Workshop Materials Archives
Find presentation decks and other useful materials from past CONNECTS seminar series speakers.
Design Thinking
- Customer Enchantment through Design Thinking - Brad Eiben, 9/15/21 - [pdf]
- Design for Manufacturability - Elijah Wiegmann, 10/16/18 - [pdf]
- Designing a Product Culture - Brad Eiben, 9/9/25 - [pdf]
- Design Thinking Through New Metaphors - Dan Lockton, 9/16/20 - [pdf]
- Getting Dirty with Product Design - Brad Eiben, 9/13/22 - [pdf]
- How To Design For Production At Super Speed - Elijah Wiegmann, 2/22/24 - [pdf]
- Planning and Designing a Workplace Environment that Promotes Creativity and Innovation - Samara Wheaton & Jonathan Lusin, ikm , 3/25/21 - [pdf]
- Uncovering Ideas with Strategic Design - Megan Guidi, 9/19/24 [pdf]
Business Model Canvas
- Business Model Canvas - A Practical Guide - Craig Markovitz, 9/16/25 - [pdf]
- The Business Model Canvas - Will Kaigler, 10/5/21 - [pdf]
Customer Discovery
- Customer and Competitor Discovery via Database Research - Ryan Splenda, 1/18/18 - [ppt]
- Customer Discovery -, Schmidt Market Research, 10/1/25 - [pdf]
- Landing Your First Five Customers - , Neotribe Ventures , 1/18/23 - [pdf]
Entrepreneurship Mindset
- Acting and Thinking Like an Entrepreneur – More Important Now than Ever! - Rebecca Harris, 9/14/21 - [pdf]
- Exploring Eight Types of Entrepreneurship - Laurie Barkman, 10/3/23 - [pdf]
- From Classroom to Boardroom: Turning a Class Project into a Fully Fledged Corporation - Alison Alvarez, BlastPoint, 3/15/22 - [pdf]
Lean Entrepreneurship
- The Lean Startup - Dave Mawhinney, 10/8/24 - [pdf]
Agile Product Development
- Agile Product Development - Sean Ammirati, 10/5/23 - [pdf]
Launching / Accelerating Your Startup
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Launching Hardware Startups with Monozukuri, The Art of Making Things in a Creative Way, , Monozukuri Ventures, 3/23/23 - [pdf]
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Leveraging Compliance-focused Infrastructure to Build Faster - , AWS, 4/5/22 - [pdf]
- Scaling from Scratch: Launching Network-based Startups - Allison Braund-Harris, 3/14/23 - [pdf]
- Software May Eat the World, But You Still Need a Fork - Matt Verlinich, Innovation Works,2/23/22 - [pdf]
Splitting the Equity Pie
- Splitting the Equity Pie - Frank Demmler, 1/30/25 - [pdf's]
Founder Share Vesting
Founder's Pie Calculator
Cutting the Founder's Pie
Building Your Team & Networking
- A Tale of Two Startups – The Best Strategies, The Worst Strategies - Michael Glenn, 9/16/19 - [pdf]
- Accounting for Start-Ups - A Beginner's Guide - Christine S. Ferguson-Rau, 2/8/22 -[pdf]
- Building a Succesful Team - Kit Needham, 2/3/22 - [pdf]
- Career Building: Introduction to Networking - Will Sanders, 10/21/20 - [pdf]
- How to come up with ideas worth pursuing - Mar Hershenson, 3/13/25 - [pdf]
- Overcoming Fear, Finding Success, and Building a More Women-Friendly Startup Community - Lynn Yanyo, 9/30/20 - [pdf]
- Today’s MBA Student is Tomorrow’s Entrepreneur - Cindy Padnos, 10/13/21 [pdf]
- Why Everyone Must Think and Act Like an Entrepreneur! - Rebecca Harris, Chatham University , 9/10/19 - [pdf]
Pitching
- Avoiding Mentor Whiplash: How to Manage Conflicting Advice - Jim Jen, 11/5/25 - [pdf]
- Common Sense Tips That Are Not Commonly Used For Working With Early Stage VCs - Peter Stern, 11/11/2021 - [pdf]
- Creating a Successful Video Pitch - Brian Staszel, 11/9/22 - [pdf]
- How to Pitch to Angels - BlueTree Allied Angels, 2/15/18 - [pdf]
- Pitch with Production Value - Brian Staszel, 10/28/25 - [pdf]
