BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION

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Have Time for a Quick Conference Call?

Volunteer to Offer Student Teams Valuable Industry-Specific Guidance by PHONE through the New ‘IP Mentoring Support Pilot Project’

In just a few short years, the LES Foundation’s Graduate Student Business Plan Competition has become a signature event for the Foundation and its supporters LES (USA & Canada), Inc., and LES International. It’s also become a favorite among student participants who are drawn to its unique combination of intellectual property (IP) education and industry exposure.

Valuable connections between LES members and student participants are the centerpiece of the Competition. Student participants learn about the world of IP licensing, often for the first time, from members who share their expertise by volunteering to provide feedback on their plans, judging the final round, teaching an IP basics workshop like PDS 100 or simply chatting with them during an LES event.

In an effort to enhance opportunities for such interactions, the Foundation is introducing the IP Mentoring Support Pilot Project.

“The goal of the IP Mentoring Support Project is to provide a new way for members to get involved at a very manageable and enjoyable level, while also providing valuable resources to students to help them improve their business plans,” said Foundation Board member Les Goff, President and CEO of Noetic Technologies, who is spearheading the initiative.“Through this program we can provide students with basic answers and critical knowledge in the areas of IP, business, and technology. We are looking for volunteers from each sector, who would be willing to volunteer some time to mentor/coach/support a team via conference call.”

Here’s how the IP Mentoring Support Project will work:

Teams will request mentor support at bplan@lesfoundation.org
Les Goff will gather the pertinent information, determine which sector is best suited for the job and contacts the sector chair(s)
A conference call will be scheduled and executed between the teams and sector mentor
Les Goff will follow up to assure the team’s needs are met

“This process will provide much needed support for the teams during their preparation for the Competition,” said Goff. “It will also introduce us to many new young prospective members for LES, while involving some of our best knowledge and talent in LES today.”

Goff plans to contact the sector chairs and some of the LES membership for assistance with the IP Mentorship Support Project in the coming weeks. If you would like to participate please contact Les Goff at leslie.goff@noetictechnologies.com.

How Can I Get Involved?

Sector mentor: IP Support Pilot Project: Offer to mentor/coach/support a team that has asked for guidance on IP topics in your industry sector during their preparation for the LES Foundation’s Competition. Coaching is delivered via conference call.
University Liaison:
- Raise awareness by contacting a graduate business school or entrepreneurship program in your local area. Encouraging them to enter a team, or
- Offer to teach an IP basics workshop/PDS 100: Commercializing Technology through the Power of IP Licensing.
Industry Sector Judges: Review a handful of student business plans in your field of expertise and offer technical/feasibility feedback to the student teams prior to the Finals.
Make a Contribution: Too busy to volunteer? You can help by making a donation to support the Competition at www.lesfoundation.org.

Visit this website often to learn more about the 2010 Competition, view videos and pictures of past competitions and find out where past participant are today. To volunteer, contact Competition Chair, Linda Chao at bplan@lesfoundation.org .