Want to get more involved with entrepreneurship and innovation? Below is a list of workshops, talks, challenges, conferences, and more hosted both by Mines as well as by our partners and organizations around the world. If you have an event you’d like added to the calendar, please email Dr. Werner Kuhr.

Thursday, December 5 at 8:30am

The 2019 Henderson Challenge Final Shark Pitches

CTLM 102

Continental breakfast starts at 8:30 am

The Shark pitches start at 9:15 am

The winners are announced at 12:00 noon.

The 2019 Henderson Challenge is brought to you by Mines, Freeport McMoRan, Climax Molybdenum and the Henderson Mine. Teams of Mines students and faculty and alumni mentors have been working on the CHARGE: Develop a concept for the Sustainable repurposing of the Henderson Mine’s mill facilities and land holdings that is economically sustainable, socially acceptable and provides a positive and lasting legacy to the community.

We have five great teams in the final competition, and they have been working on creative, interdisciplinary ideas with positive impacts for Clear Creek, Summit and Grand Counties. What innovative and sustainable concepts will the student teams develop?

The final project presentations will result in three prize winners – first place team receives $25,000, and the second and third places receive $15,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Sign up to be there!

All-Energy-Tech Holiday Social

We’re trying to end a great year for oil & gas (said nobody) with a bang.

Invite your friends, co-workers, and peers to join us for a mass gathering of energy tech’s finest for free food and beverage, great networking, and some timely insights.

A Digital Transformation Success – The DCP Midstream Story

Bill Johnson, the Chief Transformation Officer of DCP Midstream, will be the presenter.

Bill will share the story of the successful digital transformation of DCP.

The result: over $20MM in savings, with a more empowered organization.

 

When:      Tuesday, December 3, 5 – 7 PM

Where:     Oskar Blues Brew & Grill, 1624 Market (16th / Market), downstairs

 

Registration is at:

A Digital Transformation Success – The DCP Midstream Story

 

 2020 Rice Business Plan Competition

Apply to compete in the 2020 Rice Business Plan Competition! This is the world’s richest and largest graduate-level student startup competition, hosted at Rice University in Houston, Texas on March 26-28, 2020, comprised of 42 select early-stage companies pitching their business ventures and vying for $1.5 million in prizes.

The competition, celebrating our 20th anniversary, is designed to give collegiate entrepreneurs a real-world experience 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. 

We provide an intense, immersive experience over the three-day event for student startup founders to pitch to investors, receive multiple rounds of feedback and advance their startup. There is also significant time designated for interaction with our judges and prize sponsors, the majority of whom are from the investment community.

Alumni from the RBPC have raised more than $2.3 billion in funding and have generated more than 28 successful exits, valued at nearly a billion dollars. We track, follow and promote all startups that compete in the RBPC, and some of our stats and success stories here.

 

The RBPC is unique in its statue, size, format and participants—due in no small part to the quality of our competitors. Startups at the 2019 RBPC competition said:

“Quick access to investor feedback, advice on pitching and storytelling, network of talented individuals from top universities in the US.

Logistics were flawless. One of the best conferences I have ever attended!

RBPC provided us access to individuals that you would have to wait for months otherwise to get just an appointment.

The access to mentors, judges, and extensive feedback made this competition invaluable to the development of our business.

What an experience! It was challenging, inspirational, and beyond believe rewarding. Our team recommends it to any and everybody for entrepreneurial, business, and investor connections!”

I believe you have a diverse student population working on technologies and concepts that could become (or already are) viable business ventures. Encourage them to realize their potential with this competition!

I appreciate you sharing this information with your faculty, staff, students and those interested in entrepreneurship, and encouraging teams to apply.

 

Applications are now open. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM CST Monday, January 27, 2020.

 

Complete information, including application, eligibility requirements, competition format and general guidelines, is here: https://rbpc.rice.edu/. Please contact me at csantamaria@rice.edu or rbpc@rice.edu with any questions; your student startups are also welcome to contact me.

 

Wednesday, October 30th at 6:00pm

Career Sustainability: Coping with rapid technology change

Join us on October 30 for an exclusive joint networking opportunity with Lehigh University. Explore our new space at Catalyst HTI (https://lnkd.in/edp_ryq) in RiNo! Our evening will include a conversation on career sustainability with industry leaders from across the Denver area. With jobs constantly evolving to reflect changes in technology and business models, it’s more important than ever to be prepared for new opportunities and to consider alternative career paths. Our panel will share their own experiences with career pivots and positioning yourself to explore new options. The program will also include our interactive networking corner and networking reception.

Get more information here:  https://weare.mines.edu/s/840/19/interior.aspx?sid=840&gid=1&pgid=6081&cid=10169&ecid=10169&crid=0&calpgid=13&calcid=745

Applications Due November 20, 2019

Colorado NextCycle

WHY DO WE NEED NEXTCYCLE?

 

As a fast-growing state with aggressive recycling goals, Colorado is actively investing in infrastructure to collect and sort recyclables. But recycling requires more than just getting materials into a bin or bale.

 

Colorado contains no shipping ports which means most recovered materials must be trucked large distances to end markets – not the most economical or sustainable option. And with increasing populations that expect access to curbside recycling, Colorado’s goal is to nurture local end markets.

 

That is where Colorado NextCycle comes in. The program is aimed at supporting the development of business ideas that create or improve recovered commodity and organic material end markets within Colorado – creating a local circular economy. 

 

In fact, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has committed $3 million in end market funding in the past year alone – with additional rounds of funding planned.  

 

You get the idea. Colorado is serious about developing local end markets. The Colorado NextCycle program mentors teams toward shovel-ready end market business ideas – ripe for private investment or CDPHE grant funding. Colorado NextCycle goes beyond recycling to supporting new design, renewing recycled materials, and reviving local economies.

 

The application period for the second season of Colorado NextCycle is now open. Letters of Intent are due by 4:00pm MST on November 20th. Be sure to download the jump kit that contains information about the program, instructions on how to apply, a list of important dates, and links to resources to begin developing your business ideas. Download the PDF jump kit on the Colorado NextCycle webpage at:  https://www.colorado.gov/cdphe/nextcycle.