Sparks

Build entrepreneurial skills in workshops open to members of the Stanford community.

STVP Sparks are short-term, extracurricular “pop-up classes” on a variety of topics related to entrepreneurship and innovation. Taught by Stanford lecturers or members of the local entrepreneurial community, each Spark consists of one evening session. This makes Sparks an excellent way to expand your entrepreneurial mindset without adding course units.

Upcoming Spring 2016 Sparks

Nailing Product-Market Fit

with Alan Chiu, Co-Founder and Head of Product, Listo; Partner, XSeed Capital
Tuesday, April 5
4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
The journey of nailing product-market fit is a race against time. While delivering a compelling user experience is crucial, neglecting other equally important elements of your product could cost you valuable time and turn a promising venture into a missed opportunity. This workshop helps you achieve product-market fit faster by fully considering all aspects of product definition and maximizing the value of customer interviews.

Deciphering VC Double Speak

with William Hsu, Co-Founder and Partner, Mucker Capital
Wednesday, April 6
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Raising venture capital for a startup is easier than ever, but failure is still the norm rather than the exception. To maximize your chances of success, entrepreneurs must become fluent not just in the technical terminology of the industry – term sheets, pre-money, liquidation preference etc. – but understand and effectively navigate a complicated relationship.

Will Hsu has spent his career both proudly and embarrassingly on all sides of this dance: begging for money from VCs and giving away money to entrepreneurs. In this Spark, we will help aspiring entrepreneurs navigate this relationship by deciphering what exactly a VC means by "no," "yes" and "maybe."

@ the Intersection of Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley

with Ted Chin, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Ted Chin & Company Inc.
Tuesday, April 12
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

A conversation with an entrepreneur whose "startup" shocked the New York City establishment. Participate in real-time problems with real-time solutions, with personal case histories for Fortune top companies.

Specializing in strategy, marketing and advertising, Ted Chin has won over 65 top national awards for creative brilliance. He is also a board member and senior advisor to billion-dollar companies and Silicon Valley startups, as well as an Eagle scout and Army veteran who enjoys philanthropic challenges.

Bonus: Participants who bring a friend will be eligible to enter a free drawing for lunch for two at Pizzeria Delfina, or a two-hour session with Chin.

What Startups Need to Know About Patent Law

with Jeffrey Schox, Patent Attorney; Founder, Schox Patent Group
Wednesday, April 13
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Entrepreneurs have a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about patent law, which often leads to missed opportunities for patent protection and infringement lawsuits from their competitors. Attend this Spark to learn:

  • why startups build a patent portfolio
  • what inventions are patentable
  • when to file a patent application

Join us for this lively class lead by the top recommended patent attorney by the highest ranked incubators in Silicon Valley.

The Art of the Pitch

with Ann Grimes, Lorry I. Lokey Professor of the Practice in the Department of Communication, Stanford University; Associate Director, Brown Institute for Media Innovation, School of Engineering, Stanford University
Wednesday, April 27
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Join Guy Kawasaki – entrepreneur, evangelist and author of The Art of the Start 2.0 – in conversation with Ann Grimes of the Brown Institute for Media Innovation as they discuss how to pitch a startup idea. In this workshop, they will share tips on how to best tell your startup's story.

Acknowledgements

STVP generously thanks Accel Partners for supporting the Sparks program, offering entrepreneurial skills and training to students and other members of the Stanford community.
Accel Partners
STVP