Entrepreneurial Tools & Programs
Blackstone LaunchPad
The Blackstone LaunchPad (BLP) is the front door to all entrepreneurial tools, programs, and resources on UT Southwestern’s campus. BLP provides students, faculty, and postdoctoral researchers access to what they need to pursue entrepreneurial learning and opportunities. The Blackstone LaunchPad was established by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation in 2008 and is expanding its program from two to eight campuses in the University of Texas System.
UT Southwestern’s Blackstone LaunchPad offers entrepreneurial seminars and boot camps via partnerships with organizations such as LaunchBio, 3 Day Startup (3DS), and TechFW, among others. The goal is to educate UTSW students, faculty, and postdoctoral researchers about company formation and to help develop and support entrepreneurial interests in the UTSW community.
Why Participate in Blackstone LaunchPad Opportunities?
- You have an idea and need help with next steps.
- You want to start a company and need insight and guidance.
- You’re curious and want to know more about being an entrepreneur.
- You want to apply entrepreneurial concepts in your current work and/or studies.
Get in touch with us via mailto:technologydevelopment@utsouthwestern.edu or call 214-648-1888 for more information!
Startup Tree
Entrepreneurship at UT Southwestern is a diverse, university-wide program that finds and fosters the entrepreneurial spirit in participants from every department, every field, and in every stage of life. We are grounded in the belief that individuals who exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit and have acquired entrepreneurial knowledge can add significant value to any working environment from the smallest startup to the largest business, from non-profits to government agencies. Click here to see upcoming events, competitions, and applications such as UTSW Blackstone LaunchPad Speaker Series, Dolphin Tank, and UTSW Pitch Competition.
LaunchBio
LaunchBio is a national nonprofit organization that provides networking opportunities for innovative life science and biotechnology companies. The organization offers periodic webinars and events to help connect entrepreneurs with the leading life science hubs in the U.S.
TechFW ThinkLab Accelerator
ThinkLab@Pegasus Accelerator is a 12-week intensive entrepreneurship training program focused on accelerating the commercialization of Biotech+ technologies (Biotech+ includes therapeutics, medical devices/diagnostics, and digital health technologies) in the North Texas market. ThinkLab@Pegasus is a collaboration developed in partnership with LaunchBio and TechFW.
I-Corps
I-Corps is a National Science Foundation (NSF) initiative to increase the economic impact of research that the NSF has funded. Southwest I-Corps™ cultivates regional innovation education, infrastructure, and research. The Southwest regional organization works cooperatively with I-Corps™ organizations at other institutions, or Nodes, to foster understanding on how to utilize tools and resources that enhance innovation and leverage effective best practices on a national scale to improve the quality of life for the public. Contact Business Development by businessdevelopment@utsouthwestern.edu or call 214-648-1888 for more information.
Additional Resources
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Blackstone LaunchPad Student Resources (For UTSW students only)
Blackstone LaunchPad recently added a private, password-protected area to the Blackstone LaunchPad website just for students. UT Southwestern students can use this part of the website to access exclusive resources, including:
- The Techstars Toolkit
- An invitation to Blackstone LaunchPad’s private LinkedIn group
- Registration links for upcoming Speaker Series
- Applications for upcoming programming
The UT Southwestern Director of Technology Commercialization and Director of UTSW Blackstone LaunchPad will provide you with your school’s unique Access Code, which will be updated every fall.
Login Directions:
- Go to the Blackstone LaunchPad website
- Click on the orange STUDENT RESOURCES button on the top right corner.
- Select your school from the dropdown menu.
- Type your school’s Access Code. NOTE: Access Codes are case-sensitive.
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UT Southwestern Dolphin Tank
Dolphin Tank: Real Investor Feedback, But You Won’t Get Eaten Alive!TM
UT Southwestern faculty may present one slide covering an idea that includes:
- Pain/problem
- Solution
- Current status of technology
- What comes next.
Following the presentations and Q&A, we will have breakout rooms to facilitate further conversations. We anticipate there will be a variety of both stages (some may be very early) and topics presented covering Biotech+ areas such as therapeutics, devices/diagnostics, and digital health.
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Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program
The Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Program connects investment, startup, and commercialization experts with drivers of promising research to advance health care innovations from the lab to the marketplace. This program relies upon the diverse skill sets and experience needed to support successful commercialization efforts. EIRs guide innovators of research through feedback, provide needed connections, and help overcome the unique challenges encountered along the road to commercialization.
OTD matches innovators with EIRs based on applied expertise, unique needs, and areas of interest.
Connect with our Business Development team now by businessdevelopment@utsouthwestern.edu, or call 214-648-1888 to find out more about this program.
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Startups
Technologies developed at UT Southwestern Medical Center can be commercialized through either licensing or the development of a company as a startup. The Office for Technology Development is responsible for researching technologies suitable for entrepreneurial development and assists in developing startup companies based on those technologies. Access a listing of UT Southwestern’s available patented technologies. Connect with our Business Development Team by businessdevelopment@utsouthwestern.edu, or call 214-648-1888 for more information.