Success Story: NEMS/MEMS Works LLC
MU engineering researchers aim to take nanotechnology to the marketplace
Nanotechnology once was confined strictly to the realm of science fiction. It conjured visions of vastly miniaturized submersibles coursing through the veins of patients in need of treatment, as in the '60s sci-fi flick Fantastic Voyage.
However the world of super small technology is no longer a dream. It's here today. And a husband-wife doctoral engineering duo—Keshab and Shubhra Gangopadhyay—at the University of Missouri in Columbia is taking its "nano" vision from the laboratory toward the marketplace.
Shubhra (above) and Keshab Gangopadhyay founded their Columbia-based nanotechnology company NEMS/MEMS Works LLC in 2004.
Nanotechnology is the science and technology of building devices from single atoms and molecules. The basic dimension, the nanometer, is one one-billionth of a meter. To put that in perspective: a red blood cell is 7,000 nanometers in diameter; the head of pin is about 1 million nanometers wide.
The Gangopadhyays initiated their academic careers in their native India…Keshab earning a doctorate in nuclear engineering and Shubhra obtaining hers in physics. In the mid-'80s they each pursued scientific research and teaching—he in engineering and math, she in physics and engineering—at universities in India and Germany.
While in Germany, Keshab collaborated with a professor from the United States. That association led to an invitation for Keshab to serve as a visiting professor of mathematics at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where Shubhra also pursued her academic career. During more than a decade at Texas Tech the Gangopadhyays also explored entrepreneurism by devoting time and energy to a company involved with semiconductors.
They left Texas Tech in 2003, when Shubhra was offered an engineering endowed professorship as the LaPierre Chair at the University of Missouri.
"She decided to accept the position and I supported her," recalls Keshab. "After she assumed her new position, I preferred to be a research professor at the University, keeping a significant amount of time available for entrepreneurial activities."
The following year the enterprising pair of academicians formed NEMS/MEMS Works LLC. They pointed their company toward the pursuit of nanotechnology in the fields of energy, security and medicine.
Learn more about how the Gangopadhyays are exploring commercialization possibilities for their work with the help of a dedicated team of tech-savvy business counselors at the Small Business & Technology Development Center in MU's College of Engineering. Visit www.missouribusiness.net/success/nems_mems.asp for the complete story and photos.
UCM Hosts Annual Skelton Procurement Conference May 30
Owners of small businesses can learn how to secure government contracts and network with potential contractors at Rep. Ike Skelton's annual Procurement Conference, Friday, May 30, at the University of Central Missouri.
Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. in Elliott Union 234B, and Skelton will open the conference with remarks at 8:45. Doug Hensley of Kansas City-based Hensley Technologies, Inc., will speak at 9 a.m. on successful government contracting, and Rear Adm. Sean Crean, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, will speak on government procurement at 9:30 a.m.
Afternoon breakout sessions include topics such as selling to the government, choosing veterans first, contract pricing and estimating, and funding a business through Small Business Innovation Research networks. Sessions also will address SBA contracting programs, base and post contracting, business financing and marketing, ISO standards, the Small Business Transportation Resource Center, radio frequency identification and the "lean and clean advantage" in marketing. Speakers also will be available for questions following the afternoon breakout sessions.
The conference is open to business owners and interested individuals. A brochure showing the agenda and exhibitor list can be found downloaded at www.missouribusiness.net/ptac/docs/skelton2008.pdf.
A fee of $49 per person is required and includes lunch. Registration prior to May 23, is encouraged. Individuals who want to attend may register online at www.missouribusiness.net/ptac or www.ucmo.edu/sbtdc, or contact the SBTDC at UCM at 660-543-4402, email sbtdc@ucmo.edu.
Visit www.missouribusiness.net/ptac/news/skelton_053008.asp for the full story.
Two Missourians to Help Lead National Government Procurement Association
Two members of the Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (MO PTAC) have been selected officers of the national Association of PTAC (APTAC) counselors at the group's 23rd annual conference last month in Lexington, Ky.
Morris Hudson, state director of MO PTAC and based at the program's headquarters in Columbia, became president of APTAC. Bill Stuby, MO PTAC central region director with the University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UCIE) at the University of Missouri's College of Engineering, was elected secretary of APTAC. Both officials began their terms April 9.
As officers with APTAC, Hudson and Stuby will be instrumental in developing, implementing and managing the organization's professional development mission. APTAC represents more than 500 procurement counselors at 92 PTAC offices throughout the country.
"The national conference provides PTAC professionals with an opportunity to train and update their skills on the latest governmental procedures to help business clients interested in obtaining contracts with government offices," says Hudson, who has directed MO PTAC for more than 15 years.
Your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center can help you win government contracts. Appointments may be made for consultations on procurement issues by contacting the PTAC office near you.
Visit www.missouribusiness.net/ptac/news/aptac_041708.asp for the full story.
IRS Roundup
IRS launches campaign to help new small businesses
The Internal Revenue Service last month launched a campaign to help educate new self-employed small business owners about federal tax responsibilities.
The campaign kick-off coincided with the Small Business Administration's annual Small Business Week, April 21-25, which recognizes outstanding small business owners for their contributions to the nation's economy and their personal achievements.
