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Events

Upcoming Events

Dolphin Tank: Real Investor Feedback, But You Won’t Get Eaten Alive!TM

These events bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and industry partners to receive pitches from UT Southwestern faculty members or students.

Speakers present a single informational slide that covers:

  • The pain/problem
  • The solution
  • The current status of technology involved
  • What comes next

The pitches are a brief three minutes followed by seven minutes of Q&A. Once all pitches are completed, we have breakout rooms to facilitate further conversations. Presentations cover a variety of stages – some may be very early, emerging ideas – and topics encompassing biotech+ areas such as therapeutics, devices/diagnostics, and digital health. The goal here is for Dolphins to provide advice to our presenters and facilitate that next conversation that will help our faculty and students along potential commercialization pathways.

National Blackstone LaunchPad Speaker Series

This series typically provides scheduled speakers in the fall and spring semesters. Please visit the National Blackstone LaunchPad Speaker Series online to view recordings of past speakers and to see when upcoming series are available.

UT Southwestern Blackstone LaunchPad Speaker Series

This series includes a wide variety of speakers on topics associated with entrepreneurship. Examples include:

  • 3 Day Startup Foundations of Entrepreneurship Speaker Series

    This series is designed to enable emerging entrepreneurs in opportunity recognition and equip them with foundational skills necessary for new venture creation. Each session combines experiential learning with exemplar tools and frameworks.

    Series Overview

    Identifying Opportunities & Markets
    Learn how to identify opportunities for a product or service using ideation and discovery methods. Focusing on customer discovery and market research, participants will determine whether a venture is worth pursuing and articulate what specific problem it addresses. Participants will learn methods of generating and narrowing solutions that are desirable, feasible, and viable to solve specific problems and refine concepts by utilizing Lean Canvas.

    Concept Development & Go To Market Strategy
    Participants will utilize Lean Canvas, learn lean methodology, apply agile mindset to concept development, form a strong Go To Market Strategy, and practice delivering compelling pitches to an intended audience.

    COST: free for all UTSW community

  • Venture Ideation & Lean Canvas (90 minutes)

    This workshop introduces learners to identifying opportunities for a product or service through developing customer empathy and discovery methods (surveys, interviews, observations). Customer discovery and market research help participants determine whether a venture is worth pursuing and articulate what specific problem it will address. Participants will work to describe a future state in which the customer problems are resolved (storytelling). Participants learn methods of generating and narrowing solutions that are desirable, feasible, and viable to solve their specific problem. Participants refine their product or service idea through completing each section of the Lean Canvas.

  • Lean Canvas and Pitching Ideas (90 minutes)

    Participants bring a problem/solution to the workshop and work through each section of the Lean Canvas with a focus on Unique Value Proposition and Customer Segments. Participants develop an organized and compelling pitch that also proposes a strong Go To Market timeline and strategy.

Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Seminars

These seminars provide information regarding the U.S. Government Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

Examples include:

  • NIH SBIR/STTR Seminar

    This webinar begins with a quick overview of the SBIR and STTR programs, the largest source of technology and product development funding for small businesses in the U.S. Government. It then shifts to the unique features and requirements of the SBIR/STTR programs at NIH, including an overview of the proposal requirements. The webinar ends with an opportunity for participants to ask questions of the presenter.

  • Department of Defense SBIR/STTR Seminar

    Following a quick overview of the SBIR/STTR programs, which provide over $3.5 billion to small and startup companies developing innovative products and services, this webinar transitions into the unique features of the SBIR/STTR programs at the Department of Defense (DOD). The DOD discussion will include the new, out-of-cycle solicitations/BAAs of components like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Army. The webinar ends with an opportunity for participants to submit questions.

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