1. The Hub of Human Innovation
Clean Energy Incubator Program
Hub Overview
Re-energize the Americas Conference
October 18, 2012
Cathy Swain, Executive Director
www.hubofhumaninnovation.org
3. What is an Incubator?
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Technology meets Market
4. Why Incubation?
New Business Survival Success Rate
100
Incubated
80
60
%
40 Non-
incubated
20
0
Year 5
Startups create most new net jobs in the US
Incubated companies higher success => Business incubators
help build healthy lasting firms that create wealth and jobs.
~ 84% of business incubator graduates continue operations
within 20 miles of the incubator.
Technology meets Market
5. Why Incubation?
NBIA serves 1900+ members from 60 countries
12 incubators in 1980, now thousands in the USA alone (90
percent nonprofit)
Incubators significantly impact
entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development
Preliminary study* shows total economic impact over ten years 2011-
2020 = $2.1 billion for clean energy and biomedical sectors combined.
Case of Austin Technology Incubator (ATI):
Companies have generated $1.4 Billion revenue
Created 3,000 jobs
* UTEP Institute for Policy and Economic Development - IPED
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6. Business Skills: It’s
Complicated!!!
Production/ Manufacturing
Marketing – Competition/
Substitutes, Positioning, Pricing, Branding, Advertis
ing
Sales and Customer Service – Find
customers, take care of them, Bring Home $$$!
Distribution – Get products to Customers
Finance – Capital
(equipment, facilities…), operations/ cash
flow, accounting, reporting
Human Resources -- PEOPLE are key to
commercial success!!
Legal – IP, contracts, regulatory, international
9/27/2011
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7. The Hub Mission
The Hub is a technology incubator, which nurtures the development
of small technology-based businesses, helping them survive and grow
during the start-up period when they are most vulnerable. We also
assist technology-based businesses that are expanding, relocating, or
simply need direction to move their business forward. We provide
clients with business support services and tailored resources.
Our goals are to:
Increase the number of jobs in the community
Enhance our community’s entrepreneurial climate
Retain businesses in the community
Accelerate growth in our core industries
Diversify the local economy
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Technology meets Market
8. Collaborative Community/University
Partnership Model…THANKS TO Coalition Partners
Bi-national Sustainability Laboratory
(BNSL)
Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovative Enterprises
(CREIE) of The University of Texas at El Paso
Innovate El Paso (Trans Pecos/El Paso Regional Center
of Innovation & Commercialization)
City of El Paso Economic Development Department
(El Paso EDD)
Medical Center of the Americas Foundation (MCA)
Paso del Norte Group (PdN Group)
U.S. - Mexico Foundation for Science Border Office
(FUMEC)
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Technology meets Market
9. The Hub Technology Sector Targets
UTEP Paso del Norte Clean Energy
Incubator Program
Biomedical Life Sciences
Advanced Manufacturing
Border Security/Defense
Aerospace, Automotive, Other
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10. What is Clean Energy?
Generation
Efficiency/Conservation
Transportation
Storage
Infrastructure
Environmental/carbon footprint
Advanced materials
Green retail
Technology meets Market
11. UTEP PdN
Clean Energy Incubator Program
Commercial Opportunities
Research in Clean Energy (UTEP, NMSU, Sandia, Los
Alamos)
Fort Bliss renewable energy initiative to become net-zero
by 2015
Maquiladoras in Juarez => companies test new products
City of El Paso commitment to evaluate new clean energy
products/services
Local Entrepreneurs…
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Technology meets Market
12. The Hub Clients
6 Clean Energy
3 Life Sciences
1 Aerospace
1 Defense
1 Consumer Products
Venture Capital Firm
RampCorp Entrepreneurship
Program for Women
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Technology meets Market
13. Client Support = Heart of The Hub
ID client needs, Find/Match Resources to fill gaps
“Soft Landing” for existing companies launching
in the PdN region
Structured one-on-one professional staff support
Intern pool for approved special projects
Business Plan Assessment, Gap Analysis
Management Team and Board Development
Investment Capital Opportunities
Business Development Tools, Contacts, Resources
Workshops, Professional “Office Hours,” Events
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14. Affiliates and Residents
Affiliate Clients have receipt of mail, and access to All Hub
Client Services and to Hub facilities during normal operating
hours (8 - 5 M –F)
Conference room w/ conference phone, projector, screen
Common area use - resource library, break room, open
desks, meeting space
Facsimile, photocopy, wireless Internet access
Resident Clients receive additional benefits:
24/7 secured access to All Hub facilities
Dedicated, furnished space onsite:
Private office (~ 85 square feet enclosed) or
Cubicle (~ 75 square feet)
VOIP/Phone Internet
Utilities and janitorial service
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Technology meets Market
15. Hub Clean Energy Partners Program
Partner with Hub clients to commercialize new
clean energy technologies
Test Hub clients’ new technologies
Become early adopters
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Technology meets Market
16. Hub Manufacturing Partners Program
Partner with Hub clients to manufacture in the region
Advanced Manufactured Prototyping
Test Hub client technologies
Product development, from prototype to Production Model
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Technology meets Market
17. Hub EquityNet Program
EquityNet: https://www.equitynet.com/
Interactive Business Planning Tool w/ industry analytics
EquityNet Receives Perfect 5-Star Crowdfunding Rating by
independent Crowdfunding Website Reviews (read complete
review) as the number one crowdfunding support service website.
