Berkeley Science Fellows Program


Incorporating UC Berkeley Postdocs into the startup ecosystem

The Berkeley Science Fellows Program is the latest initiative being officially launched at Berkeley SkyDeck , the premier startup accelerator at the University of California, Berkeley.  This program is the first of its kind in the world, supported by the Visiting Scholars and Postdoc Affairs Office and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at UC Berkeley. The Berkeley Science Fellows Program pairs SkyDeck startup teams with postdoctoral scientists at UC Berkeley to assist them in solving the scientific and technical challenges behind their products.

Caroline Winnett and Chon Tang speaking at the launch of the Berkeley Science Fellows Program at Berkeley SkyDeck.

 

UC Berkeley is home to about 1900 Postdoctoral Researchers (postdocs) and 1200 Visiting Scholars, most engaged in cutting edge research. Their work covers a broad range of research disciplines, including robotics, software, advance material, CRISPR, artificial intelligence, psychology, renewable energy, medical devices, therapeutics, statistics, and many more. Having acquired their doctorates from some of the best universities around the world, this postdoc population feeds a vital component of the research community at UC Berkeley. Postdocs greatly enrich the campus intellectual ecosystem as they work under faculty mentorship. They help the campus attract millions of dollars in research funding that has historically created groundbreaking products, revolutionary companies, and entirely new industries! They are major drivers of the research engine that has powered technologies behind companies like Google, Genentech, Illumina, and Cisco systems, to name but a few.

While the primary focus of postdocs has been directed at academic research in faculty labs, there has been no platform that would enable them to interact with startups on campus. The intellectual rigor and subject matter expertise of postdocs could prove invaluable in solving critical problems and accelerating product development for UC Berkeley startups. Identifying an opportunity, Naresh Sunkara, Ph.D., formerly a postdoc at UC Berkeley and the founder of the Berkeley Postdoc Entrepreneurship Program (BPEP), has now launched the Berkeley Science Fellows Program. Established in 2010, BPEP provides members of Berkeley’s post-doctoral community with entrepreneurship support and hosts professional development workshops. Naresh himself is an entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of Nosocom Solutions, developing automated sterilization technologies to prevent Healthcare Associated Infections.

Naresh Sunkara, Founder of the Berkeley Science Fellows Program

Postdocs working with UC Berkeley Startups

As a part of the Berkeley Science Fellows Program, postdocs are selected using requirements provided by the startups and then paired as Science Fellows. From the inaugural batch of Spring 2018, eighteen postdocs were selected to work with startups at SkyDeck. The postdocs commit 4-5 hours a week (flexible hours), mostly evenings and weekends, in order to avoid interference with their academic research, which naturally remains the top priority. They assist startups with essential tasks, such as brainstorming technology issues, grant writing, data analysis and interpretation, to name a few. They also provide connections to scientific collaborators and resources on campus based on their research experience in deep technologies.

Building a pipeline to a future workforce

Solving technology issues is one of the major hurdles at startups and equally challenging is recruiting the best team members to work at the startups. The Berkeley Science Fellows Program is tackling this challenge by creating a platform for startups and Science Fellows to work with each other without commitment to employment. This provides an opportunity for both parties to evaluate one another for potential future relationships. We call it the “try before you buy” model.  And of course, what better benefit than working with the best Ph.D.’s in the world?

 

Awakens, a Berkeley SkyDeck startup talking to potential Science Fellows

 

For startups, time and money are always the most significant limitations. Working with Science Fellows accelerates the process of product development while  working on new ideas. Postdocs also help to identify resources on campus that the startups can use. These resources could be either in the form of research expertise or instrumentation and facilities available on campus.

For the postdocs, working with startups is a crucial professional development activity, giving them a feel for the fast-paced work environment seen in the real world, as opposed to their lab environment. Exposure to startups also provides postdocs with an opportunity to look at the business side of their discipline, cultivating positioning that would allow them to take on the roles of Chief Technology/Chief Scientific Officers in the future at some of these startups.

UC Berkeley is unique both in terms of the unusually robust numbers of talented postdocs as well as the presence of premier startup incubators like SkyDeck on campus. We are hoping that facilitating organic interactions between these two groups will play a huge role in increasing the success rate of our startups and also job creation in the near future.

We are thrilled with the Science Fellows program at SkyDeck. The SkyDeck Fellows bring outstanding scientific and technical expertise to our startups, and the Fellows receive professional development working in a startup environment. It’s a unique program that reflects UC Berkeley’s world-class talent.” says Caroline Winnett, MBA 90, the Executive Director of Berkeley SkyDeck, a partnership among Haas, Berkeley Engineering, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.

 

The Science Fellows Program is a critical differentiator for the SkyDeck accelerator.  The startups we work with are thrilled with the idea of collaborating with worlds’ most talented scientists at UC Berkeley.” says Chon Tang, Founding Partner of the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund.

 

The Science Fellows Program is a wonderful opportunity for our postdoc community to benefit from the rich entrepreneurship ecosystem we have at UC Berkeley. This is one of the professional development activities that the VSPA offers, which we believe will make UC Berkeley more attractive when future postdocs are weighing their options while choosing a university for their postdoctoral research. ” says Sam Castaneda, Director of the Visiting Scholars and Postdoc Affairs Program.

