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September 05, 2012 | Tom Ballard

UTK’s fall edition of Vol Court launches September 25

The fall edition of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s (UTK) Vol Court launches at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, September 25.

For seven consecutive Tuesdays, students, faculty and interested community entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to gain useful insights on starting a new business. The series is hosted by UTK’s Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEI) and sponsored by the UT Federal Credit Union, UT Research Foundation, and Pershing Yoakley & Associates, P.C.

”We’ve changed Vol Court this year to reflect the latest in entrepreneurial education emerging from Silicon Valley,” said Joy Fisher, Managing Director for Vol Court. “The series will help entrepreneurs create and test a business concept with customers before spending too much time and money on an idea that won’t sell.”

The one-hour weekly sessions provide information about starting a business, help attendees understand the elements of developing a viable business, feature presentations by entrepreneurs who are in the midst of standing-up their companies, and provide a networking opportunity.

The final Vol Court session is November 6 when the entrepreneurs will combine everything they have learned into “pitches” that they will make to a panel of judges. The winner will receive $1,000 in cash, one year of space at the UT Research Foundation’s business incubator, and 20 hours of business consulting from Pershing Yoakley & Associates, P. C.

All seven sessions, including the November 6 “Pitch Competition,” will be held in Room 201 of the Haslam Business Building. Topics by date are:

  • September 25 – “What is it like to be an entrepreneur?”
  • October 2 – Part 1 of the business model hypothesis.
  • October 9 – Part 2 of the business model hypothesis.
  • October 16 – Testing the hypothesis.
  • October 23 – Finding investors at the right time.
  • October 30 – Preparing the “pitch.”
  • November 6 – “Pitch Competition.”

More information about Vol Court can be obtained by contacting Fisher at 865/974-0520 or jfishe26@utk.edu.


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