These are rapidly changing and uncertain times – and, yes the challenges are great, yet it also provides an opportunity to assess current programs and approaches and find ways to be the best we can be. To help all of us manage through this uncertainty, WKI is hosting a weekly webinar series, every Tuesday at 11am ET. The goal is to bring our innovation and entrepreneurial community together to share tools, tips, and strategies to move forward. Each week, a member of our industry will kick off a specific topic for approximately 30-40 minutes and share their advice and insights – then we open to the group for conversation. The webinars run for maximum 60 minutes and are recorded. The current list of topics are below. We welcome all topics and suggestions from you.
We hope those of you who work to build and support startups in your communities will join with us online in this webinar program aimed to generate thought and discussion around shared resources in this new global reality.
Please invite your networks to join in — share this invitation with everyone in your community.
Register here for the webinars
Webinar #1 – March 24th @ 11am ET – Tools to Navigate the New Startup and Incubation Realities
— Mark Long – University of Florida
Recording for this webinar is available here
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Mark Long is known to all of us as an incubation thought leader. For the past week, Mark has been on the front lines at The Hub at UF, helping startups and staff work through the difficult decisions COVID-19 has dealt them. In this webinar, Mark will share his tools, templates and advice to manage in this crisis situation.
Webinar #1B – March 27th at 11am ET – Coaching Entrepreneurs in a Virtual Setting – Wendy Kennedy, WKI
Recording for this webinar is available here
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This webinar is being added to the line up to support to the WKI Certified Coach community. Everyone interested is also invited to join in and share their knowledge. Wendy will engage coaches in conversation about different approaches to using the WKI Entrepreneurial Ideation Program and tools in a virtual setting. Use of the WKI online toolkit will also be discussed.
Webinar #2 – March 31st @ 11am ET – Bootstrapping for Startups
— John Hanak – WKI/NRP
Recording for this webinar is available here
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As capital tightens, what options are available to help startups finance their growth? John Hanak will kick off this conversation with some practical tools and advice to help your clients adjust to the new financial realities for investors and entrepreneurs.
Webinar #3 – April 7th @ 11am ET – Going Virtual Fast
— Karl LaPan – The NIIC
Recording for this webinar is available here
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Join Karl for this first hand account of transitioning the NIIC from offering a wide range of high touch services to delivering service quality virtually. This conversation will include a wide range of strategic and operational decisions that have often difficult and wide reaching impacts.
Webinar #4 – April 14th @ 11am ET – eGauge™ – Making Your Entrepreneurial Support Organization World-Class
— John Hanak & Wendy Kennedy. WKI
Recording for this webinar is available here
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eGauge is a tool for entrepreneurial ecosystem builders. The goal of the eGauge tool is to allow you to assess the activities of your organization and understand how they benchmark against industry comparisons. Join us to discuss ecosystem building and take away a beta copy of this tool.
Webinar #5 – April 21st @ 11am ET – Clusters: A Focused Strategy in Uncertain Times
— Carol Lauffer, Principal – Business Cluster Development
Targeting clusters is a focused, efficient and effective strategy for assisting entrepreneurs and small businesses in uncertain times. Join cluster expert, Carol Lauffer, to learn about clusters, why they matter for economic development, how to select clusters to target in your community, and moving beyond traditional industry clusters using a cluster-based approach to assist underserved communities and women entrepreneurs.
Webinar #6 – April 28th @ 11am ET – With Crisis Comes Opportunity: Finding the Silver Lining — Wendy Kennedy, Founder & President, WKI
Yes, it’s a new world for all of us, but there’s a silver lining in this if we look through a new lens. Social distancing and remote work create opportunities to deliver value in new ways. Join Wendy for a conversation around new approaches and thinking to engage with innovators and entrepreneurs and help them transition to a new way to work.
Webinar #7 – May 5th @ 11am ET – Peer-To-Peer: A Discussion About Newly-Discovered Best Practices — John Hanak, Moderator
We are going to take a break from our webinar routine and, instead, host a virtual roundtable discussion to share best practices that have arisen from the crisis and subsequent sheltering. Please join us to share one thing that you do differently and will continue to do going forward because it represents a new practice.
Webinar #8 – May 12th @ 11am ET – Leading Clients and Staff through Uncertainty — Ted Baker, CEO/Executive Director – Muncie Innovation Connector
This session will focus on the importance and value of any organization’s most vital resource – human capital. As leaders in our entrepreneurial support organizations, stress and uncertainty in times of crisis for clients and employees are difficult to navigate.
Join us as we discuss practical applications to help us manage these uncertainties.
Register here for the webinars
(Please note you only need to register once and you will receive invites to all of the webinars.)
