National Award-Winning Program Teaches Female Professionals to Take Maryland Universities’ Technologies to Market

CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News
410-455-5793
crose@umbc.edu

BALTIMORE, MD – ACTiVATE, UMBC's award-winning training program for female entrepreneurs, is recruiting for its next class.

Originally funded with a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation, ACTiVATE’s goal is to form start-up companies based on technologies developed at UMBC, Johns Hopkins, the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, Towson University, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and the University of Maryland College Park.

In its first three years, ACTiVATE has trained 90 women in entrepreneurship ands and its graduates have formed 12 new companies.

ACTiVATE recently received national acclaim and state-level investment. In late October, the Association of University Research Parks (AURP) gave the program its 2007 Innovation Award and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) gave ACTiVATE a $50,000 grant to help continue its mission.

Companies started by ACTiVATE graduates include:

-- EncorePath, built on a unique rehab technology for stroke victims developed by University of Maryland, Baltimore physical therapists;

-- Foligo Therapeutics, which has received significant funding as it focuses on new treatment therapies for ovarian cancer;

-- and Traxion Therapeutics, a biotech firm developing new drugs for chronic pain.

There are two remaining information sessions scheduled for women with significant business or technical backgrounds who are interested in ACTiVATE:

Monday, December 10, 2007
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Rockville Economic Development Office (REDI)
95 Monroe Street
Rockville, MD 20850

Tuesday, January 8, 2008
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Courtyard Room
techcenter@UMBC
1450 South Rolling Road
Baltimore, MD 21227

ACTiVATE classes will be held from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. on Monday evenings, starting on Feb. 4, 2008.

More information online: www.umbc.edu/activate

About ACTiVATE
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s (UMBC) ACTiVATE* is a year-long program to train women with significant technical or business experience to be entrepreneurs and to create start-up companies from inventions from Maryland research institutions and federal agencies. It is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) and is supported by Constellation Energy, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston and Wachovia Bank. Admission to the program is competitive.

*ACTiVATE – Achieving the Commercialization of Technology in Ventures through Applied Training for Entrepreneurs