• Job Type: Short-Term Casual
• Regular/Temporary: Temporary
• Hours Per Week: 10-20
• Salary Range: $18.46-$18.46

Position Summary

Columbia Technology Ventures is the technology transfer office for Columbia University and a central location for many of the technology development initiatives, entrepreneurial activities, external industry collaborations, and commercially-oriented multidisciplinary technology innovations across the university. CTV's core mission is to facilitate the transfer of inventions from academic research labs to the market for the benefit of society on a local, national, and global basis. Each year, CTV manages more than 350 invention disclosures, 100 license deals, and 20 new IP-backed start-ups, involving over 750 inventors across Columbia's campuses. CTV currently has over 1200 patent assets available for licensing, across research fields such as bio, IT, clean tech, devices, big data, nanotechnology, materials science, and more.

Over the years, CTV has been involved with launching well over 200 companies based on Columbia's technologies and has also founded several technology initiatives to accelerate the path to market for promising technologies. CTV has also worked closely with Industry partnerships to develop collaborations and funding programs for translational research in the life sciences. CTV's efforts are backed by 45 full-time staff and an additional 30+ graduate student interns (CTV Fellows), providing broad support to the Columbia community and other stakeholders. CTV also runs an Executive-in-Residence program, which brings seasoned industry executives, serial entrepreneurs, and investors to campus to support faculty and student entrepreneurial activities.

The Columbia Lab-to-Market (L2M) Accelerator Network serves as a framework to successfully develop, launch, and execute initiatives that help commercialize academic research. Since 2008, Columbia University has founded or co-founded multiple accelerator programs encompassing medical (therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, etc.), clean energy, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, pathogen surveillance, blockchain, smart cities, and digital media technologies, providing $51.5M to early-stage deep-tech teams. L2M is a collective model for providing core infrastructure and resources to programs that support early-stage university teams as they move technologies forward. By building on industry-specific core competencies through their participation in the network, programs are able to prioritize focus on the provision of domain expertise to scientific teams.

L2M plays a key role in facilitating the process of bringing scientific research from the lab to the marketplace. Collectively, the accelerators have led to very impressive results which have grown exponentially over a very short number of years: 1000+ applications received, 672 teams run through educational boot camps on product development and entrepreneurship, over 356 cash awards issued totaling over $51.6M, with over $86M in external follow-on funding raised by those teams. While executing its programs and vision, L2M collaborates with multiple stakeholders in academic, corporate, investor, and public sector communities. L2M is adding a small number of team members who will play a key role in strengthening its ability to administer existing programs and onboard new ones. The opportunity is intended to enhance L2M's ability to guide its accelerator cohort teams on the path to commercialization and validation while providing Columbia University and Barnard College students with valuable hands-on educational experience.

The L2M Student Venture Associate Program offers a unique opportunity for Columbia University and Barnard College students to gain in-depth experience with university technology commercialization and entrepreneurship efforts.

More information on L2M can be found at https://labtomarket.columbia.edu/.

Responsibilities

Student Venture Associates will:

• Have an opportunity to work closely with a) L2M team, b) accelerator administrator teams, as well as c) individual startup teams that are part of accelerator cohorts. They will provide operational, marketing, and strategic support to L2M and its accelerators, as well as other L2M-related projects as needed.
• Assist startup teams in accelerator cohorts with customer discovery, product-market fit, value proposition research, and other related assignments.
• Engage with individual startup cohort teams on specific tasks, ranging from market research, pitch deck editing, customer discovery, and other activities related to that team's participation in the accelerator program.
• Be expected to join the L2M team in person at the CTV office on Wednesdays.

Fall

Student Venture Associates will:

• Help design and promote program marketing materials including 1-page flyers, request for proposal documents, and social media posts.
• Help L2M and program partners with due diligence and venture selection for startup accelerator programs. Selected startups will receive entrepreneurial training, capital, and access to the deep networks of our academic partner institutions.
• Collate accelerator applications for review.
• Perform market research, facilitate and take notes during applicant interviews, staff campus info sessions, and attend selection committee meetings. The work of planning and supporting the various accelerator selection committees, comprised of city government leadership, venture investors, and experts from the industry, will be a critical component of the program.

Spring

Student Venture Associates will:

• Support the L2M and accelerator operations teams, working directly to run the day-to-day operations of individual accelerator programs.
• Subject to experience and capacity, associates would be encouraged to engage with startup ventures on their business plans and customer discovery efforts, help plan and execute accelerator events and speaker series, and serve as "utility players" for the team.
• Collate scoring committee quantitative and qualitative feedback to provide foundation for award decisions.
• Attend end-of-program Pitch/Demo Days to run event logistics and take notes during award deliberation. Have an opportunity to help facilitate and join mentor office hours, CTV Executive in Residence meetings, and additional partnership discussions with L2M.

Responsibilities spanning both semesters

Student Venture Associates will:

• Assist with recruitment & selection operations for accelerators, attending accelerator sessions to get to know the startup teams to support their business model generation activities; researching opportunities for accelerators to expand and grow entrepreneurial partnerships and programs within and beyond New York; communicating L2M's entrepreneurial activities; representing L2M at events on our partner campuses; and additional duties, as assigned. Student Venture Associates will assist with marketing functions ranging from social media strategy, press releases, slide decks, and collateral for specific programs.
• Organize periodic (usually, once per semester) Business Operations Intensives, coordinating external experts covering a variety of topic areas to an audience of program alumni.
• Ideate and implement new opportunities for alumni team engagement and support.
• Update L2M website and LinkedIn weekly with program updates, upcoming opportunities, and success stories.
• Track and update program statistics across the network including application numbers, award financials, and additional metrics.
• Collaborate to produce annual reports documenting new initiatives, success stories/metrics, and opportunities to get involved.
• Continuously update L2M template library and operating procedures with content and processes from new programs within and outside L2M portfolio.
• Continuously update L2M Knowledge Bank on the website with recorded content from programs and workshops.
• Associates may also be asked to support Columbia Technology Ventures (CTV) with similar activities related to CTV's startups, even if those startups are not part of one of the L2M accelerators.

Minimum Qualifications

• All Columbia University and Barnard students are welcome to apply.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail in a high-volume, dynamic environment.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented setting.
• The candidate must be able to conform to shifting priorities, demands and timelines through analytical and problem-solving. capabilities, and react to project adjustments and alterations promptly and efficiently.
• Ability to turn assignments on a short timeline, at times without them being defined completely.
• Capable of working within a small and growth-oriented team- a 'startup' mentality- no job is "too small" to get done.
• Ability to work for at least 2 consecutive semesters (applications for a single semester will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis; Fall program admission does not guarantee Spring inclusion).
• Have experience with, knowledge of, or strong interest in the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
• Collaborative, honest, open, and friendly demeanor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong preference will be given to candidates pursuing advanced degrees (Masters & PhD) in deep-tech and/or life sciences.
• Experience or interest in creating financial models and performing startup due diligence.
• Experience with Lean Launchpad methodology, ICorp concepts, and related technology validation frameworks.
• Experience in creating high-level presentations and engaging content for communication channels (ex: email, website content, newsletters, and LinkedIn).
• Strong ability to create presentations and design materials for accelerator programs and cohort teams.