Ready to make the leap into entrepreneurship? Gain the knowledge and skills you need to move from concept to company.
Grow your venture.
Join the UC Davis StartupTree community to learn about events, competitions, resources and programs on campus and beyond to help you launch your entrepreneurial journey and grow your venture.
Learn to move your business idea forward in a series of eight innovation workshops presented by business and investment leaders.
Our Ideas into Action workshops are designed for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs. They provide the knowledge and tools you'll need to create the deliverables needed to compete in the UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition, our Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competitions—or begin any other entrepreneurial journey.
Please note: Our 20232/23 workshop series has concluded. Please click the links listed with most workshops to watch our video library—and check back in the fall when we announce our 2023/24 workshops.
Get involved in the Little Bang!
We've incorporated opportunities for networking and business competition team formation into each workshop. Workshops meet from 6–8 p.m. in Gallagher Hall, Room 1213, on the UC Davis campus, and are free and open to the public.
Leadership Skills
The Ideas into Action workshops combined with participation in the Big Bang! will give you the knowledge and skills needed to move from concept to company. The leadership experience you gain will help you succeed in whatever career path you chose. You'll learn to:
- Solve complex problems.
- Be a part of and effectively lead cross-functional and cross-cultural teams.
- Make connections and build your network.
- Thrive in challenging times.
We look forward to welcoming you to our community of Aggie Innovators!
10.26.22 | Starting Something That Matters
Join Joe DiNunzio, executive director of the UC Davis Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, for an introduction to the most important skill any innovator or entrepreneur needs: the ability to build a network around their ideas. Later in the workshop, Vicky Lee, a partner with DLA Piper's technology and sourcing group, will address the concept and concerns surrounding intellectual property (IP), often a new venture’s first tangible asset.
Watch video | Starting Something Watch video | IP
11.02.22 | Making the Leap
Are you ready to move your business idea from concept to reality? Join Graduate School of Management Professor Andrew Hargadon to learn how to clearly articulate the problem you are solving, your proposed solution and its value proposition. We’ll also discuss how to develop a foundation for thinking about moving your venture forward—and how to acquire the tools and network to do so effectively.
11.16.22 | Write to Win: Your Executive Summary
Join Ken Andersen and learn how to define your business in a concise and well-written executive summary. Ken is a continuing lecturer in the University Writing Program, where he teaches a variety of upper-division courses and serves as the assistant director for business writing.
Note: The two-page executive summary is a required deliverable in Round 1 of the UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition.
02.01.23 | Defining and Validating Your Business Model
A new venture’s business model defines how it brings together available technology, market and business opportunities, as well as how it plans to make money—and how much. Tim Keller, chief operating officer of Davis-based medical device startup AmCyt and top prize winner of the 2008 Big Bang! Business Competition, will discuss how to create a viable business model.
02.15.23 | Your Customer, Your Market
Join Ben Finkelor, executive director of the UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute and special advisor to the California Energy Commission, to learn how to identify your market segment and customers and evaluate whether (and how much) they value your product, service or business solution. You’ll develop questions to ask a potential customer to better understand their needs and have the opportunity to practice customer calls.
This workshop is generously sponsored by VSP Global Innovation Center.
03.01.23 | Show Me the Money: Projecting and Presenting Financials
What do potential investors want to see? Jim Kelly, assistant dean for finance and administration at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, will show you how to forecast and present your financials in a way that effectively demonstrates your understanding of the market and the value of your venture.
03.08.23 | Put Your Best Foot Forward
Marianne Skoczek, marketing and communications director at the UC Davis Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, will discuss how to communicate effectively with the public, the media and your potential customers.
03.15.23 | Pitching Like a Pro: Developing and Presenting Your Slide Deck
Whether you are starting a business, building a nonprofit or proposing a new idea to your boss, your presentation serves as your dynamic business plan for sharing your vision with potential team members, investors and stakeholders. Monique Brown, co-founder and managing director at The Growth Factory and a partner at Growth Factory Ventures, will teach you how to create a compelling slide deck—and how to pitch like a pro.
Note: This workshop includes a live pitch presentation and the opportunity to ask questions.