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Pitching: An Investors Perspective - & , BlueTree Venture Fund, 2/1/24 - [pdf]
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Pitching Innovation to the C-Suite - Melissa Murphy, 10/4/23 - [pdf]
Scaling / Growth
- How COVID Impacts The Future of Work: Which B2B Software Segments will Accelerate? - Cindy Padnos, 10/13/20 - [pdf]
- Outcome & Impact Measurement - Bob Blattberg, 11/13/24 - [pdf]
- Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning - Bob Blattberg, 10/1/24 [pdf]
Fundraising / Funding / Investments
- Angel Investing for Women Entrepreneurs - Christine Ferguson, 11/19/20 - [pdf]
- Building a startup from 0 to 1: Operations and Fundraising - Mar Hershenson, 2/7/23 - [pdf]
- Early Stage Fundraising from Silicon Valley Investors: Terminology, Milestones, Expectations - Kelly Coyne, 11/2/22 - [pdf]
- Equity Crowdfunding - , Wefunder, 1/25/23 - [pdf]
- Federal SBIR/STTR Process and How Startups Can Take Advantage of Free Money - Ralph Hershberger, 9/23/21 [pdf]
- Finding Follow-On Capital - Ben Garber, 2/12/25 -[pdf]
SPGlobal CMU - Ben Garber, 2/12/25 - [.xls]
SPGlobal Open Field - Ben Garber, 2/12/25 - [.xls] - Get Ready to Raise Investment Capital for your Startup - , 1/22/25 - [pdf]
- How do you get investment with supply-chain management from Japan? - Nobuhiro Seki, 10/18/18 - [pdf]
- How to Know That You are Ready for an Investment - , 1/30/24 - [pdf]
- Investor Presentations – Beyond the Pitch - Jim Jen, 11/3/21 [pdf]
- Nonprofit Finance and Funding - Kim McCormick, 10/9/25 - [pdf]
- The Nuts and Bolts of Angel Investing - Sreekar Gadde, 2/10/22 - [pdf]
- Guide for Scoring Companies for "Screenings" - Catherine Mott, 3//9/21 - [pdf]
- Recent Trends in Venture Capital and B2B AI - Cindy Padnos, 11/8/23 - [pdf]
- SBA Paycheck Protection Program Info Session - Phil Compton, 4/9/20 - [pdf]
- Smart Gate VC - 11/28/23 - [pdf]
- Startup Funding: Prizes, PRIs, Philanthropy - , CMU Swartz Center, 1/16/24 - [pdf]
- The Transatlantic Divide: Investigating the Differences in Investment Practices Between European and US Venture Capital Firms - Dr Keith Arundale, Henley Business School, UK , 11/25/19 [pdf]
- Who Knew? The Mismatch Between How VCs and Entrepreneurs Think About What It Takes to Succeed - Cindy Padnos, Illuminate Ventures, 4/24/19 - [pdf]
Sales / Pricing
- Advance Your Selling Power in 2019 - Laurie Barkman, 2/28/19 - [pdf]
- Getting Started with Sales - Bruce Smith, 2/1/18 - [pdf]
- Practical Business Negotiation for the Early Stage Company - Eric Kline, 2/4/25 - [pdf]
- Science vs. Art in Pricing and Revenue - Laura Forth, 9/25/25- [pdf]
- Tactical Steps to Launching Sales - Bryan Whittington, 1/18/22 [pdf]
- Unique Selling Proposition - Bob Blattberg, 9/24/24 [pdf]
- What Entrepreneurs Need to Know for their Banking Relationship - Justin Krauss, Chase, 10/11/18 [pdf]
Marketing
- B2B Product Marketing - Suzy Teele, 10/30/19 - [pdf]
- Early Stage User Acquisition and Marketing - (CEO) and (COO), trainwell, 9/10/25 [pdf]
- Growth Hacking Tactics in 2022 - Joey Rahimi, 2/1/22 - [pdf]
- Hustlenomics Way - Damola Idowu, 2/29/24 - [pdf]
- Hustlenomics Way Presents Superhero Avatars Personified - Damola Idowu, 2/26/25 - [pdf]
- Hustlenomics Way Presents Superhero Designers - Damola Idowu, 2/24/22 - [pdf]
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Hustlenomics Way Presents Superwomen - Damola Idowu, 3/4/21 - [pdf]
- Online Marketing for Startups in 2021 - Joey Rahimi, 2/16/21 - [pdf]
- Public Relations Primer: How to Earn Media Coverage - Emma Gielata, 11/17/20 - [pdf]
- Using Digital to Achieve Business Goals - Laura Kelly, Dick’s Sporting Goods , 2/14/23 [pdf]
