What do renowned entrepreneurs Sergey Brin, Tim Sweeney, and Brendan Iribe have in common? They all studied at the University of Maryland! Today on the Campfire podcast, a podcast about impact and innovation from our nation’s capital, host Khuram Zaman of Fifth Tribe invites guest Sammy Popat to discuss the history of entrepreneurship at UMD, as well as the role of the Discovery District in fostering an entrepreneurial community at the university. Sammy is a UMD campus connector and the manager of the Discovery District, and he offers much insight into the ways in which UMD has established itself as an entrepreneurial powerhouse.

UMD has a large campus, boasts tens of thousands of students, and includes many colleges; thus, it takes a herculean effort to foster the connections and cooperation necessary for an innovation ecosystem to flourish across the institution. This is where Sammy and his fellow campus connectors come in, as they provide access to mentors, expert input, and other resources that help innovators as they develop and test ideas and work toward and through the process of commercialization. UMD’s entrepreneurial synergy is also aided by its research park, the Discovery District, which fosters relationships between innovators, companies, and the community, and provides an ideal setting for study and for turning good ideas into concrete realities.

The project of the Discovery District is well represented by UMD alumnus Jim Henson, of the Muppets fame, who mastered the art of puppetry in conjunction with the new technology of television. In a similar fashion, the aim of the Discovery District is to see innovators develop mastery and then add in the aspect of scaling. Sammy explains how students and companies can gain entrance to the district, drawing on the example of Airgility. Startups settled within the district have access to Sammy and his colleagues, who help however possible to see the businesses grow. Sammy wants to see organizations become known, go through testing, feel at home, and commercialize - all with UMD’s responsibility to its community in view. He has a hand in issues of investing, diversification, partnership with the I-Corps program, and much more, and has played a key role in seeing UMD begin to punch above its weight - something he expects it will only do more and more.

Links:

Connect with Sammy Popat on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Connect with the Discovery District and StartupUMD on Twitter.

Learn more about Sammy and his work at innovate.umd.edu.

You can reach Sammy by email at [email protected].

Learn more about Khuram Zaman and connect on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Access Campfire podcast videos on YouTube.

Connect with Fifth Tribe on Facebook for more on the business and Campfire podcast!

Timestamps:

0:46 - Welcomes Sammy

3:22 - What are campus connectors?

6:27 - Entrepreneurship Ecosystems

11:01 - What is the Discovery District?

16:15 - Growth of UMD’s campus and community relations

18:50 - Innovation at UMD

24:00 - Entrepreneurship in the region

27:40 - How can an entrepreneur gain entrance to the Research Park?

35:35 - Specific areas sought after within the Research Park

37:46 - What assistance does the Discovery District offer to businesses?

44:00 - How commercialization can generate revenue for universities

47:07 - How and when did the Discovery District begin?

49:40 - Recent developments and additions on campus

55:16 - Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship

58:00 - Function of student pitch competitions

59:35 - Innovation Core Program

1:02:00 - How Sammy and his colleagues support student entrepreneurship endeavors

1:06:00 - Sammy offers his perspective on entrepreneurship

1:06:40 - Closing words and advice for aspiring young entrepreneurs