The Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship presents a new virtual series of workshops designed to teach participants about building the foundation of a new enterprise. This Virtual Toolkit Series guides participants through hands-on activities to build an understanding of proven startup tools and apply them to their own businesses. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur, or an established business owner wanting to brush up on your skills, the Virtual Toolkit Series is for you.

Series of Five Workshops for Entrepreneurs

Access this series on demand!

Session 1

Customer Segments, Customer Problems, Culture and the Founding Team

• Learn how to ensure your proposed solution maps to a customer problem/need. This is known as the Problem-Solution Fit. The bigger the problem, the bigger the market opportunity
• Explore how the leading strategic innovation methods, such as Lean/ Business Model Canvas, can help uncover your key customer segments and problems that need solving
• Examine your leadership team and the strengths and weaknesses that they bring to your business

Session 2

Unique Value Proposition, Solution, Existing Alternatives, Early Adopters, Jobs-To-Be-Done

• Document your offering, its key features that solve the customers’ problems/needs, and determine what unique competitive advantage you might have
• Learn Design thinking concepts such as brainstorming and practice creating prototypes of a new product/service
• Identify your early adopters

Session 3

Go-to-Market Strategies, Ideation, Traction, Experiments, and Assumptions

• Understand how to get your offering to the market through the correct channels
• Determine how to get, keep and grow customer relationships
• Learn to test and validate your Product-Market Fit

Session 4

Revenue, Costs, Key Metrics, MVP, and Financial Projections

• Review how you capture revenue, and what your cost drivers are
• Determine your key metrics and prove that your offering solves problems or fills needs
• Deploy the Lean Startup framework and define your minimum viable product (MVP)
• Document realistic near-term financial projections so that investors can see your potential

Session 5

Pitching, Accomplishments, Unfair Advantage, and Funding Needs

• Create your pitch deck, practice pitching to mentor, and get direct feedback on your story.
• List accomplishments to date, including any sales or market traction.
• Show Business Model Fit: Understand how you create, deliver, and capture value.

Investor Panel

Listen to the Investor Panel discuss startup funding methods, and have the opportunity to ask them questions regarding funding, and what investors are looking for, Panel will include:

Interested in learning more about the Entrepreneurship Toolkit Series?

Facilitators

Brian Gladden

Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

CEO Strategy & Innovation Institute

Brian Gladden on LinkedIn

Cameron Law

Executive Director at the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Global Entrepreneurship Week USA Community Organizer, Greater Sacramento Region

Cameron Law on LinkedIn

Testimonials from Participants

I just want to use this opportunity to formally and personally thank you for an excellently packaged and delivered Entrepreneurial Toolkit Series. The presenters you invited and their content presentation were outstanding, impactful, and top-notch. The lessons per week were inspirational, relevant and transformative. I was able to connect and still maintain connection with some of the presenters on Linkedin. Your organization, logistic planning, and sharing resources to all of us within 48 hours of the program was outstanding. Overall, I just want to formally congratulate and commend you Cameron for a job well done and appreciate your passionate commitment to emerging entrepreneurs

Spring 2022 Series Participant

This has been an excellent opportunity to learn from experienced entrepreneurs and like-minded business people starting new businesses. Cameron and Brian are doing a great job putting this together. The Carlsen Center Toolkit series is an absolute must for founders. Very competitive program. Lean canvas, blue ocean, pitch decks and more.
THANKS SO MUCH! I learned so much. And I am not afraid anymore about Business Model Canvas.

Cameron, Brian and Jessie are providing a valuable, well organized resource and tool kit for early-stage entrepreneurs, as well as for any business owners, advisors and investors, who are interested in staying current with growth company management and technology.

Excellent Workshops by Cameron and Brian! Very valuable toolsets for entrepreneurs and great interaction! A Must for all budding entrepreneurs as well as corporate venture investment communities.

Your newsletter is absolutely fantastic and what you offer to entrepreneurs is a treasure chest.

I am participating in the The Carlsen Center Toolkit series and it's a must for entrepreneurs. I learn so much and was able to develop wonderful connections. I strongly recommend to join this program!