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The Reflector, October 2021
Entrepreneurs’ Network – 7:00PM, Tuesday, October 5
Can Your Startup Compete in the Market? Location: Webinar Registration: https://boston-enet.org/event-4411615 ENET Member - Free General Public – $10.00
Speakers:
Karen Utgoff, Principal, Karen Lauter Utgoff Consulting; UMass Amherst I-Corps Site Director Karen Utgoff has worked with technology Competition is a fact of life - it isn’t good or bad, it just is. startups, small businesses, and non-profit For an entrepreneur, trying to succeed with a shiny new research organizations on market-related startup, competition can be a driving force for success, challenges and research commercializaor the makings of an existential crisis. Success as an ention opportunities for over 20 years. Her trepreneur requires an understanding of the target market and the competitive landscape within that market. expertise includes market-oriented business strategy, And the market can be wildly dynamic, with competing business planning, entrepreneurial/start-up marketing, companies (and their products/services) emerging and strategic marketing, startup funding plans, and new departing. The market might be local, regional, national, venture development. She has helped startups and or global, and the competition can include players from non-profit research organizations raise over $7 million other startups to multinational corporations. Even when in investment and grant funding to support venture delaunching a completely new product for a new market, velopment and innovation programs. there are competitors. For example: whatever did peoKaren’s experience includes customer discovery and ple do before your start-up came along? business model development for concept and early How can your startup compete in the market? Deter- prototype stage startups/companies as well as going mining what is the market you’re competing in is good concerns. She is a long-time volunteer for MassChalto know, as is a thorough understanding of what other lenge and the Cleantech Open Northeast. She earned company offerings you would have to displace to suc- her MBA from The Wharton School at The University of ceed. Is the market highly saturated? Is it ready for a Pennsylvania. massive (or even minor) disruption? How will you make money (a key - not to be underestimated - aspect of Currently Karen leads Venture Development at the operating a business)? Who will be buying what you’re UMass Amherst Institute for Applied Life Sciences selling? Please join our panel of experts on these top- (IALS) and the campus I-Corps (Innovation Corps) Site. ics, and more, to learn how to make your startup com- She also serves as an adjunct instructor in the New England Regional Innovation Node Spark Program @ petitive, and to increase the odds of success. MIT and and the NSF National I-Corps Teams Program. https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenutgoff/ Agenda: 6:00 – 7:00 PM – Networking on Zoom Alicia Williams, Founder & Creative Direc7:00 – 7:10 PM – ENET Chairperson’s announcements tor, Aliste Marketing 7:10 – 7:25 PM – eMinute Pitch - Up to 3 Startup comAlicia Williams is the Founder & Creative panies’ presentations Director of Aliste Marketing, a boutique 7:25 – 8:10 PM – expert speakers on the night’s topic marketing agency. Alicia helps clients’ 8:10 – 8:30 PM – Moderator and Audience Q & A with transformations from unseasoned startups the speakers into unfettered successes. 8:30 – 9:00 PM – Networking on Zoom (meet with Her impressive personal accomplishments and passpeakers & moderator) sion for helping fellow entrepreneurs realize their own (all times are USA Eastern Daylight time)
