{"id":96163,"date":"2020-02-26T12:00:46","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T18:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=96163"},"modified":"2020-02-26T12:07:57","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T18:07:57","slug":"university-partners-sbdc-improve-entrepreneurial-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/university-partners-sbdc-improve-entrepreneurial-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"University Partners with SBDC to Improve Entrepreneurial Opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sharon Nichols<\/p><\/div>\n

OXFORD, Miss. \u2013 The University of Mississippi<\/a> and the Mississippi Small Business Development Center<\/a> have launched a pilot program to assist UM employees interested in starting new businesses out of the university’s research enterprise.<\/p>\n

Based in the UM Office of Technology Commercialization<\/a>, or OTC, the program’s main goal is developing faster, more effective pathways to ease the creation of companies based on university technologies.<\/p>\n

“This is another important step in the growth of UM’s commercialization efforts,” said Allyson Best, OTC director. “Early operational support is critical to the success of startups and their ability to contribute to the economic development of the region and state.<\/p>\n

“We are fortunate to have many resources in UM’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, but this will provide our startups with a dedicated point of contact to help them connect and leverage all of them.”<\/p>\n

The new program means that Derek Stephens, a business counselor at the Small Business Development Center on the Ole Miss campus, will work closely with the OTC to provide greater entrepreneurial support for faculty and staff startups.<\/p>\n

“Startup companies launched out of university research are such an important component to technology commercialization,” Stephens said. “My role will be to provide additional value in areas such as market assessment, business planning, financials and company formation.<\/p>\n

“I’m thrilled to collaborate with OTC and further support commercialization efforts out of UM.”<\/p>\n

Some of the new program’s goals are to:<\/p>\n