Ultra Light Startups Boston: The Economics Of Cleantech

Last May, College Mogul and the BU Entrepreneurs co-hosted the first Boston Ultra Light Startups meetup on open source and crowdsourcing. The event attracted over 80 attendees and introduced members of the BU Executive Leadership Program to startups that are utilizing these concepts to build new business models. If you weren't able to attend, I wrote about the event on Xconomy and provided a transcript of the crowdsourcing discussion here on College Mogul.

We're now excited to host our next event, 'The Economics of Cleantech',  that will take place on July 16th from 6 - 9pm and hosted at Northeastern University. We have some interesting speakers lined up from the solar and wave energy industries and working on getting 1 or 2 more from the venture capital industry. If you're in and around Boston, I welcome you to come!

Here is some more information on the event. Please be sure to register.   

Thursday July 16, 2009 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM (ET)
4th Floor Conference Room in the Dodge Hall Building, Northeastern University (Right on Huntington Ave. near the Northeastern T stop)

Ultra Light Startups is a technology based entrepreneurship group that holds monthly meetings to discuss emerging technologies, business models, and concepts that help startups launch cheaper and quicker. Each meetup kicks off with pitches and presentations followed by a panel discussion led seasoned entrepreneurs, industry experts, and thought leaders.

The 'Economics of Cleantech' meetup will focus on discussing today's energy problems, the economics and challenges of bringing new technologies to market, and the role that startups play in environmentally sustainable economies.

Challenges for building a new clean economy include working around existing infrastructure, reshaping culture and lifestyle attitudes, problem solving through public policy, and working within the constraints of city limits while seamlessly integrating emerging technologies.

How can we fund (and start) the right companies, choose the right technologies, and efficiently scale while tackling these challenges? Join us as we ask these questions and discuss others.

Topics:

How can we overcome infrastructure challenges?

What types of technologies and startups are being funded?

How can we ensure that stimulus funding makes it to the right technologies and companies?

What are the most promising types of clean technologies and why?

How do we scale clean technology?

What does the process for commercializing new technologies look like?

How do you integrate new technologies with the current infrastructure/energy ecosystem?

What are the necessary steps for the world as a whole need to take in order to make the transition?

What laws and public policy need to change? How? Why?

How do we need to change culturally?

Agenda:

6:00 - 6:30 : Open Doors
6:30 - 6:45 : Introduction to Group
6:45 - 7:15 : Pitches/Demos
7:15 - 8:00 : Panel Discussion
8:00 - 9:00 : Networking

Panelists:

Bill Staby, Co-Founder/President of Resolute Marine Energy (wave energy technology)

Forrest Liau, Co-Founder/Inventor of SunPoint (Finalist in the MIT $100k Business Plan Competition)

Sanjeev Mukerjee, Professor from the Northeastern University Center for Renewable Energy Technology (NUCRET)

(1-2 more speakers on the way)

Moderator:

Aaron Gerry, Boston Assistant Organizer of Ultra Light Startups. Aaron is a Middler at Northeasten University and a self-proscribed 'start-up enthusiast.'

Event is in collaboration with the NU Entrepreneurs Club, NU Sustainability Committee, and HEAT.

A special thank you goes out to PNG Laboratories who will be live streaming the event.