By Ain Center Staff

There is no question that this fall will be complex, but the Ain Center is ready to move forward, and to provide the support and resources necessary to innovation. We are still accomplishing our goals of education and engagement, even though that looks a bit different this semester.

OPERATIONS

For now, Ain Center staff will be working remotely to comply with the University’s de-densification policies. Don’t worry, though – we are available to assist as usual! If you are on campus and stop by our office, you’ll see our contact information, as well as who to contact about each of our programs. Some of us have Calendly links available, but feel free to send an email if you’re unsure of who to connect with. If you aren’t on campus, all of our contact information can be found on the Meet the Staff page of our website, and each of our programs has a contact listed. This may change or be updated throughout the semester, so stay tuned to our e-newsletter and social media channels.

EVENTS

As usual, we are hosting or co-hosting plenty of events to help build entrepreneurial interest and skills. Our Events Calendar is up to date, and will have the latest information for attendees. All of our events will be offered digitally and we plan to share recordings of most of them, so those who aren’t able to attend can still watch and learn.

NEW (& UPDATED) PROGRAMS

In addition to full-scale digitization of our daily operations and existing programs, the Ain Center has also added a few new programs and updated others to keep up with the needs of those we serve. New for fall 2020, we have created Innov8 – an 8-week entrepreneurial training and grant program, open to all UR folks (including faculty and staff!). We’re also excited about our expansion of advising and mentorship opportunities. In the past, we’ve offered Expert-in-Residence office hours. Now, we’ll still be hosting EIR hours, and also adding Community Connectors (folks who can help with networking) and Mentors (experienced entrepreneurs who provide 1:1 guidance with UR students).

Another update is to our monthly lunches for students, faculty, and staff. These used to be separate events, but we want to foster the UR entrepreneurial community during these times of distant learning, so to do so, we’re combining these events into Startup Bytes: A Digital Brown Bag Lunch with Entrepreneurs. Startup Bytes is open to everyone in the UR community and beyond. Also for the greater Rochester community, we’ll be offering workshops aimed to help business owners work through impacts of the pandemic – more info on that to come.

The rest of our programs for this fall can be found throughout our website, and important deadlines and event info are on the Events Calendar.

Life looks a little more pixelated this fall, but that doesn’t change the real impact of entrepreneurship. We’ll see you soon.

Keep up to date by signing up for our e-newsletter. Have questions about this fall, or would like to meet with Ain Center staff about a project you’re working on? Contact AinCFE@rochester.edu and we’ll be in touch.