"One of the biggest challenges faced by people starting out in business is understanding and meeting their tax filing requirements," said Kathy Petronchak, commissioner of the IRS's Small Business/Self-Employed operating division. "It's a new, different and potentially overwhelming experience for them. We want new small business owners to know that the IRS has resources to help them learn about their federal tax responsibilities and avoid common pitfalls."
The campaign will provide new Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, filers with improved and updated educational materials through a variety of channels, including IRS.gov, small business workshops and other outreach events.
Schedule C is filed by sole proprietors (one-owner businesses) as an attachment to their Form 1040 individual income tax return. Self-employed individuals with less complex situations – including business expenses of less than $5,000, no net losses and no employees – may be able to file Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit for Business.
For additional small business tax information, visit the Small Business Resource Guide online exclusively at MissouriBusiness.net (visit www.missouribusiness.net/irs/).
Visit www.missouribusiness.net/news/irs_campaign_050508.asp for the complete story.
Business Going Green
Green business can mean less pollution, more profit
This April we marked another Earth Day, which was greeted by numerous media features on ways to preserve our environment, cut our dependence on oil, build more environmentally friendly structures and minimize our carbon footprint.
From a small-business perspective, a green enterprise not only is politically correct, it's economically shrewd. From an entrepreneurship perspective, green business ideas can be profitable and rewarding. Many of these ideas come through our center, or we read about them in the many trend publications we see. It's apparent to us that the number of entrepreneurs who want to make an environmental difference while making a living is on the increase.
Here are some of the most interesting ideas we've seen lately:
- A French company has created a delivery business using truck-sized cargo bikes instead of motorized trucks and vans. These lightweight vehicles operate with pedal power, weigh about 175 pounds and can carry as much as 350 pounds in a 50-cubic-foot space. These so-called cargocycles are faster, more agile, easier to park and completely non-polluting.
- A student in product design has developed playground equipment that can create enough electricity to power a school classroom by capturing the energy generated when the equipment is in use. For instance, 10 minutes of play on a see-saw generates enough power to light a room for several hours. The energy is transferred to a storage unit through an underground cable. This idea has tremendous applicability in remote areas of developing countries where the need for power is enormous, but the infrastructure and resources are completely lacking.
- One U.S. company now offers detailed reports on wind and solar exposure for specific areas of the country, information that comes in handy when locating wind or solar panel technology for energy generation. Information from the maps helps entrepreneurs determine whether installations make good financial sense. Agency Web sites provide some similar information, but not with such an easy-to-use interface. Detailed reports are available for a starting cost of about $1,000.
Visit www.missouribusiness.net/ucie/blog/?p=43 for the complete story.
Learn how the Missouri Market Development Program (www.dnr.mo.gov/eiera/mo-market-dev-program.htm) and Environmental Assistance Center (www.missouribusiness.net/environmental) can help with grant funding opportunities for small businesses to expand their use of recycles materials.
Seminars Set for May in SE Missouri About Small Business Emergency Preparedness
A series of one-day seminars on Small Business Emergency Preparedness will be offered to Southeast Missouri business owners and managers in mid-May, according to Richard Proffer, University of Missouri Extension business development specialist based in Jackson.
The one-day classes run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are set for:
- May 19, at MU's Cape Girardeau County Extension Center, Jackson;
- May 20, at the Southeast Missouri Higher Education Center, Sikeston;
- May 21, at the MU Delta Center in Portageville.
Among the benefits of the seminar, according to Proffer, attendees will learn about: creating a disaster response plan; ways to reduce potential damage to their facilities; the natural and technological hazards their businesses could face; preparing employees and clients for disaster; means of communicating with employees and clients following a disaster; and first aid and CPR.
The seminar, which costs $50 per attendee, is presented in conjunction with the Institute for Rural Emergency Management at the University of Central Missouri, the Southeast Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
For more information and to register call the Jackson County Extension Center at 573-243-3581. Requests for special accommodations will be considered if made two weeks in advance.
To see all of the upcoming training events, visit www.missouribusiness.net/cgi-bin/calendar/.
Making the Most of Your Ten-Minute Opportunity
In recent years, competitive forums have emerged to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with a means of connecting with potential investors and other stakeholders. Venture capital conferences have made prospective investors much more accessible. Business plan competitions have proliferated throughout American universities and a host of smaller business-idea competitions have started.
For example, Idea-to-Product® is a competition designed to encourage the next generation of technology entrepreneurs. Judges at these competitions tend to be venture capitalists, angel investors, business leaders, and technology experts—all of whom can prove to be valuable contacts if you're an aspiring entrepreneur.
Because those active in new venture development often rely on competitions, such as Idea-to-Product, as important sources of potential deal flow, aspiring entrepreneurs can benefit significantly by doing well in such competitions. However, in order to make the most of those opportunities it is necessary to master the art of making effective presentations.
To simulate real-world circumstances, many of these competitions are structured around 10-to-15-minute presentations. Idea-to-Product competitions generally give presenters about 10 minutes to make the case for their proposed technology-based product innovation. During that time presenters must convince prospective stakeholders that their idea is both viable and profitable.
To do so, a significant amount of work is needed to make a presentation as persuasive as possible, addressing all of the key points addressed in a business plan, but more concisely. Limit slides to no more than 12 for a 10 to 15 minute presentation.
To learn more about making a strong presentation and the payoffs, read this complete article at www.missouribusiness.net/docs/10_min_opp.asp.
Your local Small Business & Technology Development Center can help entrepreneurs prepare for winning financial backing for business ventures.
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