Photo courtesy by UAB Commercialization Accelerator
Students can apply to learn more about developing a start-up in the 10-week UAB Commercialization Accelerator program.
Whitney Sides
Blazer News Reporter
Bogota, Colombia might not be an obvious setting for a lively discussion about Birmingham’s history to break out, but Oscar R. Garcia says you never know how far an idea will take you.
Garcia is a UAB graduate, INTOUAB instructor and CEO of his own company, Need2Say, his idea to quickly and easily connect people seeking to learn a second language with instructors has taken him far and wide, but his real passion is right here at home.
“My main goal was to keep my company here; to offer jobs and make Birmingham better,” Garcia said. “Max and Lydia at the Commercialization Accelerator gave me more than just advice on how to build a business plan. They offered continued support that, as an international student, I needed to even consider how to start and build a business in the U.S.”
The Commercialization Accelerator is a 10-week intensive workshop, taking place Monday and Wednesday nights through April as part of the Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIIE) sharing a building with the Collat School of Business. It offers guidance on topics affecting modern entrepreneurs: everything from how to perfect your five-minute elevator pitch to the ins and outs of intellectual property law.
The Accelerator also discusses mental health and diversity, two subjects of which will be covered on their own respective weeks on the program calendar. Balancing sanity and success, according to the associate director, is just as important as sales, marketing and funding to anyone hoping to make their own way in the fast-paced world of startups.
The ethos of commitment is not just limited to the driven students hoping their passion projects will be the next in Birmingham to Silicon Valley pipeline. It is echoed among the Accelerator’s staff, mentors and community leaders who dedicate their time and feedback to helping ideas become reality.
“Hard work pays off,” said Lydia Dick, Commercialization Accelerator associate director. “You get what you put into the program.”
Taylor Peake, who founded her company MotionMobs in 2010 while attending UAB, recently had the opportunity to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee on Tax Reform last year in October. And only a few weeks later in November, she was on a panel of local business leaders acting as mentors offering feedback and ultimately choosing who was to receive grants at the Blazer Innovation Challenge.
“I’d worked with the Accelerator before, and it was apparent the students who were pitching their ideas had worked hard and had access to great coaching,” Peake said. “It’s such an invaluable opportunity. Even just a few years ago, those who were serious about starting their own business didn’t have resources like these locally.”
This spring’s UAB Commercialization Accelerator is open to everyone attending UAB, including graduate and PhD students of all areas of study. Those working independently or as a team are welcome and applying with an idea is preferred but not required. Applications are available online and registration closes midnight on Wednesday, January 23.
Also, the Accelerator’s recent partnership with the Birmingham Business Alliance offering on-demand consulting and membership to anyone working on an entrepreneurial idea. Those seeking business-related guidance can go to the Innovation Bridge at 710 13 St S, Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. starting February 1. The office hours also offer access to 3D modeling software and graphic design software essential to spreading the word on any new business endeavor.
The deadline to apply for the program is January 23. Student can apply here.