EquityNet Recognized by Forbes (read article), Entrepreneur
Magazine, Bloomberg, CNET, and other journals as the
inventor/pioneer of equity crowdfunding, one of the best
companies poised to take advantage of the new market.
Crowdfunding is asking a crowd of people to donate a defined
amount of money for a specific cause or project in exchange for
various rewards. Three general categories: Equity, Donation, and
Debt. Wikipedia Article on Crowd Funding HERE
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Technology meets Market
18. Hub Team Mentor Program (TMP)
Flexible Volunteer Mentor TEAMS
Expertise to serve changing client needs
Based on confidentiality, trust, objectivity, accountability
MIT Venture Mentoring Services (VMS) Model Developed
and proven over 12 years
1,500 entrepreneurs/900 ventures served, 142 ventures
launched/executing
Builds stronger entrepreneurship culture
Drives local business formation
Improves new venture probability of success
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Technology meets Market
19. Outreach: Workshops/Events
4th Thursday of every month at The Hub:
Hub After Hours Networking 5-6:30 pm
Workshops e.g.
Law School for Startups
Financing for Startups
Manufacturing on the Border
Export/Import ins and outs
Camino Real Venture Competition (CRVC)
RampCorp Entrepreneurship Training for
women
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Technology meets Market
20. Outreach: National/Global Events
Re-Energize the Americas
Border Energy Forum
“Smart Clean Energy Course” hosted by Pecan Street
Inc., Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), Webber Energy
Group
Clean Energy Venture Summit
Climate Leadership Academy (CLA)
AURP’s Southwest Regional Meeting
NBIA Annual International Conference
Global Innovation Summit – “Rainforest” Innovation
Ecosystem
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Technology meets Market
21. How to Apply
Application on Hub Website:
www.hubofhumaninnovation.org
Must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Commitment to create, develop, or expand a US business venture with
employment in the Region
Commitment to ongoing Hub relationship – Not just development of a
Business Plan (e.g. for competition)
Nature of business must be legal
Innovative, scalable business opportunity, preferably with identifiable
intellectual property
Entrepreneur or inventor serious about the venture (time & resources)
Reasonable time to market for products/services (within 3 years)
Coachable attitude
Acceptable background check ($60 application fee)
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Technology meets Market
22. Your Opportunities
Your Marketplace is GLOBAL!!!
Today’s Technologies are REVOLUTIONARY in
some parts of the world!!
YOUR Business may be SCALABLE!!
Paso Del Norte Region is a LOGISTICS MECCA=
GATEWAY TO THE AMERICAS!!
Articulate and Spread the PdN Region Value
Proposition/Story!!!
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Technology meets Market
23. YOUR Challenges!
Be Leaders, Mentors, Champions!
Engage and Collaborate! (Stone Soup)
Identify and Embrace Regional Assets!
Respect Contributions of ALL Sectors!
Articulate the Paso del Norte Region’s Story!
Spread the PdN Story Globally!
Support Entrepreneurs and Incubators in the Region!
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Technology meets Market
24. How do YOU Eat an Elephant?
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25. ONE BITE AT A TIME!!!
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26. CONTACT US!
