Entrepreneur -- That’s French for Crazy Person

by Yuen Yiu

Sujatha Ramanujan from Luminate Accelerator, a startup accelerator program based in Rochester, New York, that focuses on optics, photonics and imaging technology companies, gave a crash course on how to start your own business on the theater floor Tuesday morning. The 50-minute talk included old adages such as “never give up,” as well as specific advice for academics looking to start their own companies. For instance, enterprising researchers need to be especially aware of the lack of resources and grants available in the business world -- you may even need to “do your own plumbing,” said Ramanujan. She also stressed the importance of having a team with diverse technological expertise, as well as business and market expertise. But the most important message from her talk was perhaps one of resilience. “Remember, Apollo 11 walked on the moon,” she said. “Not 1 to 10. Apollo 11.”

Posted: 18 Sep 2018 by Yuen Yiu