Tonight’s meeting was spectacular! We were happy to invite the folks from CIE (Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship) to come speak at our club. CPE (us!) and CIE are attached at the hip… sometimes it can be little unhealthy! We wanted to expose all of you to the potential resources and opportunities that are available for FREE in helping you to explore, cultivate, and propel your business and ideas!

Our entrepreneurial ecosystem is still very young at Cal Poly, but is growing at a tremendous rate! The sooner you get involved the better! Reach out to everyone and anyone! Have a conversation about what passions you have, and where you want to be in the future. It is our goal to motivate and inspire you to take control of your future, to innovate, and “take the road less traveled.”

Entrepreneurship is not about having an idea. Ideas come and go daily, they fester, they grow, and they fail. Entrepreneurship is about identifying opportunities, growing yourself, and brick-by-brick laying your own path – because most of the time, paths of traffic are broken and beaten; paths yet to be laid are interesting and your own.

Lastly, see the chart below to understand the different components of CIE. Please DO NOT HESITATE to email Jessie or Matt – they will love you! (: 

Small SLO manufacturing company with International customers. XpressFill (www.XpressFill.com) manufactures and sells hand-crafted, high quality(all stainless steel and food grade components), made in USA bottle filling machines for the Artisan Producer. Industries include Olive Oil, Distilled Spirits, Vinegar, Wine, Essential Oils, Lotions, Sauces, Nutritional Supplements, Waters, Teas – almost any liquid product. Customer is typically an Entrepreneur  producing a high quality product, and his/her business is growing beyond his / her capacity to fill by hand. 

Qualifications:

-Excellent Phone and Computer Skills

-Technically Savvy and Mechanically Minded

-Creative Thinker who thinks in Marketing Terms

-Quick Study

-Desire to grow with company  - TEAM PLAYER

10-15 hours / week, hours flexible, preferably mornings and some afternoons (no weekends)

Compensation: Internship plus $10 / hour with opportunities for bonuses dependent on performance.

Possibility of employment after graduation if able to help grow company to goals.

Interested? Email Tim @ tssweene@calpoly.edu.

COO of Horsepower – Landon Friend

On Tuesday, January 15, CPE had the opportunity to listen to the COO of Horsepower, Landon Friend, talk about his experience with entrepreneurship after leaving Cal Poly. Landon and his family have pursued an agricultural niche, introducing an original web-age approach to distributing agricultural goods.

Landon grew up on a farm. His family is from an agricultural background, and continues to grow wheat to this day. It was through this perspective that Horsepower was born. His parents recognized that a large amount of the potential income on their produce was going to middlemen – brokers that held the product for days before distributing to individuals sometimes only a short walk away, with almost no liability. With this, they identified a real issue; farmers typically make 18 cents on the dollar through the sale of their goods. In an agricultural world that has to deal with bigger operations and foreign countries that can do it cheaper, farmers needed a way to stay competitive. Horsepower was born.

Horsepower is a “Farm-to-Fork” Marketplace, essentially cutting out the middleman. They act as a craigslist for farmers, allowing individuals to setup virtual “Store Fronts” to sell their goods directly to other farmers and consumers. The benefits to such a system were obvious and powerful, and the company received funding.

Landon was kind enough to share his experience with starting an original business in an industry with different rules and a different culture. His incite was well received, and will be helpful to any approaching a new start-up.

Work first

• Networking
• Honing Skills

Landon believes it is important to gain footing in the industry of your interest, through a job or other experience. This will allow one to network and to hone their relevant skills.

Kill jargon – “You want to ride the Jet Ski.”

Get down to brass tax. People don’t want the long flowery version; tell them what you do. Everyone wants to ride the Jet Ski, so get to the point.

Management

• Hiring/training
• Money
• Managing partners
• Business development
• Advisors/investors

Strategy – “Sell a hotdog.”

You can write a terrific business plan, but what people – and investors – really want to see is sales. This is the motive behind your business; everyone that starts a business needs to sell their first hotdog, so to speak.

Stay sane — “Be married.”

It is important to separate when you can. Don’t let your business drive you to the loony bin. Landon uses his marriage as an example; his marriage gives him balance, and keeps his head together. Remember there is life outside of your business.

Landon, your presentation was entertaining and engaging! Thank you for coming and talking to us, and we look forward to the next time!

Fixing the World, One ________ At A Time

The older members are pretty well indoctrinated with the iFixit creed (or, to be correct, the Self Repair Manifesto): repair what you own. iFixit is built on the idea that by educating others to fix their possessions – from iPhones and server boards to lawn mowers and toasters – we can reduce consumption and thus waste. Inspired by a tough to fix Apple computer and driven by the fate of e-waste in many developing countries, Cal Poly alum and founder Kyle Wiens is dedicated to empowering the world with the skills and tools to fix anything.