Our Website: www.hubofhumaninnovation.org
FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/TheHubEP
Also LinkedIn and Twitter…
Our People:
Ernesto Gamboa, Business Director – Clean Energy
ernesto@hubofhumaninnovation.org
Nancy Lowery, Assistant Director and Hub TMP
Operations Manager nancy@hubofhumaninnovation.org
Cathy Swain Executive Director
cathy@hubofhumaninnovation.org
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Technology meets Market
Editor's Notes
Technology Incubator serving El Paso/West Texas, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, and Southern New MexicoFocused on technology and high growth entrepreneurial businesses (early-mid stage) Contributes to high-wage job growthComplements economic development attraction and retention programsSupports/complements MCA Foundation’s major initiative to build a biosciences technology complex Develops innovation/ entrepreneurship culture in the Paso del Norte border region
The Hub of Human Innovation : 501(c)(3) Regional Collaborative technology incubator, 3k sf Facility Downtown El Paso TXTechnology Incubator serving El Paso/West Texas, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, and Southern New MexicoFocused on technology and high growth entrepreneurial businesses (early-mid stage) Contributes to high-wage job growthComplements economic development attraction and retention programsSupports/complements MCA Foundation’s major initiative to build a biosciences technology complex Develops innovation/ entrepreneurship culture in the Paso del Norte border region
CLEAN ENERGY:Generation: wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal, tidalEfficiency: solid state lighting (LED’s), green buildingTransportation: electric vehiclesStorage: batteries, ultra-capacitorsInfrastructure: building automation, smart grid, carbon tradingEnvironmental: water, wastewater, recycling, remediationAdvanced materials: carbon composites, nano-materialsGreen retail: consumer goods
Generation: wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal, tidalEfficiency: solid state lighting (LED’s), green buildingTransportation: electric vehiclesStorage: batteries, ultra-capacitorsInfrastructure: building automation, smart grid, carbon tradingEnvironmental: water, wastewater, recycling, remediationAdvanced materials: carbon composites, nano-materialsGreen retail: consumer goods
Generation: wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal, tidalEfficiency: solid state lighting (LED’s), green buildingTransportation: electric vehiclesStorage: batteries, ultra-capacitorsInfrastructure: building automation, smart grid, carbon tradingEnvironmental: water, wastewater, recycling, remediationAdvanced materials: carbon composites, nano-materialsGreen retail: consumer goods
Pasolus:EvoAir: Innovative products for aircraft manufacturers seeking to improve safety, enhance flight handling, and customized operating solutions.*InterLinx: Revolutionary design and development solutions for net-zero buildings.*LeFran World Products: Creative and intellectual inventiveness creates innovative solutions to everyday challenges.*TEAM Technologies: Advanced engineering & electronics manufacturing company headquartered in Albuquerque, expanding into Paso del Norte region. Expertise in design and fabrication of unique and complex devices requiring instrumentation and controls and precision machining.*RoofCARE: Making roofs last – Innovative technology-based solutions for roof repair and maintenance.Limbs International SpiraRampCorp: Texas State’s entrepreneurship program for women, hosted at UTEP College of Engineering. 20 Participants.Verge Fund: Anchor Venture Capital Fund headquartered in AlbuquerquePipeline: EcoPump, Helicam, Kegerator… Infolink,Acagi, IDA, Innovative Organic Solutions
Equity-based crowdfunding is asking a crowd to donate to your business or project in exchange for equity.Donation-based crowdfunding is asking a crowd to donate to your project in exchange for tangible, non-monetary, rewards such as an ecard, t-shirt, pre-released CD, or the finished product.Debt-based crowdfunding is asking a crowd to donate to your business or business project in exchange for financial return and/or interest at a future date.The Good: Crowdfunding is useful for a variety of opportunities, whether fundraising for disaster-relief, creative projects, creating a salable product, or creating a start-up. Crowdfunding platforms allow you to market your project, generate interest, and receive funds. Crowdfunding backers can provide useful feedback about your project. Once you get a solid base of support, there is no limit to the amount of projects you can fund.The Bad: Crowdfunding your project exposes your ideas to potential copycats. Crowdfunding platforms may limit the amount of funds you can receive. Crowdfunding regulations and taxation can be difficult to work with.The Excellent: Crowdfunding is not limited to certain kind of project, there is no discrimination! Only great ideas! Crowdfunding can be fast, efficient, and effective if done right.There can be little risk involved compared to other business ventures. The more creativity and fun you have, the more likely you’ll get funded. This is the link and credit to the original posting.
“…a fledgling business is far more likely to thrive when an entrepreneur with an idea can draw upon the advice and guidance of a group of mentors with proven skills and experience.”
