UF held its 10th annual startup showcase on International Women’s Day.
On Tuesday UF President Kent Fuchs and speakers from around the U.S. helped local startup companies funded or housed at UF network with investors and with each other. The event took place at the Hilton UF Conference Center.
Fuchs delivered opening remarks, telling the crowd of about 300 that he’s looking forward to the progress UF’s startups will make in the future.
“The past decade is nothing compared to the next decade,” he said.
Karen Zaderej, president and CEO of AxoGen, and other panelists spoke about how to create a startup, from the initial idea to securing funding. Her company aims to repair nerve damage.
Shirley Pincus said she underwent surgery in 2013 after being diagnosed with severe peripheral nerve damage, which caused her white-hot pain. During the procedure, the company’s Avance Nerve Graft replaced the damaged nerves.
Without the startup, she said she wouldn’t have been able to walk into the conference room Tuesday.
Carolyn Kreuzkamp, a marketing fellow at the UF Office of Technology Licensing, which hosted the event, said the event allowed her to connect with professionals in the industry.
The UF biochemistry senior said she hopes to go into a field involving science and business.
“Seeing other women in the science and business fields speaking passionately is really encouraging,” the 22-year-old said.
Kreuzkamp said the event could be improved for next year.
“I think it would be really inspirational and just a really good way to kick off the event by maybe having someone speak coming from ‘I graduated UF at 21 and started a business at 21, and everyone thought I was crazy, but look at me right now,’” she said.
From left: Shirley Pincus, Tim Gray, Karen Zaderej and Christine Schmidt discuss the journey a startup company takes – from the idea to the business – at the Gainesville Hilton on Tuesday.
