Wilson Okwuobu, Scottsdale Community College Student, Takes Home the 2019 Big Pitch Grand Prize
Amanda Mollindo

Wilson Okwuobu, Scottsdale Community College Student, Takes Home the 2019 Big Pitch Grand Prize

After a challenging week of business education, 11 Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) students from across the Valley competed to win The Big Pitch, CEI’s student startup challenge. On Wednesday, March 20, each student pitched business ideas before an audience and judging panel that consisted of Dr. Karla Fisher, Provost of MCCCD; James Goulka, Managing Director of AZ Tech Investors; Geoffrey Ossias, a partner at Perkins Coie; and Tom Zender, local CEO Mentor & Business Coach.

Recap: Building International Bridges at CEI
Amanda Mollindo

Recap: Building International Bridges at CEI

It’s been an exciting year for CEI. With a host of new programs and plenty of incoming clients to keep our staff busy, it can be hard to stay on top of all the new faces that come through our doors. However, the guest we’ve had over the last two months left a lasting impression.

Starting in October, we had the pleasure of hosting FOUR international groups, with individuals whose occupations ranged from entrepreneur to investor. With so much activity week after week, we wanted to give you a glimpse at how these events went. Keep reading for photos and recaps about the time spent with our new friends!

CEI Success Report, Vol. 2
Amanda Mollindo

CEI Success Report, Vol. 2

In just four short months, many of our clients have made enormous progress, and their dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed! It seems like someone’s ringing the CEI Victory Bell almost every week, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of their celebration.

Keep reading to see what’s happened in CEI’s halls this season!

 
The Anatomy of a Stakeholder Email
Amanda Mollindo

The Anatomy of a Stakeholder Email

Keeping your investors, advisors, and partners in the loop is an important part of your job as a startup founder.When you have stakeholders scattered all across the U.S. (or the world), one of the easiest ways to do that is through regular email campaigns. But before you add this task to the bottom of your to-do list, we’ve compiled some easy tips and suggestions on design, content, and format to quickly get your latest news out to the people who are invested in the success of your company!


CEI Success Report, Vol. 1
Amanda Mollindo

CEI Success Report, Vol. 1

If there is one characteristic that’s consistent amongst all of our clients, it’s their relentless drive to build successful businesses. In fact, they’re making headlines, hitting milestones, and winning competitions so frequently that it’s even hard for us to keep up!

To make sure that their wins don’t go unrecognized, we’re launching a new, quarterly initiative to highlight their achievements. Keep reading to find a list of new clients and partners, graduating clients, and a list of everyone’s 2018 successes!

 
The Big Pitch: The First College Student Startup Challenge at CEI
Amanda Mollindo

The Big Pitch: The First College Student Startup Challenge at CEI

 

In the fall of 2017, CEI set out on an unprecedented mission: to launch one business led by students from Maricopa Community College. While we’ve had our fair share of success with incubating Arizona biomedical, technology, sustainability, and life science startups, we have always focused on supporting businesses from outside the community college district. But over the years, it’s become increasingly clear that many of the college students who are here furthering their education are doing so because they dream of eventually launching their own business.

Entrepreneurship Beyond Borders: CEI Hosts Pitch Practice for YTILI Fellows
Amanda Mollindo

Entrepreneurship Beyond Borders: CEI Hosts Pitch Practice for YTILI Fellows

CEI strives to support Arizona startups so that they can create future jobs and strengthen our local economy. But you’d be surprised to learn how many international entrepreneurs have made the decision to call the Phoenix Valley home! With founders from France, Germany, India and more, CEI is proud to serve as a melting pot for innovative ideas that come from all over the globe.

We’ve discovered that entrepreneurs need access to people with different perspectives to solve today’s toughest problems. That’s why we jumped at the opportunity to host YTILI Fellows for two weeks!

3 Tips to Get the Most from Your Advisory Board
Tom Schumann

3 Tips to Get the Most from Your Advisory Board

The creation and management of an advisory board that provides a well-rounded sounding board for startups to rise to the top.

We're not talking about the formal Board of Directors who are responsible for the governance of the company and is typically composed of the founders and investors in the company.  As the name implies, an advisory board is created to advise the founders in subject matter areas where they may be lacking knowledge and skills.  In the article linked to this message we talked with Jean Ekobo, CEO of BioNovelus, an eco-friendly agriculture fungicide. We explore how he uses his board of advisors to guide his strategic vision, to fill critical knowledge gaps, and to leverage a network of connections.

Don't Bore Your Audience — Pitch Like Steve Jobs
Patti DuBois

Don't Bore Your Audience — Pitch Like Steve Jobs

We’ve all heard for a long time that there is no better presenter than Steve Jobs. He was entertaining, inspiring, and informative. He never failed to grab our attention. Now, put yourself in this picture….you are an investor listening to pitches on a regular basis. The majority of the pitches are a monolog of facts, detailed translations about a technology, a seemingly unrealistic chart about revenue, and at some point, wouldn’t it feel all a bit boring, even if the product was great?
Challenges Facing CleanTech Startups (And Resources to Overcome Them)
Greg Bullock

Challenges Facing CleanTech Startups (And Resources to Overcome Them)

A dynamic subset of entrepreneurship focuses on the “CleanTech” industry, which is a broad term encompassing energy, water, manufacturing and other alternative solutions designed to improve efficiencies, consumption, and more. Regardless of the variety of innovations being created in this sector, CleanTech entrepreneurs face unique challenges beyond the traditional startup development lifecycle.