The Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship at the 夜色视频 College of Business is once again welcoming students into LaunchNevada, its annual initiative designed to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among undergraduate and graduate students across campus.
LaunchNevada is built around what researchers call the "3 C's" of entrepreneurial mindset: Curiosity, Connections and Creating Value, and gives students real opportunities to develop each. The program is the first leg of the Ozmen Center's yearly entrepreneurial programming, which culminates each spring in the $50,000 Sontag Entrepreneurship Competition.
This year's program opens Thursday, Oct. 8, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Joe Crowley Student Union with a Kickoff and Networking Night, where potential founders can meet and match up with fellow students from across colleges and disciplines. The evening includes a fireside chat with Danny Nikolai, an angel investor and principal of alternatives at the Nikolai Family Office, who will share his own founder journey and the lessons he's learned along the way.
Nikolai, an engineer by training with a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, oversees investments into private market opportunities spanning aerospace, critical infrastructure, climate tech, advanced materials and wellness technologies. He resides in Reno.
"Each year, LaunchNevada showcases the incredible creativity, resilience and ambition of our student entrepreneurs," said Armina Karapetian, LaunchNevada founder. "These teams are not only building innovative ventures, but they are also building the future of Nevada's entrepreneurial ecosystem."
"Danny brings a rare combination of technical depth and investor perspective to our students," said Saf Elmansour, senior program coordinator at the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship. "Hearing directly from a young entrepreneur who's helping other entrepreneurs bring their passion to life is exactly the kind of experience that helps students see what's possible for their own ideas."
LaunchNevada culminates on Nov. 13 with the LaunchNevada Pitch Competition, where student teams will present their business concepts to a panel of judges for a chance to win a share of $4,000 in prizes. Beyond prize money, the Ozmen Center provides stipends to help student teams further develop their business concepts and technical prototypes. Students can enter the pitch competition through this .
Students interested in attending the Oct. 8 kickoff can register for free on . Learn more about the program on the Ozmen Center's website.