, led by partner Paul Maxwell (BNSL) on September 15th with 15 in attendance. Cathy Swain attended the Climate Leadership Academy (CLA)event, in Denver September 12-14 by invitation with the City of El Paso Economic Development Office team (Carlos Guzman - Hub Board member and local entrepreneur, Edgar Campo-Palofax – City of El Paso Senior Economic Development Specialist, Marty Howell – City of El Paso Sustainability officer. The Institute for Sustainable Communitiesbased in Montpelier VT facilitated theevent and 14 teams from cities in 12 states participated.Cathy led a breakout session on the Clean Energy Incubator Program and the Hub, with approximately 15 participants from around the US.Cathy attended AURP’s Southwest Regional Meeting entitled “Working with Federal Labs” September 15-16 in Santa Fe, sponsored by Sandia Science & Technology Park, Los Alamos Research Park, Arrowhead Business & Research Park at New Mexico State University, and the City of Albuquerque. It included a tour of Los Alamos National Lab and Los Alamos Research Park. She met heads of technology transfer from both Federal Labs, as well as several research park and incubator heads in the Southwest Region.Cathy Swain attended the Clean Energy Venture Summit September 28-30 at the AT&T Conference Center at UT Austin, and met with SECO funders at the VIP dinner. Cathy met with EDA staff in Austin and with Larry Peterson, Executive Director of the Texas Foundation for Innovative Communities (TxFIC) to discuss grant options to help sustain the CEI Program and Hub operations starting later next year. Outreach ahead:We are sponsoring a booth as an exhibitor at the Re-Energize the Americas two-day sustainable energy conference at the El Paso Convention Center October 26-27, with two of our clean energy client companies participating with us in our space. We will attend the Border Energy Forum on October 27-28, also at the El Paso Convention Center, expecting to attract approximately 250 people from Mexico and ten Border States.We have scheduled our first board meeting for November 4th.We are scheduling training for five people at MIT in November to launch a formal mentoring program here in El Paso, sponsored by the Hub.
, led by partner Paul Maxwell (BNSL) on September 15th with 15 in attendance. Cathy Swain attended the Climate Leadership Academy (CLA)event, in Denver September 12-14 by invitation with the City of El Paso Economic Development Office team (Carlos Guzman - Hub Board member and local entrepreneur, Edgar Campo-Palofax – City of El Paso Senior Economic Development Specialist, Marty Howell – City of El Paso Sustainability officer. The Institute for Sustainable Communitiesbased in Montpelier VT facilitated theevent and 14 teams from cities in 12 states participated.Cathy led a breakout session on the Clean Energy Incubator Program and the Hub, with approximately 15 participants from around the US.Cathy attended AURP’s Southwest Regional Meeting entitled “Working with Federal Labs” September 15-16 in Santa Fe, sponsored by Sandia Science & Technology Park, Los Alamos Research Park, Arrowhead Business & Research Park at New Mexico State University, and the City of Albuquerque. It included a tour of Los Alamos National Lab and Los Alamos Research Park. She met heads of technology transfer from both Federal Labs, as well as several research park and incubator heads in the Southwest Region.Cathy Swain attended the Clean Energy Venture Summit September 28-30 at the AT&T Conference Center at UT Austin, and met with SECO funders at the VIP dinner. Cathy met with EDA staff in Austin and with Larry Peterson, Executive Director of the Texas Foundation for Innovative Communities (TxFIC) to discuss grant options to help sustain the CEI Program and Hub operations starting later next year. Outreach ahead:We are sponsoring a booth as an exhibitor at the Re-Energize the Americas two-day sustainable energy conference at the El Paso Convention Center October 26-27, with two of our clean energy client companies participating with us in our space. We will attend the Border Energy Forum on October 27-28, also at the El Paso Convention Center, expecting to attract approximately 250 people from Mexico and ten Border States.We have scheduled our first board meeting for November 4th.We are scheduling training for five people at MIT in November to launch a formal mentoring program here in El Paso, sponsored by the Hub.
Economic Gardening is an economic development model that embraces the fundamental idea that entrepreneurs drive economies. The model seeks to create jobs by supporting existing companies in a community. The concept, pioneered in 1987 in Littleton, Colorado, when the state was in a recession, is an alternative to traditional economic development practices. It initially was based on research by MIT’s David Birch, who suggested that most new jobs in any local economy were produced by the community’s small, local businesses. In Littleton, city leaders observed that only 3 to 5 percent of all companies were "high growth" but determined that those "gazelles" were creating the great majority of new jobs.Economic gardening connects entrepreneurs to resources, encouraging the development of essential infrastructure and providing entrepreneurs with needed information. The Littleton economic gardening initiative provides local entrepreneurs with access to competitive intelligence on markets, customers, and competitors that is comparable to the resources customarily only available to large firms. Included in the market information category are database and data mining resources, and geographic information systems.Since 1989, Littleton (population 41,000), has added 15,000 jobs, with no incentives. Although no formal studies of economic gardening’s impact exist, it is widely believed in Littleton that the concept has made an important contribution to this result.By the late 1990s, a number of communities (including Lake Elsinore, San Bernardino, Chico, and San Luis Obispo in California; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Steamboat Springs, Colorado; the state of Wyoming; and the North Down Borrough of Northern Ireland) were beginning to investigate and experiment with economic gardening. Major states like California regularly include economic gardening discussions in their state economic development conferences, and cities including Oakland and Berkeley have small pilot economic gardening projects under way.The Edward Lowe Foundation is especially interested in the concept and is supporting such programs that assist second-stage companies.
