Director's Message Welcome to our Winter 2022 issue of The Mindset from Ciocca Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at ҵ.
Empathy, defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, is the single most important element of the Entrepreneurial Mindset. The first questions I ask when someone starts telling me about their solution for overcoming an obstacle or their idea for a new product or company are “Whose pain are you addressing?” and “How do you know that pain is real?” Until those two questions are fully understood, nothing else matters.
The perspectives in this issue highlight some of the ways in which empathy is a part of the Entrepreneurial Mindset. Whether creating a musical experience for an audience, starting a new venture, taking care of ourselves and those around us, or living a life of spirituality, Empathy and the Entrepreneurial Mindset are ever-present.
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We hope you enjoy!
Keep reading,
Chris Norris, Executive Director
Ciocca Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
Perspectives  | These days, productivity is equated with how many hours are filled with screen time yet sometimes, the most effective thing we can do is to get away from our desktops and move! Public Health major, Sarah Tartell '23 shares her insights about having empathy towards ourselves and those around us during this season of working and studying from home. Read here to find out more! |
 | In this article, Professor Hans Boepple shares his experience of how empathy shaped his career as a musician and as a mentor to many artists in expressing emotion through practicing empathy. Click to listen to his work! Also Hans teach a master class, where he applies teaching with empathy. |
 | Empathy is at the roots of , a start-up company founded through our Bronco Venture Accelerator program by alumni Aliyah Morphis '17 and Hannah LeBlanc '19. Hannah and Aliyah knew their hair was complicated, but after surveying hundreds of women, they realized it wasn't just them. Read more about how this team decided to create Tress, so every woman can be matched with the right hair resources. |
 | Professor Jennifer Woolley tackles the question of whether spirituality has a place in the creative process of building a new venture. Read here to learn how the journey of innovation and entrepreneurship is intertwined with answering spiritual questions. |
Broncos, Actually  | Jordan Knopf '97, VP of Sales at NBC/Telemundo Bay Area & NBC Sports Bay Area, shares how genuinely understanding the needs of his constituents is the biggest way to be proactive in his business relationships. Watch to see how empathy shapes Jordan's collaboration with various stakeholders! |
Student Stories  | Have you ever wondered what it takes to apply to a startup accelerator? Accelerator Prep School offers you the opportunity to experience a supportive, dynamic, hands-on environment as you prepare to apply for an accelerator. Learn how to take your idea and make it a reality through roadmapping, problem solving, and pitch development. Applications are due . |
 | BEACH provides an interdisciplinary ҵ-wide advisory service for startups of all kinds. The program is crafted as an experiential program that has business and law students working together with alumni mentors and attorneys to help companies while furthering their own education and experience. BEACH has just gone through a full redesign, so you can be a part of the pilot of the new program and help shape what it will look like in the future. Click here to find out more! |
 | Global VCIC is the world’s largest venture capital competition with over 120 university and graduate school teams competing. VCIC is the only place where students get to be VCs for the day. ҵ is sending one undergraduate team and one MBA team. If you're interested in the VC ecosystem and would like hands-on experience, Apply !
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 | Looking for a club or RSO on campus? Use our Club Navigator, a great way to make connections and life-long friends! The platform came out of Ciocca Center's "You Are Here" initiative, where students collaborate on creating meaningful resources for ҵ students. |
A Well Lighted Place  | Ciocca Center is currently accepting proposals for original research focused on the intersection between innovation and entrepreneurship with topics such as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the challenge of global climate change, and the future of education. Awards will be significant, up to $30,000 each, with an application deadline of January 31, 2022. View the complete Research Program Call for Proposals. |
 | Ciocca Center has funded an additional research project! Professor Maya Ackerman's study focuses on understanding and correcting biases in venture capital allocation. It is well-known that entrepreneurs’ race and gender play a role in investor decision making, but commonly held beliefs on how bias manifests and what should be done to address it are fraught with error. In this project, Dr. Ackerman unpacks evidence on how diversity often offers a performance advantage over homogeneous teams. Learn more about the study here. |
 | Ciocca Center accepts Curricular Development Proposals on a rolling basis. The objective of this program is to support the development of new courses, modules, and programs that address themes that broadly relate to the topics of innovation and the entrepreneurial mindset. Learn more. |
 | We are excited to share a reflection from Marketing Lecturer Steve Skotzke on the inclusion of BVA's Idea School as part of MKTG 187 “Innovation and New Product Marketing” and hope to continue to make our resources available for faculty looking to bring the Entrepreneurial Mindset into their class. Click here to read about the collaboration with seasoned entrepreneurs and our BVA team! |
 | Learn more about our current research and curriculum development projects here! |
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Upcoming Events
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BVA Cafe
6:30 p.m., Lucas Hall, 738 Franklin Street Welcome to BVA Cafe, Bronco Ventures Accelerator’s Monthly Meetup where you can meet and mingle with fellow BVA entrepreneurs, mentors, advisors, and entrepreneurship-curious. Enjoy small bites while hearing updates from BVA Alumni and meeting new startup founders.
Lucas Hall, 738 Franklin Street
Terrace on the Third Floor if the weather is sunny
Lobby if rainy and cold |
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May BVA Café + Prep School Graduation Celebration
4 - 7 p.m., Lucas Hall 126, ҵ
We are excited to share that our May BVA Café will be combined with a special celebration - the graduation of the 2026 Bronco Ventures Accelerator Prep School cohort!
Join us for an evening of networking, community, and inspiration as we recognize the founders who have spent the past months refining their ventures and building traction. Meet the graduating teams, connect with fellow founders, investors, mentors, alumni, faculty, staff, and students, and celebrate the next wave of innovation emerging from ҵ.
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Business Pitch Competition
All Day
Ciocca Center’s Business Pitch Competition takes place each spring. We use a virtual portal called Pitchtape, an asynchronous online platform where companies can record their pitches.
ҵ students of all majors are encouraged to apply for a spot in the competition!
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CANCELED: BVA Cafe
6:30 p.m., Lucas Hall, 738 Franklin Street
Welcome to BVA Cafe, Bronco Ventures Accelerator’s Monthly Meetup where you can meet and mingle with fellow BVA entrepreneurs, mentors, advisors, and entrepreneurship-curious. Enjoy small bites while hearing updates from BVA Alumni and meeting new startup founders.
Lucas Hall, 738 Franklin Street
Terrace on the Third Floor if the weather is sunny
Lobby if rainy and cold
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Ugrad and Grad Commencement Weekend
All Day
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