Kyle is clearly passionate about what iFixit is doing, and spent a good amount of time talking about vision and how to guide a company while remaining steadfast to a vision. With the recent launch of their Dozui software, iFixit is now enabling all sorts of industries to use the streamlined iFixit approach to visual guides.

Advancing Innovation & Entrepreneurship in SLO

Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship recently moved into its downtown accelerator, dubbed the HotHouse. Here, our younger group was introduced to the resources available to them. CIE provides mentors and consultants in a variety of areas, programs (like the HotHouse, Elevator Pitch Competition, Forums and more), and the resources it takes to get a student’s idea launched. Most importantly, CIE opens a world of opportunity to entrepreneurial Cal Poly students.

The HotHouse provides co-working space throughout the year and an intensive incubator program in the summer. Teams receive seed funding, individualized mentors and intensive programming. By working side by side with CPE, CIE is helping to grow SLO’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Moving & Working For a Healthier World

MINDBODY is hands down the most exuberant place to work in San Luis Obispo county. This quick-growing tech company creates intuitive and simple management software for the health & wellness industry – think yoga, gyms, salons, spas and more. CEO and Founder Rick Stollmeyer visited CPE just a few weeks ago to share his comapany’s core values, so our visit was an excellent opportunity to see them in action.

Board member Eric Tucker and Cal Poly alum/MINDBODY employee Sarah Gable each took half our group on a tour of the company’s often rambling rooms and hallways. There’s a strong teams spirit in each department yet it’s clear that each little family is very much an important part of a holistic company.

Beer Me!

A true startup, Tap It Brewing is on a path to revolutionize craft brewing, one batch at a time. Pioneered by a local entrepreneur in the pet food industry, the brand has a decidedly industrial feel befitting its location. Orange hues play well off the brewery’s imported (and beautiful!) equipment – a setup it plans to outgrow in the next few years. Tap It fully intends to distribute its brand nationally, and has already won some impressive awards for its signature IPA. It was great to hear how an industry like craft brewing can be very open to – and often demand – innovation. Tap It has also launched a hops project in Edna Valley with the hopes of establishing a healthy crop among all those grape vines (currently, most hops are grown in the Pacific Northwest). Though not everyone was of age, we hope the younger members will keep Tap It in mind next time they’re (legally) thirsty.

The Cult by the Sea

We can’t tell you what happened on our last stop, but I’ll sum up a few key points from Cambria’s Centrally Grown:

• Kittens are an important part of daily operations.
• Stay true to your mission statement and guiding values – and ensure that you incorporate those ethos into EVERY aspect of your brand.
• Remember to pay homage to your leader on a regular basis.
• It’s okay to give up a big paycheck to do something meaningful. You can even start tomorrow.
• Want to get hired? Don’t forget the basics – punctuality, eye contact, clear communication skills and sharing what you’re passionate about (and don’t dress too nicely).
• Even if your business has many parts, it’s important that they all work together in a cohesive manner – this promotes your brand’s strength.
• Whatever you do, do it with all your heart. You’ll have way more fun and create a better product in the end.

Lastly, we can’t thank our gracious hosts enough. You are all what motivates us and keeps us stoked on entrepreneurship!

My team worked to solve this issue of adoption of Google’s latest innovation: self driving cars. We discussed three different areas of improvement: promotion, acceptance, and adoption. In order to inform the public of this new technology, we planned to create a video series on youtube featuring a variety of topics including worst case scenarios, in-car leisure time, and NASCAR races with Google’s car incorporated. Also, we plan to build test-drive stations where people can come and test drive the self-driving cars. Lastly, due to the extreme reliability of the vehicle, we plan to offer warranties and compensation upon the unfortunate instance of an accident.

CPE and SEC worked hand in hand to solve a variety of problems – and we can use your help too! Everyday we encounter problems and challenges that need solving. Solutions come from ideas, and ideas are culminated in the entrepreneurial sprit. Come to our next meeting for inspiration and a great time – your guaranteed to learn and leave motivated!

One begins life being DEPENDENT.

1.   Be Proactive: Assume responsibility for your own outcome, your own life’s journey
2.   Begin With The End in Mind: Set goals and visualize your accomplishments.
3.   Put First Things First: Do not become overwhelmed with details, do what is necessary now, and deal with tomorrow’s challenges… tomorrow.

At this point one has achieved INDEPENDENCE.

4.   Think Win-Win: How is this interaction positive for all parties involved, because if one person loses, we all do.
5.   Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: You are only better when you strive to understand other viewpoints without bias to your own righteousness.
6.   Synergize: When working with others, ensure that the cooperative outcome is greater than the combined efforts of the individuals.