 

Quotes from postdocs working with SkyDeck startups:

  1. “I am collaborating with Nextbiotics, and I am really enjoying it! We do weekly one-on-one short meetings by skype to give a short update on the projects we are working on and once a month all of the Berkeley Science fellows and the people in the company meet in person to have a group meeting where we put everything together. I find it interesting because I am able to see also the financial side of the startup, and that was the main reason why I joined the program, as it was completely unknown to me.”

 

  1. “In addition to their excitement to learning from our (me and other Science fellows) expertise and hearing feedback on their aims, the next best experimental approach to solving challenges, they also encourage the Science fellows to get more involved in designing and shaping business proposition ideas and ask for our views on their next goals, mission, and challenges. They are helping us to learn about business side of Science. The best thing about Jorge and team is that they allow flexibility in the schedule, are understandable, very organized, and transparent. I’m helping them identify and suggest the best phages for their CRISPR/Cas engineering and reaching out to people and centers who can help us to provide the phages for the next step.”

 

Quotes from startups:

  1. Sublime Therapeutics– Addition of Science Fellows to our team meetings had an immediate effect on the quality of our scientific discussions. They identified resources and approaches that will enhance the strategies we will pursue for our proof-of-concept studies. For example, we will be using state-of-the-art technology, such as CRISPR/Cas9 and IncuCyte Imaging, to provide high impact data that will advance our development and fundraising activities. They also developed a scientifically accurate Chinese translation of their pitch deck which has enabled us to pitch to several Chinese VCs, including non-English speaking ones, leading to discussions regarding Chinese development and approval track for SBL-101.”
  2. “We at Awakens are working with 2 Science fellows who have strong science background in genomics. We learned a lot from them and we are happy that they are also enjoying working with us too. The program is a great opportunity for both startup and postdocs to grow together.”

 

Following up on the May 2018 completion of the first cohort of the Berkeley Science Fellows Program at Skydeck, recruitment preparations are underway for the incoming group of startups.  The feedback and observations from the first cohort are being used to streamline the program, which is now getting attention from other startup incubators both on and off campus.

 

If you are interested in learning more about Berkeley Science Fellows Program or in applying as a Berkeley Science Fellow, email Naresh Sunkara at naresh@berkeley.edu; bsfpberkeley@gmail.com



Source link

Berkeley Science Fellows Program


Incorporating UC Berkeley Postdocs into the startup ecosystem

The Berkeley Science Fellows Program is the latest initiative being officially launched at Berkeley SkyDeck , the premier startup accelerator at the University of California, Berkeley.  This program is the first of its kind in the world, supported by the Visiting Scholars and Postdoc Affairs Office and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at UC Berkeley. The Berkeley Science Fellows Program pairs SkyDeck startup teams with postdoctoral scientists at UC Berkeley to assist them in solving the scientific and technical challenges behind their products.

Caroline Winnett and Chon Tang speaking at the launch of the Berkeley Science Fellows Program at Berkeley SkyDeck.

 

UC Berkeley is home to about 1900 Postdoctoral Researchers (postdocs) and 1200 Visiting Scholars, most engaged in cutting edge research. Their work covers a broad range of research disciplines, including robotics, software, advance material, CRISPR, artificial intelligence, psychology, renewable energy, medical devices, therapeutics, statistics, and many more. Having acquired their doctorates from some of the best universities around the world, this postdoc population feeds a vital component of the research community at UC Berkeley. Postdocs greatly enrich the campus intellectual ecosystem as they work under faculty mentorship. They help the campus attract millions of dollars in research funding that has historically created groundbreaking products, revolutionary companies, and entirely new industries! They are major drivers of the research engine that has powered technologies behind companies like Google, Genentech, Illumina, and Cisco systems, to name but a few.

While the primary focus of postdocs has been directed at academic research in faculty labs, there has been no platform that would enable them to interact with startups on campus. The intellectual rigor and subject matter expertise of postdocs could prove invaluable in solving critical problems and accelerating product development for UC Berkeley startups. Identifying an opportunity, Naresh Sunkara, Ph.D., formerly a postdoc at UC Berkeley and the founder of the Berkeley Postdoc Entrepreneurship Program (BPEP), has now launched the Berkeley Science Fellows Program. Established in 2010, BPEP provides members of Berkeley’s post-doctoral community with entrepreneurship support and hosts professional development workshops. Naresh himself is an entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of Nosocom Solutions, developing automated sterilization technologies to prevent Healthcare Associated Infections.

Naresh Sunkara, Founder of the Berkeley Science Fellows Program

Postdocs working with UC Berkeley Startups

As a part of the Berkeley Science Fellows Program, postdocs are selected using requirements provided by the startups and then paired as Science Fellows. From the inaugural batch of Spring 2018, eighteen postdocs were selected to work with startups at SkyDeck. The postdocs commit 4-5 hours a week (flexible hours), mostly evenings and weekends, in order to avoid interference with their academic research, which naturally remains the top priority. They assist startups with essential tasks, such as brainstorming technology issues, grant writing, data analysis and interpretation, to name a few. They also provide connections to scientific collaborators and resources on campus based on their research experience in deep technologies.

