Building a Rainforest in the Desert
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STC CEO Named to State Technology Research Collaborative Board
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The New Mexico Economic Development Department’s (NMEDD) Science and Technology Division has named Lisa Kuuttila, President & Chief Economic Development Officer at STC.UNM, a board member for the Technology Research Collaborative (TRC).
In Fiscal Year 2020, the TRC will serve as mentors to science & technology businesses in New Mexico. The board’s short-term goals include leveraging its expertise to assist businesses applying for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Matching Grants and developing a Five-Year Science & Technology Plan for the State of New Mexico.
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STC Announces 2020 Gap Funding for UNM Technology Proposals
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In August, STC issued its ninth call for proposals for FY2020 gap funding. The goal of gap funding is to further develop an early-stage, unlicensed UNM technology, previously disclosed to STC, so that it has a greater chance of successfully being licensed by industry or becoming the basis of a new start-up company. The committee is comprised of UNM, STC, and business community members who evaluate proposals for the merit and uniqueness of the technology as well as for their potential for commercialization.
The two proposals chosen for funding this year are listed below:
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Mechanical Vibrating Mesh Atomizer” - A method for manufacturing microfabricated vibrating mesh atomizers for the aerosol generation market.
Principal Investigator(s): Nathan Jackson, PhD, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
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Lipase Inhibitors to Prevent Rancidity in Expressed Human Milk During Storage” - Development of inhibitory additives to prevent rancidity and improve the storage of expressed human milk.
Principal Investigator(s): Jason McConville, PhD, Associate Professor and Katherine Zychowski, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
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Fall Rainforest Pitch Competition Tenth Event Draws Big Crowd
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A big crowd of enthusiastic supporters gathered at Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. on October 28 to cheer on brave students from UNM and NMSU who pitched their ideas and technologies for a chance to win money and other prizes from $5,000 prize pool. The event, co-hosted by the UNM Innovation Academy and STC, is the tenth Rainforest Pitch Competition held since 2015, cumulatively spinning out an impressive 22 student companies currently in business.
A big thank you also to the sponsors for the event: Nusenda Credit Union for prize money, Bow & Arrow for the space, Office Depot for printer and marker prizes, and Pizza Nine for free pizza at the event!
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In the Spotlight –
Gennady Smolyakov, Ph.D.
Dr. Smolyakov’s research interests are in the areas of semiconductor injection lasers, physics and simulation of semiconductor quantum-well and quantum-dot devices, colloidal quantum dots, radiation detection, and plasmonic solar water splitting. Dr. Smolyakov and his co-inventors have proposed a new concept of ultrafast transmitters for 4G and 5G wireless networks and data centers, based on strongly injection-locked semiconductor ring lasers.
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STC Welcomes New Staff Member
Bountouraby “Raby” Sylla
is the Accounting Coordinator at STC.UNM. She is originally from Guinea, Conakry, but now resides in Albuquerque. She obtained a dual bachelor’s degree in Finance and International Management with a Minor in French from the University of New Mexico, Anderson School of Management. Raby is currently pursuing a Masters of Accounting at the University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management with a concentration in non-profits. She enjoys getting involved in school and around the community. She is the Finance Chair for the Graduate Professional Student Association, a member of the Black Student Union, as well as a mentor for Project for New Mexico Graduates of Color. Raby looks forward to working with the STC.UNM team and continuing to build strong working relationships while fostering friendships.
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Funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the NM Rainforest University Center program provides entrepreneurial training and technical assistance at all UNM campus sites. These seminars are free and open to the UNM community and the public, but registration is required.
In-person and live stream options available.
The next seminars are:
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Taxes and Business Startups
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November 21, 12
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1 p.m.
Lobo Rainforest Building/live webstream via Zoom
Featuring
Craig White, a professor of accounting and the former dean of the Anderson School of Management. Dr. White's teaching and research specialization is in the area of Federal income taxation and his areas of expertise include tax policy, the effects of tax incentives on business decision-making, ownership of intellectual property, and business startups commercializing new technologies, and tax research and accounting data analytics.
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Strategic Networking: Maximizing Your Connections to Grow Your New Business
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December 9, 10
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11 a.m.
UNM Taos - Klauer Campus - Padre Martinez Student Success Center Large Conference Room 1157/live webstream via Zoom
Featuring
Stacy Sacco; Mr. Sacco has been teaching entrepreneurial studies at the UNM Anderson School of Management for the past eighteen years, serves as the Director of the UNM Small Business Institute and the faculty advisor for the UNM student entrepreneur clubs. The Small Business Institute connects small businesses and other community organizations to MBA student teams to perform consulting work and marketing research.
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Startup Mentoring Opportunities at the Lobo Rainforest -
Open Office Hours
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RAINFOREST MENTOR
November 15, 9 a.m. - noon
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SCORE OFFICE HOURS
November 22, 9 a.m. - noon
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Family, Friends and supporters are invited to attend the final round of the
Comcast Pitch Deck Competition
at the Lobo Rainforest Building on
December 2 at 5:30 p.m.
to hear five finalists pitch to investor judges.
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