At this point, one has achieved INTERDEPENDENCE.

7.   Sharpen the Saw: Always leave time for self improvement and education. If we do not advance ourselves above the pace of society, we will be swept under the rug.

Rick filled the room with energy and inspiration. He left us with a second book recommendation: Great by Choice. We look forward to seeing you at our next workshop meeting on Tuesday, November 13 (6:30pm). Watch out for an email at the end of the week for further details.

Hanging out with college entrepreneurs from across the nation, meeting amazing CEOs/founders, eating omelet’s, and exploring the Windy City. This past week, seven CPE officer board members and the winner of the Elevator Pitch Competition, Jeremy Kerfs, were lucky enough to travel to Chicago for four days to participate in the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization Conference. For those who are unfamiliar with CEO, it is the premier national entrepreneurship network with chapters at universities across North America. There are currently 240 chapters in over 43 states.

The CPE officers and myself were asked to speak on panels, moderate entrepreneur speakers, and participate in the national pitch competition. Although our pitch participants didn’t win, Cal Poly still had a huge impact. After speaking on several panels, many of the other club leaders reached out to our officer board to learn more about our organization. It became quite clear over the conference that CPE has built one of the premier cultures in the nation, and I wanted to explain how we are separating ourselves from everyone else.

Messaging

Cal Poly Entrepreneurs exists to educate and encourage you to be entrepreneurial while in school. Whether that means starting a business, creating a product, or changing the world in some crazy way, CPE is a place to get started on accomplishing your goals.

Does this prevent anyone from participating in our meetings? No, it clearly doesn’t. Most CEO charters that we talked to end up being somewhat of a business boys club, much like CPE was several years ago. Now we have more engineers attend our meetings than any other discipline. Making our club interdisciplinary was a major focus of our past president, Max Mero. Talking to new club members is extremely exciting because you can meet almost any major/concentration on campus. By mixing different skillsets, Cal Poly students have created successful businesses time and time again.

Open vs Closed     

Last year, CPE attempted to create a VIP group for the club. The VIP group paid dues, had first access to special events, and received several great resources. At the end of the year we looked back on how it all went and were not happy with the results. Even though we charged a minor quarter fee, we felt that we had not given our active club participants the value they deserved.

This year, we decided to remove the barrier that prevented students from participating in all of our events. We want anyone that is passionate about our culture and the group to be able to maximize their experience. The idea is that this will help them continue to learn and become more successful as a result.

The majority of CEO charters across the nation charge quarterly dues to become a member. This past year, we decided to switch from making money through dues to creating a sponsorship package for Cal Poly-affiliated startups. Now we have the freedom to run our meetings however we want. This is something we plan on continuing in the future.

Workshop/Speaker Meeting Rotations

I was shocked when I heard that other clubs have to PAY to bring speakers to their clubs. Clearly they are not selling their club properly by making it an attractive place for entrepreneurs to come. Additionally, many charter leaders had never held a workshop for their club members before.

Granted, this is a new addition to CPE but something I can’t imagine not having. When clubs only bring speakers, club members get inspired from the talks, followed by…nothing. CPE workshops are meant to inspire action. Networking with club members, idea generation, customer validation: these are just several of the activities CPE leads. I can’t stress how important this has been to our organization.

Review

Overall, the trip to Chicago was incredibly inspiring for me. Not necessarily because of the conference, but mainly because of the community we are a part of. Cal Poly is one of the premier colleges in the nation for a reason. Our students are incredibly talented and smart, the weather is great, and the school has decided to make a big investment in entrepreneurship. With the help of the great members of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship as well as our sponsors, CPE just might become one of the best entrepreneurial clubs in the nation. I’m honored to be a part of it.

The evening consisted of guest speakers who shared their advice and stories, some of which were extremely personal (life callings if you will), followed by pitches from the attendees that proceeded to be developed into ideas throughout the weekend after we left.

My partner-in-crime for that night, Eric, convinced me to pitch the idea I have been working on for the past quarter. My pitch was decently received and I ended up with a small amount of votes that were irrelevant compared to the conversations I had regarding my product afterwards. I was approached by a handful of people who understood the need for my product and showed great enthusiasm for it, a moment which validated my belief in my product. They even gave me great advice and resources to look up to further develop my product. All in all, it was a great experience sharing my ideas as well as hearing the variety of others shared that evening.

At this point, I am looking forward to seeing what we will produce for our very own Startup Weekend early next quarter! I am confident that the talent exhibited will be just as stimulating and entertaining as what I saw in Santa Barbara!