Fundamentals for Startups is our popular lecture series open to anyone interested in learning about entrepreneurship and building a startup. From raising capital to scaling to exit strategies, these presentations feature experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts who share startup-related information, experience, and insights. The sessions take place weekly during the academic year over the lunch hour and are open to the general public as well as the UW community. All sessions are recorded, archived, and searchable on CoMotion’s website.
Fall 2023 lineup
- 10/06 | Ken Myer, interim executive and UW lecturer, Ken Myer Leadership
- 10/13 | Skyler Brown, private wealth advisor, Goldman Sachs
- 10/20 | Carla Pagotto, independent business advisor and consultant
- 10/27 | Tanushree (Tee) Podder, investor, Trilogy Equity Partners
- 11/03 | Dana Sather Robinson, pitch trainer and angel investor, Pitch 4 Impact, Inc.
Ken Myer, interim executive and UW lecturer, Ken Myer Leadership
The art of understanding customers
Building your skills at finding and talking to potential customers is core to entrepreneurship. It’s also learnable and even fun, with the right mindset and toolkit. Ken Myer, an interim executive and advisor to businesses and nonprofits for 25+ years, will talk about this process and answer questions. Ken teaches leadership at UW’s Foster School of Business and, at CoMotion, advises UW researchers, students, staff, and CoMotion Labs startups on the commercialization process.
Skyler Brown, private wealth advisor, Goldman Sachs
Protecting your potential wealth through the startup life cycle
Skyler Brown, an alumnus of UW’s Foster School of Business who works with ultra-high net worth individuals, families, and endowments, will explore how to protect potential wealth from the incorporation stage through company sale or IPO, and touch on tax and estate planning considerations. Skyler previously served as a United States Army Special Forces Green Beret with extended stays in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, and as a high-altitude missile defense officer in South Korea.
Carla Pagotto, independent business advisor and consultant
The power of meaningful mentor relationships
CoMotion mentor in residence and NSF I-Corps mentor Carla Pagotto advises entrepreneurs in all phases of their innovation journeys, from understanding customers and markets to product development and strategic planning. In this session, she’ll highlight the importance of mentoring to cultivate leadership skills and the growth and success of your business. She’ll also share tips to finding, engaging, and getting the most out of mentoring relationships.
Tanushree (Tee) Podder, investor, Trilogy Equity Partners
Finding the right investor for your early-stage startup
Tanushree (Tee) Podder is an investor focused on early-stage technology and software companies in the Pacific Northwest, with 13+ years of experience in finance, technology, and entrepreneurship. She’ll talk about venture investing at various stages of the startup journey, how a founder may approach early-stage fundraising, and factors that may be important in certain macroeconomic conditions. Tee previously worked in investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Dana Sather Robinson, pitch trainer and angel investor, Pitch 4 Impact, Inc.
Craft a compelling investor-focused pitch
Dana Sather Robinson created the Pitch 4 Impact training program to help clients communicate with impact, clarity, and authenticity and develop an investor-focused mindset. She designed it from her dual perspective as an investor and as a professional trainer of presentation skills. Dana’s talk will help build understanding of the investor perspective on pitch content, discover what investors expect at different stages of the relationship, and balance focus between investor and product concerns.
Sign up for mailing list
Anyone interested in startup creation is encouraged to attend our Fundamentals for Startups lecture series. It occurs on Fridays over lunch during the school year and features experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts who help close the gap in startup knowledge. It is open to the general public so go ahead and sign up below to get notified about the next series.
