Tufts Gordon Institute and Derby Entrepreneurship Center Release 2022 Annual Reports

Tufts Gordon Institute and the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts are proud to present their 2022 Annual Reports. These reports highlight some of the accomplishments of our students and alumni, the impact or our dedicated faculty and staff, and the many milestones we have achieved in pursuit of our missions. We welcome you to review these annual reports and learn about the accomplishments of 2022.

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Tufts $100k New Ventures Competition - Applications open Feb 1st!

The $100k New Ventures Competition is the flagship venture competition at Tufts. Early stage innovators and entrepreneurs pitch their ideas in three tracks: General Technology, Social Impact, and Healthcare & Life Science. We welcome applicants across the Tufts community: Undergraduate and graduate students, recent alumni, faculty and staff across all 11 schools and colleges at Tufts.

The competition culminates in live pitch competitions at the virtual semi-finals and finals. Starting in 2023, we will be hosting live watch parties for each track, as well as a pizza social prior to the event to enable those who are able to come to the Medford campus in person.

Tufts Entrepreneurial Initiative Fund - Applications open Feb 15th!

The Tufts Entrepreneurial Initiative Fund is a pilot program where DEC provides modest levels of funding to individual students, student teams or student clubs to support their entrepreneurial initiatives. Eligible funding requests are in the $50-$500 range. 

New Faculty Spotlight

New Faculty Spotlight!

DEC welcomes 4 new lecturers for Spring 2023! We are excited to welcome Luke Fraser, Suzi Hammil, Lucia Kamm, and Reggie Williams to the Derby Entrepreneurship Center team! 

Luke Fraser will be teaching ENT162 Bringing Products to Market. Luke is the founder and CEO of Stepwise Innovation, an innovation consulting and training organization that helps corporate teams discover and develop transformational ideas.

Suzi Hamill will be teaching ENT193.06 Designing Your Life. Suzi has designed and launched companies and products that impact how people live day-to-day. Suzi has worked with organizations like The Boston Globe, Fidelity Investments, Amazon, Reuters, and NASA.

Lucia Kamm will be teaching ENT193.05 Team and Talent Management. Lucia is an executive leadership coach who is passionate about helping people of all stripes on their own journey of grit, growth, and self acceptance. 

Reggie Williams will be co-teaching ENT100 Creativity & Entrepreneurial Thinking with Avital Shira. Reggie is a strategic communications executive and management consultant working at the intersection of civic design, content production, and public policy. 

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Update

Tufts Entrepreneurs Making Strides!

Tufts Entrepreneurs are making strides with innovative and impactful ventures. Tuts students often begin their entrepreneurial journeys at Tufts Gordon Institute or the Derby Entrepreneurship Center but their successes can impact the world. Here are the latest updates! 

Upcoming Events at a Glance

Community Events and Opportunities

Tufts Cellular Innovation Day • Jan 19

At this interactive event, scientific leaders and business experts will mingle with researchers, academics, entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors.The agenda includes an industry keynote, panel discussions, company presentations and a networking reception. Learn More Here

RICE Business Plan 

This graduate level student startup competition is designed to give collegiate entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their startups to investors, receive mentoring, network within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, enhance their business strategy, and learn what it takes to launch a successful company. Learn More Here

DOE Office of Technology Transitions Energy Tech University Prize • Apply by Jan 26

This innovative prize, part of the American-Made Challenges program, asks multidisciplinary student teams to identify high-potential energy technologies, assess their market potential, and propose strategies for commercialization—allowing students to learn leadership and entrepreneurial skills while competing for a share of $370,000! Learn More Here

Cleantech Open Northeast, NECEC  • Applications for 2023 cohort open

This is the northeast region of the Cleantech Open, a national accelerator for early-stage (pre-seed, pre-revenue) cleantech, climatetech, and sustainability startups. It provides expert mentoring, introductions to investors, professional coaching and connections, and the opportunity to win cash prizes.  Learn More Here

Massachusetts Digital Health Sandbox Challenge Program • Applications deadline Feb 24th

The Healthy Aging Challenge is aimed at finding unique digital health solutions that improve the lives of older adults and help them remain active, productive, independent, and socially connected.  Learn More Here

2023 launchU Competition • Applications open

launchU is a ‘shark tank’ style start-up pitch challenge for undergraduates and high school students. The best 7 ideas are selected and with the guidance of mentors, the finalists work over five weeks to complete an Investment Summary and a Pitch Presentation to a panel of Judges comprised of entrepreneurs, and investors. Learn More Here

Merck KGaA Hosting Innovation Cup Summer Camp • Apply by Jan 31

The Innovation Cup is an initiative for post-graduate students in natural sciences, computer sciences, and business administration to attend a training program near Frankfurt, Germany. All travel, food and accommodation expenses are paid.

Learn more and apply here

Global Health Innovation Challenge (GHIC)

This challenge will increase availability and access to capital for new and existing private companies, which are developing solutions for global health, mental health, and sustainability. 

Learn more and register

HAX TECH SHARE

This monthly event is led by HAX investment partners and founders focused on relevant knowledge for hard tech entrepreneurs. We'll cover lessons and best practices across a different technical topic each month (everything from best practices for low-fidelity prototyping to how to build a B2B sales pipeline for hard tech), and field questions from the audience. We welcome anyone who aspires to build hard tech and wants to learn from our experiences.

Learn more and register

Support the Derby Entrepreneurship Center!

Help us build and grow the next generation of Tufts innovators and entrepreneurs through a tax-deductible donation!

Derby Entrepreneurship Center