Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) held its seventh annual Demo Day in which startup companies introduce their business to the community and have a chance to find potential sponsors.
On Sept. 8, the lobby at Cal Poly Performing Arts Center was crowded with business people and community members eager to examine and learn about the latest companies emerging from the college’s CIE program.
Six companies each manned a table where patrons could sample products, ask questions and hear “elevator” pitches from the eager entrepreneurs. The business being promoted marketed across a wide spectrum of ideas from Lens, a media brand that promises to deliver “authentic perspectives” lacking in today’s news world to Pashion Footwear, a company that has successfully engineered a shoe that converts from high heel to sandal effortlessly and comfortably.
After the initial networking and perusing in the lobby, visitors were able to watch multimedia presentations and listen to each of the companies explain their purpose and goal.
The Demo Day is an extension of the CIE’s Accelerator program that is designed to play a supporting role to startups. The 13 week course provides weekly workshops, personal mentoring, and has access to $10,000 in seed funding. The Accelerator course is only available for current Cal Poly Students and recent alumni.
“Most companies that come to us are in the very early stages of a startup,” said CIE’s Communications Manager Candice Conti, “so, they are looking for help in raising funding, pitching, business models, attorneys, accounting and that’s where we can help them. We can give them all of these services for free.”
The Incubator program provides office resources such as office space and infrastructure as well as mentorships and monthly “peer-to-peer roundtable” discussions, and an advisory board. The two year program is designed to help develop and fine tune the business’ mission, direction, and vision. There are currently 14 companies in incubation, one of which is Reduce. Reuse. Grow., a company that is already providing recyclable food contains to restaurants in the area and contributes to several land restorations projects in SLO County and beyond.
Formerly only available to students and people affiliated with the university, the Incubator program opened its doors last year to assist startups from the Central Coast, garnering an overwhelming amount of support and sponsorship from San Luis Obispo County, the City of SLO and business community.
“We are now accepting companies that don’t go through the traditional route of coming through our Cal Poly program,” said Conti, “so the Incubator is now open to community startups.”
There are courses both on and off Cal Poly’s campus. At the university there are the Innovation Sandbox, a shared workspace where students can explore new ideas and technologies and the Hatchery, a place where students come to build teams and ideas so they can create a new business before graduating.
For more information go online to: cie.calpoly.edu.
Story and Photo by Mark A. Diaz