Startup Financials / Financial Modeling
- Do It Right the First Time (Setting Up Your Back Office) - Sisterson & Co., 2/4/21 - [pdf]
- Importance of Cash Flow - Kelley Lynch, 3/23/22 - [pdf]
Importance of Cash Flow Spreadsheet - [xlsx]
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Keys to Building a Successful & Sellable Startup: Cashflow Forecasting & Digital Organization - Kelley Lynch, 10/8/25 [pdf]
- Setting Up Your Back Office - William Richardson & Carissa Habsburg, Sisterson & Co. LLP, 2/12/19 - [pdf]
Take Away Points - Tax, Business and Accounting Issues for Startups - Bill Richardson and Carissa Habsburg, Sisterson & Co, LLP, 2/8/18 [pdf]
Legal / Start Smart Law Series
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Addressing common questions surrounding Patent Law - John Powers, 3/24/22 - [pdf]
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An Entrepreneurs' Guide to Managing Legal - Dave Mawhinney and Craig Markovitz, 1/23/25 - [pdf]
- Legal Considerations for Social Entrepreneurs - Eryn Correa, 1/26/23 - [pdf]
- Valuation and Capitalization: It’s Not Fake News - , Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, 9/19/23 [pdf]
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Start Smart: Accelerating Growth Through Third Party Relationships/Contracts - K&L Gates, 3/4/21- [pdf]
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Start Smart: Building and Leveraging Your Professional Team - 2/20/25 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Company Formation - K&L Gates, 2/1/18- [pdf]
- Start Smart: Contract Basics - K&L Gates, 9/28/17 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Contracts Part II - K&L Gates, 10/17/17 - [pdf]
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Start Smart: Cryptocurrency – The Regulatory Landscape - Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, 4/23/18 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Employment/Employee Matters - K&L Gates, 4/23/19 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Finding the Right Lawyer for your Startup - K&L Gates, 10/31/17 - [pdf]
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Start Smart: Good News for F-1 Students Starting a Business! - 6/22/21 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Hiring and Firing - K&L Gates, 2/28/23 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: How to Form Your Startup Company - Part 1 - The Basics - K&L Gates, 10/26/23 - [pdf]
- Start Smart Law: How to Form Your Startup Company - Part 2 - Legal Roadmap - K&L Gates, 11/10/22- [pdf]
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Start Smart Law: How to Form Your Startup Company – Part 2 – Workshop - K&L Gates, 11/2/23 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: How to Start a Business on an F-1 Student Visa - 1/23/24 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: How to Structure Your Business Entity - David Lehman, K&L Gates [ppt]
- Start Smart: How to Structure Your Capital Raise - David Lehman, K&L Gates, 2/14/19 - [pdf]
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Start Smart: How to Structure Your Capital Raise - Part 1 - The Fundamentals - David Lehman, K&L Gates, 3/20/25 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: International Entrepreneur Parole - 6/22/21 - [pdf]
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Start Smart: Introduction to Startup Law: Get the Answers to YOUR Legal Questions! Part 1 - 9/22/20 [pdf]
- Start Smart: Introduction to Startup Law: Get the Answers to YOUR Legal Questions! Part 2 - 9/22/20 [pdf]