Building a pipeline to a future workforce

Solving technology issues is one of the major hurdles at startups and equally challenging is recruiting the best team members to work at the startups. The Berkeley Science Fellows Program is tackling this challenge by creating a platform for startups and Science Fellows to work with each other without commitment to employment. This provides an opportunity for both parties to evaluate one another for potential future relationships. We call it the “try before you buy” model.  And of course, what better benefit than working with the best Ph.D.’s in the world?

 

Awakens, a Berkeley SkyDeck startup talking to potential Science Fellows

 

For startups, time and money are always the most significant limitations. Working with Science Fellows accelerates the process of product development while  working on new ideas. Postdocs also help to identify resources on campus that the startups can use. These resources could be either in the form of research expertise or instrumentation and facilities available on campus.

For the postdocs, working with startups is a crucial professional development activity, giving them a feel for the fast-paced work environment seen in the real world, as opposed to their lab environment. Exposure to startups also provides postdocs with an opportunity to look at the business side of their discipline, cultivating positioning that would allow them to take on the roles of Chief Technology/Chief Scientific Officers in the future at some of these startups.

UC Berkeley is unique both in terms of the unusually robust numbers of talented postdocs as well as the presence of premier startup incubators like SkyDeck on campus. We are hoping that facilitating organic interactions between these two groups will play a huge role in increasing the success rate of our startups and also job creation in the near future.

We are thrilled with the Science Fellows program at SkyDeck. The SkyDeck Fellows bring outstanding scientific and technical expertise to our startups, and the Fellows receive professional development working in a startup environment. It’s a unique program that reflects UC Berkeley’s world-class talent.” says Caroline Winnett, MBA 90, the Executive Director of Berkeley SkyDeck, a partnership among Haas, Berkeley Engineering, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.

 

The Science Fellows Program is a critical differentiator for the SkyDeck accelerator.  The startups we work with are thrilled with the idea of collaborating with worlds’ most talented scientists at UC Berkeley.” says Chon Tang, Founding Partner of the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund.

 

The Science Fellows Program is a wonderful opportunity for our postdoc community to benefit from the rich entrepreneurship ecosystem we have at UC Berkeley. This is one of the professional development activities that the VSPA offers, which we believe will make UC Berkeley more attractive when future postdocs are weighing their options while choosing a university for their postdoctoral research. ” says Sam Castaneda, Director of the Visiting Scholars and Postdoc Affairs Program.

 

Quotes from postdocs working with SkyDeck startups:

  1. “I am collaborating with Nextbiotics, and I am really enjoying it! We do weekly one-on-one short meetings by skype to give a short update on the projects we are working on and once a month all of the Berkeley Science fellows and the people in the company meet in person to have a group meeting where we put everything together. I find it interesting because I am able to see also the financial side of the startup, and that was the main reason why I joined the program, as it was completely unknown to me.”

 

  1. “In addition to their excitement to learning from our (me and other Science fellows) expertise and hearing feedback on their aims, the next best experimental approach to solving challenges, they also encourage the Science fellows to get more involved in designing and shaping business proposition ideas and ask for our views on their next goals, mission, and challenges. They are helping us to learn about business side of Science. The best thing about Jorge and team is that they allow flexibility in the schedule, are understandable, very organized, and transparent. I’m helping them identify and suggest the best phages for their CRISPR/Cas engineering and reaching out to people and centers who can help us to provide the phages for the next step.”

 

Quotes from startups:

  1. Sublime Therapeutics– Addition of Science Fellows to our team meetings had an immediate effect on the quality of our scientific discussions. They identified resources and approaches that will enhance the strategies we will pursue for our proof-of-concept studies. For example, we will be using state-of-the-art technology, such as CRISPR/Cas9 and IncuCyte Imaging, to provide high impact data that will advance our development and fundraising activities. They also developed a scientifically accurate Chinese translation of their pitch deck which has enabled us to pitch to several Chinese VCs, including non-English speaking ones, leading to discussions regarding Chinese development and approval track for SBL-101.”
  2. “We at Awakens are working with 2 Science fellows who have strong science background in genomics. We learned a lot from them and we are happy that they are also enjoying working with us too. The program is a great opportunity for both startup and postdocs to grow together.”

 

Following up on the May 2018 completion of the first cohort of the Berkeley Science Fellows Program at Skydeck, recruitment preparations are underway for the incoming group of startups.  The feedback and observations from the first cohort are being used to streamline the program, which is now getting attention from other startup incubators both on and off campus.

 

If you are interested in learning more about Berkeley Science Fellows Program or in applying as a Berkeley Science Fellow, email Naresh Sunkara at naresh@berkeley.edu; bsfpberkeley@gmail.com



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Meet the Global Founders


One thing people notice when they first come to Berkeley SkyDeck (besides the dynamic energy, stunning views, and the robots!) is the multitude of languages you hear spoken. We are proud of the many global startup teams at SkyDeck. Here are the stories of a few of them.

 

Intento was founded in Moscow in June 2017 and became a Berkeley SkyDeck Global Team last December. Their main machine translation product is used by some of the top language services providers in the U.S. and around the world. Since Intento joined SkyDeck, they have received  $650K in investment funding. Konstantin Savenkov, Intento’s founder, loves the sense of belonging that he feels within the Berkeley community. “Because of Berkeley’s extensive alumni network, which includes many senior leaders in Silicon Valley, the networking opportunities are invaluable.” Konstantin also finds networking in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley much easier than at home.  In addition, he loves the physical space at SkyDeck – the penthouse of the tallest building in the heart of downtown Berkeley with a view of  the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline. “Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular! SkyDeck is the perfect place for Intento to launch and grow.”

Konstantin Savenkov

 

Skyloom provides communication services between space and Earth. Founded in Argentina, by Santiago Tempone and Marcos Franceschini, the Skyloom team decided to come to Berkeley SkyDeck because of its enormous value as part of  the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Along with the access to incredible resources and networking opportunities, Skyloom is amazed by the dedication of SkyDeck staff. “SkyDeck is always there to provide support and they never hesitate to push startup teams forward so that the startups can achieve greater things, “ says Santiago. “We also love to be located in the city of Berkeley because of the  perfect weather and great culture.”

Marcos Franceschini and Santiago Tempone

 

Perfect Dashboard uses AI to help website hosting providers to sell more effectively and increase their revenue. The company was founded in Poland two years ago. Alex Kuczek, one of Perfect Dashboard’s founders, finds it incredibly exciting to be working with the people at Berkeley SkyDeck. In particular,  Executive Director Caroline Winnett, gave him great advice during a pitch practice, and he was very inspired by their subsequent conversations about Perfect Dashboard’s direction. Another benefit Alex finds at SkyDeck is being located in a different time zone than his team members in Poland. He says it is “easier to preserve a big picture mentality for the business, rather than becoming mired in  the day-to-day details of running the company.” Alex finds  the Berkeley brand to be very powerful. “Thanks to the extensive Berkeley alumni network, it has been easy to connect with people who are willing to help and  give back to the Berkeley startup community.”  Perfect Dashboard is grateful for all the help they receive,  and they are proud that their startup’s success will help to benefit UC Berkeley.

Perfect Dashboard

 

HUMM is developing a hardware/software platform for cognitive athletes in the professional esports gaming space in order to unlock  improved mental processing speeds and accelerate training. The company was founded in Australia. Says Co-Founder Iain McIntyre, In the first few weeks of the SkyDeck program, we had the opportunity to meet  hundreds of new people across the tech industry in the Bay Area and the US.” Another benefit they have found is that being affiliated with UC Berkeley validates startups in the eyes of people in the Bay Area. Iain says this affiliation “literally opens doors and increases the response rate for contact emails and calls.” Iain also appreciates  that startups at SkyDeck get instant access to a huge ecosystem of students, researchers, corporate sponsors, events, and other startups  centered around UC Berkeley. “We are excited to have the opportunity to run pilots and trials directly with UC Berkeley students in order to gain valuable insights about how our product can help more people.

HUMM

 

AWAKENS set out to build a personal DNA database to  connect people with DNA-personalized apps. It began in San Francisco in 2017, however, the founding members are from Tokyo. The team chose Berkeley SkyDeck because of the great access to resources within the Berkeley community and beyond. They especially love the benefit of connecting with the incredible SkyAdvisors. After joining SkyDeck, AWAKENS was able to build their own advisory board that includes SkyAdvisors and experts in the industry that they met through SkyDeck. The team is also amazed by the deep connections SkyDeck has with investors, which is a critical advantage for all startup teams. AWAKENS’ team members love living in Berkeley because of the “youthful feeling which comes from so many college students.” They find it easy to go to San Francisco from Berkeley, but appreciate the lower living cost in Berkeley.

AWAKENS

The Many Languages Spoken at SkyDeck



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Meet the Global Founders


One thing people notice when they first come to Berkeley SkyDeck (besides the dynamic energy, stunning views, and the robots!) is the multitude of languages you hear spoken. We are proud of the many global startup teams at SkyDeck. Here are the stories of a few of them.

 

Intento was founded in Moscow in June 2017 and became a Berkeley SkyDeck Global Team last December. Their main machine translation product is used by some of the top language services providers in the U.S. and around the world. Since Intento joined SkyDeck, they have received  $650K in investment funding. Konstantin Savenkov, Intento’s founder, loves the sense of belonging that he feels within the Berkeley community. “Because of Berkeley’s extensive alumni network, which includes many senior leaders in Silicon Valley, the networking opportunities are invaluable.” Konstantin also finds networking in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley much easier than at home.  In addition, he loves the physical space at SkyDeck – the penthouse of the tallest building in the heart of downtown Berkeley with a view of  the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline. “Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular! SkyDeck is the perfect place for Intento to launch and grow.”

Konstantin Savenkov

 

Skyloom provides communication services between space and Earth. Founded in the US by two founders from Argentina, by Santiago Tempone and Marcos Franceschini, the Skyloom team decided to come to Berkeley SkyDeck because of its enormous value as part of  the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Along with the access to incredible resources and networking opportunities, Skyloom is amazed by the dedication of SkyDeck staff. “SkyDeck is always there to provide support and they never hesitate to push startup teams forward so that the startups can achieve greater things, “ says Santiago. “We also love to be located in the city of Berkeley because of the  perfect weather and great culture.”

Marcos Franceschini and Santiago Tempone

 

Perfect Dashboard uses AI to help website hosting providers to sell more effectively and increase their revenue. The company was founded in Poland two years ago. Alex Kuczek, one of Perfect Dashboard’s founders, finds it incredibly exciting to be working with the people at Berkeley SkyDeck. In particular,  Executive Director Caroline Winnett, gave him great advice during a pitch practice, and he was very inspired by their subsequent conversations about Perfect Dashboard’s direction. Another benefit Alex finds at SkyDeck is being located in a different time zone than his team members in Poland. He says it is “easier to preserve a big picture mentality for the business, rather than becoming mired in  the day-to-day details of running the company.” Alex finds  the Berkeley brand to be very powerful. “Thanks to the extensive Berkeley alumni network, it has been easy to connect with people who are willing to help and  give back to the Berkeley startup community.”  Perfect Dashboard is grateful for all the help they receive,  and they are proud that their startup’s success will help to benefit UC Berkeley.

Perfect Dashboard

 

HUMM is developing a hardware/software platform for cognitive athletes in the professional esports gaming space in order to unlock  improved mental processing speeds and accelerate training. The company was founded in Australia. Says Co-Founder Iain McIntyre, In the first few weeks of the SkyDeck program, we had the opportunity to meet  hundreds of new people across the tech industry in the Bay Area and the US.” Another benefit they have found is that being affiliated with UC Berkeley validates startups in the eyes of people in the Bay Area. Iain says this affiliation “literally opens doors and increases the response rate for contact emails and calls.” Iain also appreciates  that startups at SkyDeck get instant access to a huge ecosystem of students, researchers, corporate sponsors, events, and other startups  centered around UC Berkeley. “We are excited to have the opportunity to run pilots and trials directly with UC Berkeley students in order to gain valuable insights about how our product can help more people.

HUMM

 

AWAKENS set out to build a personal DNA database to  connect people with DNA-personalized apps. It began in San Francisco in 2017, however, the founding members are from Tokyo. The team chose Berkeley SkyDeck because of the great access to resources within the Berkeley community and beyond. They especially love the benefit of connecting with the incredible SkyAdvisors. After joining SkyDeck, AWAKENS was able to build their own advisory board that includes SkyAdvisors and experts in the industry that they met through SkyDeck. The team is also amazed by the deep connections SkyDeck has with investors, which is a critical advantage for all startup teams. AWAKENS’ team members love living in Berkeley because of the “youthful feeling which comes from so many college students.” They find it easy to go to San Francisco from Berkeley, but appreciate the lower living cost in Berkeley.

AWAKENS

The Many Languages Spoken at SkyDeck



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SkyTeam Spotlight with SMBX


SkyDeck team member Liberty Franks sat down with Gabrielle Katsnelson, Chief Operating Officer, and Jackie Chan, Chief Risk Officer. They are two of the four co-founders of SMBX, a public marketplace for issuing, buying, and selling U.S. small business financial securities. With cofounders Benjamin Lozano and Bhavish Balhotra, their goal is to allow individuals to function as their own banks, buying bonds directly from small and local businesses in a blockchain-based, peer-to-peer exchange.

What is SMBX trying to accomplish?

GK: We help small businesses raise money from people who want to invest in them. We vet high quality businesses and we publish and market their offerings. People can invest as little as $10 and have liquidity on our secondary exchange. Think of it as Kickstarter with a rate of return that meets NASDAQ.

We’re focused on the Small Business Administration (SBA) loan market because we see an opportunity to remove banks as intermediaries, so that investors’ money can be given directly to those small businesses. That way, the investor sees a rate of return of 5-7%, SMBX keeps our default rates at the bare minimum, and investors are still earning a regular rate of return even if they’re diversifying.

Tell me about your backgrounds.

JC: I was in investment banking for more than 15 years, and in risk management for fixed income derivatives to start. After being in Hong Kong for 11 years for my last position, I came back here, and I didn’t want to go back to banking. I wanted to do something completely different.

When I met with Ben and Gabrielle I loved their business model. I thought it was a great cross between financial markets. Now I’m the Chief Risk Officer for SMBX, so I started looking after the operations and the risk management for the company. Since we are a financial platform there are a lot of types of regulatory compliance that we’re subject to, and that’s what I oversee.

GK: My background is in accounting for small businesses, and I really wanted to do something in FinTech. I’m from New York, but I wanted to move to a hub of tech where I would have opportunity. I wanted to be a part of a business using blockchain technology, where I could have my finger on the pulse, but actually have a business model to work within.

When I moved to the Bay Area, I immersed myself in FinTech and started studying blockchain, robo advisory, lending platforms, and crowdfunding. I would go to every Meetup because I wanted to learn as much as possible. I met Ben [CEO and co-founder] at one of these many events. It turned out he was specifically looking for someone with an accounting background, so we connected.

Tell me about your ideal users and how you intend to bring them on board?

GK: For the retail investor, if you are fortunate enough to have money in your savings account, it’s sitting there and it’s not earning you money, and that money is lent to businesses that are vetted by banks. When you invest in indexes or funds, you don’t actually see where your money is going – it’s not easily transparent. That money could be used for oil drilling, fracking, etc. And that’s ok for some people because they only care about the rate of return. But there are more people wo care about the impact of their dollars. When people start to really see the impact of dollars in society, they understand that it’s not your vote that matters as much as every dollar you spend. Where you spend and invest your money has a huge impact. SMBX wants to bring the power back to your money, by allowing you to choose where it goes. We want people to make money from their money and put it into something that they see, something they feel good about and believe in.

What is your advice to entrepreneurs?

JC and GK: (laughing) Patience.

JC: We’re dealing with integration of responsibilities. We’ve been structured under four verticals: product, operations, business, and technology. Given our diverse experience in finance, all four of us are leading one vertical at the moment. So that was one great way of segregating the responsibility initially.

Since ops is now integrating with product, we’re having conversations that maybe it’s time for me to take over both areas. That way, I can have a more cohesive way of managing both, pushing things through, and making sure that we can get to the finish line. Looking back, I think it was great that we had the structure of clearly defined verticals…

GK: But we weren’t integrated in knowing exactly what was happening within each vertical in an intimate way. At a startup phase, I think you need to know everything that’s going on, because it’s so interconnected. I think we should have done that [integration] sooner. It’s easier to silo, but what Jackie said about the initial verticals and the separation is now transitioning into a more integrated and cohesive team.

Do you have any advice to women founders and co-founders?

GK: In FinTech, I think women can really jump in. If you look at central banking, a lot of the operations are done by women. Now, there are a lot of new FinTech companies, but a technology is not a business model: they need people who know compliance, operations, and who have traditional banking experience. So I think there’s tremendous opportunity for women.

JC: You’re very right about it being male dominant area. I remember once we met with a particular VC, and we went in as a team with all four co-founders. The person in charge looked at Ben the entire time. Anytime Gabrielle and I spoke, he looked at us for two seconds, and then went back to talking to Ben. Going through the SkyDeck program, there is a woman’s group here that gives us a place to talk about these issues. I think it’s a matter of women creating more self-promoting opportunities for ourselves. But it does take time. Our co-founder Ben is really good at trying to create more opportunities for us to speak in investor meetings, to give us the chance to promote our knowledge.

GK: With a business, if you want a role in a company, there is a lot of opportunity. As Jackie said, when it comes to investors I think it’s still a different landscape. I don’t think it’s because anyone believes women are incapable, it’s just that there have not been enough women entrepreneurs yet. Maybe the investors don’t understand how a person of a different gender thinks, and that is why women-owned startups can be treated as more risky to invest in. It’s not that they think negatively about women, it’s that maybe they see more risk in investing.

Caroline Winnett said it very well in one of our women’s meetings: the goal post is just higher as a woman, and you have to go farther in the way you present yourself and the way you speak. I think what seems like a disadvantage to women is an advantage because the stakes are challenging. Capital at a seed stage is much harder to come by now, because the conversion from seed to series A has declined. Even though there is a large amount of capital, it is invested at later stages than at the ground level. People talk about the disadvantage of being a woman, and that we have to work so much harder to balance current funding disparities. But I think it is an advantage to be a female entrepreneur, because we’re used to working harder already.

 



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SkyTeam Spotlight with SMBX


SkyDeck team member Liberty Franks sat down with Gabrielle Katsnelson, Chief Operating Officer, and Jackie Chan, Chief Risk Officer. They are two of the four co-founders of SMBX, a public marketplace for issuing, buying, and selling U.S. small business financial securities. With cofounders Benjamin Lozano and Bhavish Balhotra, their goal is to allow individuals to function as their own banks, buying bonds directly from small and local businesses in a blockchain-based, peer-to-peer exchange.

What is SMBX trying to accomplish?

GK: We help small businesses raise money from people who want to invest in them. We vet high quality businesses and we publish and market their offerings. People can invest as little as $10 and have liquidity on our secondary exchange. Think of it as Kickstarter with a rate of return that meets NASDAQ.

We’re focused on the Small Business Administration (SBA) loan market because we see an opportunity to remove banks as intermediaries, so that investors’ money can be given directly to those small businesses. That way, the investor sees a rate of return of 5-7%, SMBX keeps our default rates at the bare minimum, and investors are still earning a regular rate of return even if they’re diversifying.

Tell me about your backgrounds.

JC: I was in investment banking for more than 15 years, and in risk management for fixed income derivatives to start. After being in Hong Kong for 11 years for my last position, I came back here, and I didn’t want to go back to banking. I wanted to do something completely different.

When I met with Ben and Gabrielle I loved their business model. I thought it was a great cross between financial markets. Now I’m the Chief Risk Officer for SMBX, so I started looking after the operations and the risk management for the company. Since we are a financial platform there are a lot of types of regulatory compliance that we’re subject to, and that’s what I oversee.

GK: My background is in accounting for small businesses, and I really wanted to do something in FinTech. I’m from New York, but I wanted to move to a hub of tech where I would have opportunity. I wanted to be a part of a business using blockchain technology, where I could have my finger on the pulse, but actually have a business model to work within.

When I moved to the Bay Area, I immersed myself in FinTech and started studying blockchain, robo advisory, lending platforms, and crowdfunding. I would go to every Meetup because I wanted to learn as much as possible. I met Ben [CEO and co-founder] at one of these many events. It turned out he was specifically looking for someone with an accounting background, so we connected.

Tell me about your ideal users and how you intend to bring them on board?

GK: For the retail investor, if you are fortunate enough to have money in your savings account, it’s sitting there and it’s not earning you money, and that money is lent to businesses that are vetted by banks. When you invest in indexes or funds, you don’t actually see where your money is going – it’s not easily transparent. That money could be used for oil drilling, fracking, etc. And that’s ok for some people because they only care about the rate of return. But there are more people wo care about the impact of their dollars. When people start to really see the impact of dollars in society, they understand that it’s not your vote that matters as much as every dollar you spend. Where you spend and invest your money has a huge impact. SMBX wants to bring the power back to your money, by allowing you to choose where it goes. We want people to make money from their money and put it into something that they see, something they feel good about and believe in.

What is your advice to entrepreneurs?

JC and GK: (laughing) Patience.

JC: We’re dealing with integration of responsibilities. We’ve been structured under four verticals: product, operations, business, and technology. Given our diverse experience in finance, all four of us are leading one vertical at the moment. So that was one great way of segregating the responsibility initially.

Since ops is now integrating with product, we’re having conversations that maybe it’s time for me to take over both areas. That way, I can have a more cohesive way of managing both, pushing things through, and making sure that we can get to the finish line. Looking back, I think it was great that we had the structure of clearly defined verticals…

GK: But we weren’t integrated in knowing exactly what was happening within each vertical in an intimate way. At a startup phase, I think you need to know everything that’s going on, because it’s so interconnected. I think we should have done that [integration] sooner. It’s easier to silo, but what Jackie said about the initial verticals and the separation is now transitioning into a more integrated and cohesive team.

Do you have any advice to women founders and co-founders?

GK: In FinTech, I think women can really jump in. If you look at central banking, a lot of the operations are done by women. Now, there are a lot of new FinTech companies, but a technology is not a business model: they need people who know compliance, operations, and who have traditional banking experience. So I think there’s tremendous opportunity for women.

JC: You’re very right about it being male dominant area. I remember once we met with a particular VC, and we went in as a team with all four co-founders. The person in charge looked at Ben the entire time. Anytime Gabrielle and I spoke, he looked at us for two seconds, and then went back to talking to Ben. Going through the SkyDeck program, there is a woman’s group here that gives us a place to talk about these issues. I think it’s a matter of women creating more self-promoting opportunities for ourselves. But it does take time. Our co-founder Ben is really good at trying to create more opportunities for us to speak in investor meetings, to give us the chance to promote our knowledge.

GK: With a business, if you want a role in a company, there is a lot of opportunity. As Jackie said, when it comes to investors I think it’s still a different landscape. I don’t think it’s because anyone believes women are incapable, it’s just that there have not been enough women entrepreneurs yet. Maybe the investors don’t understand how a person of a different gender thinks, and that is why women-owned startups can be treated as more risky to invest in. It’s not that they think negatively about women, it’s that maybe they see more risk in investing.

Caroline Winnett said it very well in one of our women’s meetings: the goal post is just higher as a woman, and you have to go farther in the way you present yourself and the way you speak. I think what seems like a disadvantage to women is an advantage because the stakes are challenging. Capital at a seed stage is much harder to come by now, because the conversion from seed to series A has declined. Even though there is a large amount of capital, it is invested at later stages than at the ground level. People talk about the disadvantage of being a woman, and that we have to work so much harder to balance current funding disparities. But I think it is an advantage to be a female entrepreneur, because we’re used to working harder already.

 



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Berkeley SkyDeck Life Science Track Startups Go to China


Berkeley SkyDeck has a long tradition of supporting outstanding startups in the life sciences. A number of UC Berkeley faculty- and alumni- founded startups have been successfully accelerated through SkyDeck, including successful exits like Zephyrus Biosciences.

The newly launched “Bio Track” at SkyDeck has added to this strong tradition, by partnering with the University of California’s QB3 to create a program specifically targeted towards the needs of life science founders, including access to advisors, equipment, facilities, and of course investors.

By merging the resources and breakthrough discoveries coming out of the University of California community, SkyDeck expects to host a steady supply of life science startups working in fields ranging from small molecule therapeutics, to diagnostics, to scientific instruments, medical devices, and even to the newest variants of synthetic biology.

Of course, the “market” for life science startups is unique in that diseases don’t respect national borders, and patients from all over the world struggle with the same medical challenges that our life science entrepreneurs have devoted their careers towards tackling.

With that in mind, Berkeley SkyDeck is expanding its reach internationally with its first-ever “China Bio” event, and bringing a number of our top portfolio companies for a road trip through China. In July, four companies from the SkyDeck portfolio will spend a week traveling through eastern China.

By meeting experts from leading pharmaceutical/biotech companies, industrial parks, and venture capital investors, we aim to help these companies identify collaborators that will help them bring their world-changing innovations to market even sooner.



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LEO Technologies Panel at SkyDeck Hosted by Analog Devices


On Wednesday 5/23/18, SkyDeck Golden Bear Partner Analog Devices hosted an expert panel on low-earth orbit technologies and the exciting developments and opportunities in the space.

The LEO segment and space in general is reemerging due to enabling trends such as declining launch costs, software-defined radios, and other technical advancements that enable lighter, smaller, cheaper and, smarter satellites. With cutting edge technologies ranging from low-drift accelerometers to software-defined transceivers and active beamformers, Analog Devices is eager to partner with new and established companies in an effort to democratize this exciting market.” Bob Barfield – Director Space Products group – Analog Devices

Panelists included Michael DiPalma, Analyst Aerospace and Defense at William Blair; Harrison Caudill, CEO at Bstar; Shey Sabripour, CEO at Cesium Astro; Islam Eshrah, Principal Engineer Aerospace Communications at Analog Devices; Bob Barfiled, Director Space Products Group at Analog Devices; and Jonathan Chow, Spacecraft Architect at Lockheed Martin Space. The panel was moderated by Nimrode Moreshet, Director of Analog Garage. This panel was particularly designed to be engaging to attendees with an academic or investor background in the LEO space.

Guests enjoyed the panel, followed by lunch, networking, and a presentation from Cesium Astro, a LEO technology startup.

 “Analog Devices has been a great partner to Berkeley SkyDeck, connecting with our incredible startup teams, engaging with our advisors and the UC Berkeley ecosystem, and now through hosting this amazing, timely event on LEO technologies. This is the type of partnership that helps SkyDeck support the world’s next moonshots – and helps Analog source early stage technology that benefits their company. We look forward to continued partnership, and future events, of this caliber.”

—Caroline Winnett
Executive Director, SkyDeck



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LEO Technologies Panel at SkyDeck Hosted by Analog Devices


On Wednesday 5/23/18, SkyDeck Golden Bear Partner Analog Devices hosted an expert panel on low-earth orbit technologies and the exciting developments and opportunities in the space.

The LEO segment and space in general is reemerging due to enabling trends such as declining launch costs, software-defined radios, and other technical advancements that enable lighter, smaller, cheaper and, smarter satellites. With cutting edge technologies ranging from low-drift accelerometers to software-defined transceivers and active beamformers, Analog Devices is eager to partner with new and established companies in an effort to democratize this exciting market.” Bob Barfield – Director Space Products group – Analog Devices

Panelists included Michael DiPalma, Analyst Aerospace and Defense at William Blair; Harrison Caudill, CEO at Bstar; Shey Sabripour, CEO at Cesium Astro; Islam Eshrah, Principal Engineer Aerospace Communications at Analog Devices; Bob Barfiled, Director Space Products Group at Analog Devices; and Jonathan Chow, Spacecraft Architect at Lockheed Martin Space. The panel was moderated by Nimrode Moreshet, Director of Analog Garage. This panel was particularly designed to be engaging to attendees with an academic or investor background in the LEO space.

Guests enjoyed the panel, followed by lunch, networking, and a presentation from Cesium Astro, a LEO technology startup.

 “Analog Devices has been a great partner to Berkeley SkyDeck, connecting with our incredible startup teams, engaging with our advisors and the UC Berkeley ecosystem, and now through hosting this amazing, timely event on LEO technologies. This is the type of partnership that helps SkyDeck support the world’s next moonshots – and helps Analog source early stage technology that benefits their company. We look forward to continued partnership, and future events, of this caliber.”

—Caroline Winnett
Executive Director, SkyDeck



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Demo Day Spring 2018: Our Best Yet


Demo Day was our biggest ever! We had over 350 investors, Industry partners, and SkyAdvisors in attendance. It was a packed house and we had to set up overflow seating. It was the first Demo Day since the launch of the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, and our first funded Cohort presented, and we are beyond thrilled to present them to the investor community and the world.

The 20 teams presenting included our 16 Cohort teams, plus three HotDesk teams and one alumni team. Their five- minute pitches covered their entire business and were polished and professional. We are so proud of them!





 

THE TEAMS PRESENTING:

Orca
InkSpace Imaging
Intento
BioXplor
SuperCarbon
Kiwi
Sublime Therapeutics
2Hz
Peregrine Biotechnology
May & Meadow
Keyword Hero
Blumio

Oishii Farm
Civil Maps
iota Biosciences

 

With half of fund profits going to UC Berkeley, we have launched not just our startups, but a new revenue source for our wonderful campus. Fiat Lux and Go Bears!

 



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