On Monday, July 25, the Skandalaris Center, with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Partners for Innovation program, held a day-long workshop entitled "Diversity as a Catalyst for Innovation in the Sciences:  Connecting Women and Under-Represented Innovators to Regional Resources." 

The workshop was a follow-up to a grant from the NSF in 2008.  The grant created a number of tools, concepts, and approaches that enhance regional innovation ecosystems. We hope that this workshop helped to broaden their impact by introducing the tools and approaches to under-represented groups. As part of the workshop we published a guidebook of resources available to innovators and entrepreneurs, to connect them to existing innovation support systems in the St. Louis region.  If you would like to download a copy of this guidebook, along with a program from the workshop, please click the link below:

Diversity Workshop Program and Resource Guide

Resource Guide Only

The workshop provided four learning tracks and included multiple opportunities to learn about and connect with resources in the region. 

Those in attendance included: 

• Women and other under-represented researchers who want to meet others and investigate how their ideas may move forward
• Service providers, innovators, and entrepreneurs who want to support underrepresented groups
• Students who want to learn more about St. Louis scientific startup ventures and regional entrepreneur support systems
• Community members who are part of, or wish to contribute to improving, the region’s innovation ecosystems
• Investors and funders who want to support early stage technology ventures
• Organizations and companies who support diversity
• Executives, mentors, advisors, and other people who might want to advise or join new technology ventures led by underrepresented groups

The goals of the workshop were to inform women and underrepresented groups about the region's many innovation support resources; to educate attendees about how to evaluate ideas and get help to move them forward; to connect innovators to one another; and to invite researchers and entrepreneurs to take action on their ideas.  

The four interest tracks included one for entrepreneurs seeking SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) funding, as well as three technology-specific "idea" tracks for researchers and innovators.  The idea tracks, with specialized agendas and presentations, served as a source of future SBIR submissions. Under-represented researchers in particular need support and mentoring before they commit to commercialization or SBIR submission. We hope that these technology tracks provided that support, while the SBIR track served entrepreneurs whose ideas are further along. 

The four interest tracks for the day included the following.  Click on the track name to view the agenda.  

1. What do I need to do to receive an SBIR Grant?
2. What support systems exist for Energy & Environment Technologies?  (Agriculture, nutrition, biofuel, solar, conservation, clean coal, CO2, nanotechnology)
3. What support systems exist for Biotechnologies? (Imaging, therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, genetics, materials, nanotechnology)
4. What support systems exist for Information Technologies?  (Security, IT Networks, IT Technology, Social Webs, IT Services)

To view some of the materials from the workshop, please explore the links below.  We hope these presentations and materials will be useful to you in discovering support systems in the St. Louis region and beyond.

• Keynote Speaker: Brenda Newberry, Retired Chairman & Founder, The Newberry Group, Inc., "Why Innovation and Diversity are Critical to the St. Louis Region: Reflections from a Real Entrepreneur of St. Louis"
• Keynote Speaker: Lesa Mitchell, Vice President, Advancing Innovation, Kauffman Foundation, "The Importance of Diverse Science Innovators and Entrepreneurs to American Society"
• Presenter:  Malathi Srivatsan, Ph.D., AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow, Industrial Innovation & Partnerships (IIP) Division, Directorate for Engineering, National Science Foundation, "Broadening Participation in Innovation: NSF SBIR/STTR"
• Presenter:  Bill Simon, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Center for Emerging Technologies,Forming Relationships with Experts, Mentors, Team Members, Investors, Strategic Partners (to win SBIRs)
  
• Presenter:  Brian L. Clevinger, Ph.D., Managing Director, Prolog Ventures, Prolog: Venture Capital for Life Science -- "Quick Idea Evaluation Checklist"; Biotechnology Track
• Presenter: Susan Preston, General Partner, CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund, "Quick Idea Evaluation Checklist" -- Energy & Environment Track
• Panelist:  Susan S. Elliott, Chairman, SSE, Inc., author of upcoming book, “Across the Divide: Navigating the Digital Revolution as a Woman, Entrepreneur, and CEO”

Additional resources provided to the workshop participants included: 

• Mindmaps network of resources, provided by RampCorp, Office of Commercialization and Industry Relations, Texas State University - San Marcos
• SBIR Toolkit, provided by the NSF

Many new and existing programs and activities that support the innovation ecosystem were highlighted, including: 

• Innovate St. Louis, educating innovators, entrepreneurs, and the public about how great ideas become viable business endeavors and to better collaborate and help build the entrepreneurial eco-system
• St. Louis IT Entrepreneur Network (ITEN), the network for serial and first-time entrepreneurs, volunteer mentors, investors, and service providers to launch and accelerate successful high-growth tech ventures
• Innovate St. Louis Venture Mentoring Service, promoting entrepreneurship education and leadership through team-based mentoring of innovative new ventures at no cost by experienced serial entrepreneurs and business persons
• St Louis Regional i6 Project, identifying very early discoveries that with the right assistance, especially from industry experts, can be advanced toward commercial viability, creating a more robust pipeline of new bioscience ventures that can grow into significant employers
• The Bio Entrepreneur Development (BED) Program, targeted at first-time bioscience entrepreneurs and offering a 10-week training course, ongoing individualized coaching and mentoring, and a range of general business services and specialized consulting services
• BioGenerator, a privately funded, non-profit organization created to facilitate the formation of science companies in the St. Louis region
• Nidus Investment Partners LP, a unique collaboration between experienced entrepreneurs and strategic corporations to identify and commercialize innovative technologies broadly impacting the energy markets
• Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, where scientists are engaged in research to enhance the nutritional content of plants, increase agricultural production to create a sustainable food supply, reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizer, develop new and sustainable biofuels, and generate scientific ideas and technologies
• Bio-Research & Development Growth (BRDG) Park, helping life sciences and clean-tech companies bridge research, resources and relationships to achieve commercial success
• International Center for Advanced Renewable Energy and Sustainability (I-CARES), encouraging and coordinating Washington University-wide and external collaborative research on energy, environment, and sustainability that cannot be done by single investigators or by single disciplines alone
• Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization, addressing the scientific and technological challenges of ensuring that coal can be used in a clean and sustainable manner
• St. Louis Information Technology Coalition, furthering the economic development and vitality of the region by mobilizing and leveraging existing assets and talents, promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and work force enhancement, and attracting new investments in information technology
• Missouri Venture Forum is a non-profit organization providing a means for investors, entrepreneurs and business advisors to make mutually beneficial relationships to drive new business formation and growth
• St. Louis Enterprise Centers provide entrepreneurs with affordable office, warehouse, light manufacturing and laboratory space, shared support services, access to mentors, professional seminars, and valuable networking opportunities
• CORTEX, the Center of Research, Technology, and Entrepreneurial Exchange, is a life sciences neighborhood assisting growing companies with economic assistance, advice, and lab and incubator space in multi-tenant facilities encouraging collaboration and support

With support from Wells Fargo Advisors, the day concluded with an IdeaBounce®, reception, and dinner for bouncers to receive feedback and form relationships with other workshop participants and presenters.  View their ideas at www.ideabounce.com/diversity.   

We look forward to supporting many future events to continue to build a strong community of diverse, innovative, and connected entrepreneurs.