Monthly news, events & updates
Building a Rainforest in the Desert | March 2021
Entrepreneur Training Videos and Resources Available
UNM Rainforest Innovations is Hiring - Executive Assistant to Board of Directors and Agreements Coordinator
Upcoming Events
Three UNM Startup Companies Present at Destination Startup®
On February 16 – 18, an online event called Destination Startup took place to showcase some of the best research-based startups in the Rocky Mountain region. Venture Partners, the University of Colorado Boulder’s commercialization arm, hosted this virtual event which showcased 25 startups from 10 different universities. Three of those startups were based on technologies developed right here at the University of New Mexico, including GPER G-1 Development Group, Nob Hill Therapeutics, and Osazda Energy.

This year's Innovate New Mexico Technology Showcase has gone virtual! We are hosting a 2-day event: one day focused on physical science related technologies and startup companies and the other day focused on life science related technologies and startup companies. Register for either day or both!

Innovate New Mexico is a special collaborative involving seven major research institutions in the state of New Mexico, including the University of New Mexico, Air Force Research Lab, Los Alamos National Lab, Sandia National Labs, NASA-White Sands Test Facility, New Mexico Tech and New Mexico State University.

These events will highlight research and technology opportunities, start-up companies, and economic development resources from the leading research institutions in the state of New Mexico.

Event Dates:
March 2, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (MST) - Physical Science Technology & Startups Day

March 3, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (MST) - Life Science Technology & Startups Day
UNM Rainforest Innovations Welcomes Five New Board Members



Ellen Fisher, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research
The University of New Mexico



David Foster
Retired Policy Analyst
Metropolitan Applied Research Center
Retired, Consultant to Media Companies



Richard Luarkie, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Tamaya Ventures



Mitzi M. Montoya, Ph.D.
Dean, Anderson School of Management
The University of New Mexico



Alex O. Romero
Former President/CEO
Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce
In the Spotlight - Featured UNM Inventor
Fernando Garzon, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering 
Director, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials 
The University of New Mexico 

Dr. Fernando Garzon's research areas include fuel cells for energy conversion, advanced sensors for combustion control, groundwater and air emissions monitoring, and radiation detection technologies.
Student Interns @ UNM Rainforest Innovations
Payton Fowler - Student Intellectual Property & Disclosures Assistant
“I came across this internship at the beginning of summer in 2019 on the UNM website for student jobs. I thought that it sounded interesting, submitted my application, and the rest is history!”
 
Payton Fowler joined UNM Rainforest Innovations in June 2019 as a Student Intellectual Property and Disclosures Assistant. She has a variety of duties including communicating with UNM inventors and providing status updates on their patent applications, assisting with disclosure and patent assignment jobs, scheduling calls, finding references for patent attorneys and updating records.
UNM Network of Student Inventors
March 10, 3:00-4:00 p.m.

Join us to hear from Dr. Christos Christodoulou, Dean, UNM School of Engineering, to talk about the importance of inventing and opportunities around your ideas!

Talking to Your Customer: The Why and How
NM Rainforest Webinar
March 24, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. (MDT)
Learn how to conduct market research, carry out customer discovery and navigate the development of your start-up in the virtual world of Covid-19. This workshop, presented by Susan Cornelius, will give you strategies so that you can continue to develop your company and cater to the right customers in this new “virtual world.” This webinar will allow time to bring up ideas about strengthening your business model and get feedback from the instructor and participants. We will then use this information to design how to get feedback from your customers.
Open to all New Mexico university students enrolled in the spring 2021 semester.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
March 29, 2021
Attend Upcoming Virtual Open Office Hours Providing Mentoring for Your Startup/Idea
Stacy Sacco
Mr. Stacy Sacco teaches entrepreneurial studies at the Anderson School of Management, serves as the Director of the UNM Small Business Institute and is President of Sacco Connections, a management consulting firm.

Mr. Sacco will be available for one-on-one mentoring where he will give guidance, coaching and perspective to enhance entrepreneurship and provide connections to resources at UNM and in the community. There are many resources available to those who have ideas that they may want to turn into a business!

Upcoming Rainforest Mentoring Office Hours:

March 26, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (MDT)
These are virtual office hours, click Sign Up below to select the time frame you plan to attend and a Zoom link will be emailed to you.
Susan Cornelius
Join Susan Cornelius for a Bootcamp on “The Most Important Start-Up Questions”, followed by 30 minute one-on-one office hours with Susan to discuss available resources and how to move your startup or idea forward.

Registration for your individual mentoring appointment must be made prior to the event. Zoom details will be sent after your register.

Virtual Start-up Boot Camp & Mentor Office Hours:

March 31, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (MDT)
Mentoring will take place separately and individually after the initial 30-minute boot camp session.
UNM Rainforest Innovations | Website