Update on Foundry-RPI

[Jason Kuruzovich]

All,

I just wanted to give everyone an update on some of the plans for Foundry-RPI over the next semester.  

I'm waiting to schedule a"Founder's Dinner" (founders both as company founders and initial members of the Foundry)  and Foundry meetings until we receive MOKR's from interested individuals/teams. I originally thought Tuesday night would be the time but one of the teams that has submitted a MOKR cannot make it then.  Once we have all of the submissions on Jan 31st we can search for a day/time that works well with all of the groups.  

I've been receiving emails about MOKRs and have received some questions.  If you are having trouble with the process let me know, as I'm glad to provide a coaching session or extend the deadline if necessary.  The MOKR is a rather simple document that if you know your business I expect you could create in 30 minutes. 

I see the "founder's dinner" as the official kick of of Foundry-RPI, and all teams submitting MOKRs will be invited.  The "Founder's Dinner" will give us a chance to talk more in a social setting and build the fabric of the relationships that help make Foundry-RPI special.  We also want to use this and all Foundry-RPI social gatherings as a way to make connections with the local entrepreneurship, alumni, and angel communities.  

Over the next few weeks I'll be going about the process of identifying key students that are not just interested in participating in the Foundry for their own business but are excited about coaching and helping other students.  We need a couple of these anchors and I think I know who some of you are.  (It would be great to be able to send you to Foundry-Utah for a few days of "cultural imprinting" over Spring break.)  I'll be asking these students to serve on my executive board (along with Gina O'Connor and Dick Fredrick) to help provide feedback during the project review meetings for Foundry-RPI.  (Yes, the Foundry-RPI management team goes through the same process of putting together a MOKR report, and I've attached mine here.)   If you feel comfortable doing so, also feel free to also distribute your MOKR to the foundry-rpi (at) googlegroups.com email address.  For individuals concerned about IP and public disclosure, no need to do this.

As I mentioned in the initial meeting, the program here has been strategically under-designed with idea of adapting directly to meet student needs.  I also think that it would be a great group activity to tvisit something like NYC Seed, TechStars, or to do a "startup-weekend" like event up at the Darrin Research Center (once the weather gets nicer).  The Severino Center has graciously provided funds such that there could be some really interesting things that we could do, and the people joining the group will be key in deciding what we do.

I just wanted to make sure that I sent you an update.   As I mentioned to a student this week, the Foundry-RPI is currently nothing.  While Severino has some resources those resources are nothing without all of you.  We want to make the Foundry-RPI the place that individuals both inside and outside of the school go to collaborate.  I have seen the magic that happens when you put a lot of smart people a room who have an interest in discovering a business and a willingness to coach and help one another.  Looking forward to having many of you as part of that group.

Best,

Jason

Jason Kuruzovich
Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems 
The Lally School of Management and Technology 
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 8th Street
Troy, New York 12180-3590
518.698.9910
kur...@rpi.edu

[cos...@rpi.edu]

Hello Professor,

I attended and enjoyed the information session last week for the Foundry
and have attached two separate MOKRs.

The first is for a team of myself and Samuel Walker (Industrial and
Management Engineering) and the second for a team consisting of myself,
Samuel Walker, and Adrian Quin (Management and Technology). As a
graduating senior I do not have a full schedule and was pursing these
ideas outside of school anyway (as well as for the Business Plan
Competition) and would love to bring both to the Foundry.

The Tuesday meeting time was good for all of our group members and so is
after 6pm Tuesday-Thursday. I have my capstone meetings at 6pm on Monday
so it would be a shame for them to conflict but I understand you will try
to accommodate everybody as best as possible. Most members have class
and/or work during the morning hours.

We are very excited about this opportunity and think that it is great you
are bringing this to our campus. Let me know if you need any help with
the setup or coordination as I would love for this group to succeed.

Thanks again,

Colleen Costello
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Biomedical Engineering 2012

==============Original message text===============

All,

something like NYC Seed <http://www.nycseed.com/> , TechStars,<http://www.techstars.com/program/locations/boston/> or to do a"startup-weekend" like event up at the Darrin Research Center
<http://www.rpi.edu/dept/DFWI/> (once the weather gets nicer). TheSeverino Center has graciously provided funds such that there could be some

really interesting things that we could do, and the people joining the group
will be key in deciding what we do.

I just wanted to make sure that I sent you an update. As I mentioned to a
student this week, the Foundry-RPI is currently nothing. While Severino has
some resources those resources are nothing without all of you. We want to
make the Foundry-RPI the place that individuals both inside and outside of
the school go to collaborate. I have seen the magic that happens when you
put a lot of smart people a room who have an interest in discovering a
business and a willingness to coach and help one another. Looking forward
to having many of you as part of that group.

Best,
Jason

Jason Kuruzovich
Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems
The Lally School of Management and Technology
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 8th Street
Troy, New York 12180-3590
518.698.9910
kur...@rpi.edu

<applewebdata://1E8769FB-DFE7-4465-AD32-CCCB70B829A7/kur...@rpi.edu>

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[jke...@aol.com]

[Keith Williams]

Attached is the MOKR for EZCoachingOnline.

Keith Williams 

On Tue, Jan 31, 2012 at 12:10 PM, <jke...@aol.com> wrote: