Activate Core 2020

Fundamentals of Engagement

Ilan Gur | CEO, Activate

Topics include: The strategic value of engagement, email and meeting structure, communication best practices, company blurbs and pitches

Recorded: June 16, 2021

Building and Managing Your Advisory Board

Matt Price | COO, Activate

Topics include: Benefits of an advisory board, how to choose advisors, maximizing the value of advisors

Recorded: June 24, 2020

Defining Your Role and Choosing Co-founders

Tom Boussie | Managing Director, Activate

Topics include: Corporate org-charts, titles, roles and responsibilities, early startup org-charts and examples, evolution of roles, single founder and co-founder best practices

Recorded: July 1, 2020

Fundamentals of Value Creation

Ilan Gur | CEO, Activate

Topics include: Innovation as a practice, business thermodynamics, managing kinetics, value vs. risk, liquid metal battery example, managing complexity, integrated team design

Recorded: July 15, 2020

Techonomics: Connecting Technology to Opportunity

Beth Zotter | CEO, Trophic

Topics include: Qualifying value vs. cost, value proposition in hard science, B2B value chain focus, process vs. product, bottoms-up and tops-down cost modeling, inventory of techonomic models

Recorded: July 22, 2020

Defining and Realizing Your Value Proposition

Aimee Rose | Managing Director, Activate

Topics include: Understanding how a value chain works, opportunities for value, early signs of market traction, building a heat map, Gorilla Glass case studies

Recorded: July 29, 2020

Introduction to Venture Capital

Robert Ethier | Vice President Investments, Activate

Topics include: Basic structure and key players in venture capital, economics of a deal, venture math: CoC vs. IRR

Recorded: August 12, 2020

Government Funding

Aimee Rose | Managing Director, Activate

Topics include: Benefits of government funding, capital vs. opportunity cost, hand-held explosives case study, rules and cultural norms (reputation and relationships), US agency budgets and portfolios, D0D & ARPA-E opportunity mapping

Recorded: August 19, 2020

Corporate Engagement and Funding

Nikhil Gargeya | Partnerships Manager, Activate

Topics include: Value of corporate relationships, structure of corporations, process and channels, access to customers and market information, go-to-market partnerships, SiPA partnerships and other forms of agreement

Recorded: August 26, 2020

Philanthropy and Impact Investors

John Nguyen | Strategic Partnerships Director, Activate

Topics include: Understanding impact assets, types of impact investors, innovation funding gaps, patient capital vs. catalytic capital, climate funding, intended impact and theories of change

Recorded: September 2, 2020