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Start Smart: The Legal Complexities of Social Enterprises - 3/29/22 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: LSM Patent and Trademark Search - K&L Gates, 4/1/21 - [pdf]
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Start Smart: Overview of Startup Legal Issues - K&L Gates, 9/11/18 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Preparing for an Exit - K&L Gates, 4/2/19 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Protecting Your IP - K&L Gates, 4/1/21 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Protecting Your IP and Unraveling Student IP - K&L Gates, 9/14/17 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Raising Capital - K&L Gates, 2/8/18 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Social Enterprise - K&L Gates - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Starting a Business with an F-1 Visa - Denton & Grigsby, 2/25/21 - [pdf]
- Start Smart: Structuring 3rd Party Relationships - K&L Gates, 4/23/19 - [pdf]
IP / Patents
- Cost Efficient IP Strategies that lead to Massive Exits - Sreekar Gadde and Jason Somma, 2/27/25 - [pdf]
- How to Handle Your (And Other's) IP [pdfs] - George Dickos & Lauren Murray, 10/30/18
Intellectual Property - [pdf]
LSM Patent and Trademark Search - [pdf] - Intellectual Property Crash-Course - , Steptoe & Johnson, 2/19/25 - [pdf]
- Intellectual Property for Business Strategies/Workbook - Meg Brindle, 11/2/17 - [pdf]
- IP Management from the Entrepreneur Perspective - Will Kaigler, 10/17/18 [ppt]
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IP: What Is It and How Should You Protect It - and , Goodwin, 2/5/25 [pdf]
- Leverage IP to Drive Business Value - Sreekar Gadde & Jason Somma, 2/1/23 - [pdf]
- Patent Trolls and Patent Protection - Khurram Naik, 11/16/20 - [pdf]
- Show Me the Money: Monetizing IP via Licenses - Matt Kirmayer & Daphne Higgs, Perkins Coie, 9/29/21 - [pdf]
- Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Creating Value with IP - & , Perkins Coie, 10/12/22 [pdf]
Corporate Partnerships
- Accelerating Your Startup via Corporate Partnerships - Sean Ammirati, 1/25/22 - [pdf]
Working with the Government
- How to Access Resources from the Government - Tim McNulty, 3/8/17 - [pdf]
- Leveraging Partnerships with FDA: Advice for Startups - Elora Gupta & Courtney Williamson, 4/2/19 - [pdf]
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Leveraging Partnerships with FDA during and after COVID-19 : Advice for Startups - Elora Gupta & Courtney Williamson, 2/16/221 - [pdf]
Insurance for Startups
- Insurance for Startups - Laurie Kuzneski, 1/16/25 - [pdf]
- Insurance for Startups - Paul Malone, Tyler Smelko & Erin Terpack, 10/22/18 - [pdf]
Healthcare
- The Challenge of Innovation in Healthcare - Ginny Pribanic, 1/19/22 - [pdf]
- Digital Health and Healthcare Technology - Nick Shapiro, 4/3/25 - [pdf]
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How Innovation Can Help to Heal Healthcare - , 2/21/23 - [pdf]
- How Innovation Can Help to Heal Healthcare - , 2/14/24 - [pdf]
Cybersecurity
- To Trust or Not to Trust: What Every Startup Needs to Know about Privacy and Cybersecurity - John Funge, 1/21/25 [pdf]
Operations
- Fundamentals of Board Governance - Marion Lewis, BoardBookit, Inc., 2/13/19 - [pdf]
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
- Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition - Len Caric, 9/23/25 - [pdf]
- Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition - Eric Close, 9/12/19 - [pdf]
Franchising
- Franchise Opportunities - Chris Cynkar, FranChoice, 2/12/25 - [pdf]
Thank you to our Swartz Center Patrons
