Hand signed by Urban Meyer and donated directly from The Ohio State University. Winner will be drawn on March 11 at Cead Mile Failte.  Need not be present to win. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS.

Wednesday Night

BINGO

We want to stay connected with our regional employers as we work to increase internship and job opportunities for our SSU students. That's why we now have a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SSUInnovate/ and a Twitter account @SSUInnovate. Please like and follow to stay up on our latest updates. In addition, check out our website for additional information at: http://www.shawnee.edu/offices/Workforce-Development-Entrepreneurship/ .

All employers are invited to attend our annual JobFest event scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, 2017, from 1- 4 p.m. This is a great opportunity for employers to recruit qualified students for both internships and job openings and interview candidates on site. If you would like more information or you want to register for the event, please click here.

Please see the information below about upcoming events we are hosting on campus to promote entrepreneurship in our region:

Monday, March 13, 6 p.m.
Shawnee State University
Morris University Center
Sodexo Ballroom

The general public is welcome to attend this free event to learn about resources available to start or grow your business and to network with business assistance providers. Our panel of local entrepreneurs includes:

• Greg Merril is the CEO of Yost Labs, Inc., one of the fastest growing tech companies in Ohio. Yost's patented sensor technologies enable motion and position tracking in many of today's and tomorrow's most exciting products. Greg is an entrepreneurial leader with 25 years of experience developing award winning medical and consumer electronic products. He has served as founding CEO for three VC-backed fast growth technology-based companies. He is a regional Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner.
• Dale King and Renee Wallace of Doc Spartan, a veteran owned company based in Portsmouth. They produce all natural products for skin and beards, and every order is handmade, labeled and shipped out by their small team. Dale and Renee will appear on ABC's Shark Tank on Friday, February 10, at 9 p.m.
• Alex Russell, a senior computer engineering technology major at Shawnee State University, helped to start LiTS in the fall of 2015. This company provides Information Technology services to industries in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Specifically, Alex designs industry-specific applications for inventory and project management. On his 21st birthday in March 2016, Alex went full-time with the company, and he currently works more than 40 hours a week for LiTS at the same time he is attending school full-time to complete his degree.

Representatives will also be on hand from the Southern Ohio Port Authority, TechGROWTH Ohio, OSU South Centers, and the LIGHTS program (Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs toward Sustainability). If you would like to attend, please RSVP by Monday, March 6, at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/portsfuture-entrepreneurship-roundtable-tickets-31846487702 .

The PORTSfuture project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office. Sponsors include TechGROWTH Ohio, Shawnee State University, PORTSFUTURE project, Jackson County Economic Development Board (JCEDB), the Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio (JEDISO), OSU South Centers and the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission.

Friday, April 21, 6 p.m.
Shawnee State University
Morris University Center
Room 215

Join Lee Groeschl, Executive-in-Residence for TechGROWTH Ohio, for a Commercial Skills Course. This event is free and open to anyone on campus or in the general public with an interest in new ventures/commercialization.

This course will cover:

• Understanding Intellectual Property Policy and IP Basics -- Overview of the four types of intellectual property most widely used in business (Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks, Trade Secrets)
• Business Model Canvas / Lean Launch Approach -- Before founders make investment into product development, Lean Launch and the Business Model Canvas forces teams to define their value proposition, customer segments, partners, etc. BEFORE product development takes place. This process saves the founders/investigators a lot of time and money.
• SE Ohio Entrepreneurial Resources (TGO and TVSF) -- TechGROWTH Ohio is the Entrepreneurial Signature Program (ESP) for the 20 counties in SE Ohio and can help guide inventors with intellectual property issues, technology development issues, business planning, and capital acquisition. The Technology Validation and Start-Up Fund (TVSF) is a state-sponsored program to fund technology development and economic development by supporting technologies that are developed at Ohio institutions of higher education and other Ohio not-for-profit research institutions.
• Venture Financing Overview -- All successful entrepreneurs and ventures are funded at various levels. This section is an overview on the types of financing that best suit entrepreneurs and early stage ventures in SE Ohio.
• Entrepreneurial Success Stories in Southeast Ohio -- This section provides an overview of some Southeast Ohio ventures that have become successful. Understanding the steps and activities that it takes for a venture to emerge and become successful is very important as well as learning from mistakes that were made along the way.

There is limited seating for this workshop. Please RSVP by Friday, April 14, 2017, at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/commercialization-skills-course-tickets-31847529819

Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the above information.

Thank you for your support of Shawnee State University!