Seminar series for aspiring enterpreneurs

Submitted by Sonja Bickford
Phone: 455-2013
03/16/05

UAFäó»s School of Management and Office of Electronic Miniaturization are hosting the äóìAccelerating Economic Development in the Arcticäó? seminar series at the UAF campus. The seminar series is organized by the NanookTech Accelerator. The goal of the seminars and speakers is to educate and broaden participant’s understanding about accelerators and the business development that occurs in an accelerator.

Presentations in the series will define the accelerator concept and include explanations of how an accelerator can help aspiring entrepreneurs, local businesses, the university, the broader community, and the state.

äóìWe want to educate both the UAF as well as the Fairbanks community on what makes up our economy, how it works, how it evolves or develops, what the basic capacity building blocks are, and what roles the university, technology transfer, research, Accelerator, venture capitalists, etc. play in the mix,äó? said Charlie Walker, CEO of the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation.

NanookTech Accelerator is an education, business, and economic development project launched cooperatively by Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks North Star Borough and the City of Fairbanks. It is designed to support the development of start-up businesses in Alaska.

Kevin Owen from First Step Internet in Moscow, Idaho is the next speaker in the monthly series. He will discuss his companyäó»s experiences with an accelerator/incubator. Owen will speak at UAF on Thursday, March 31 at 2 p.m. in 201 Bunnel. For more information about First Step Internet visit www.fsr.net

Accelerating Economic Development in the Arctic seminars are open to UAF faculty, staff and students as well as to the general public.

CONTACT: Sonja Bickford, s.bickford@uaf.edu, (907) 455-2013