Rev: Ithaca Startup Works

SBIR Workshop: Application Process & Funding Options for Startups
2021-07-01 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Join Kirk Macolini, President of InteliSpark, LLC for this workshop as he shares insight on the SBIR application process and how to find other dilutive funding sources.
The Small Business Innovation Research program funds a diverse portfolio of startups and small businesses across technology areas and markets to stimulate technological innovation, meet Federal research and development (R&D) needs, and increase commercialization to transition R&D into impact.
Attendees will also learn about the SBIR/STTR Assistance Programwhich can help eligible companies, based in upstate New York, hire a qualified grant writing consultant to help them develop a proposal. There will be a Q&A session at the conclusion of the event.

Click here to register!

RESCHEDULED Rev Networking Night: Fresh Faces and Fast Pitches
2021-07-21 17:30 - 20:00 | Online
Please note: this is the rescheduled event that was originally planned for June 30 but postponed due to inclement weather.
It’s happening!! Rev’s in-person Networking Nights are returning!!
Join us as we reconvene Ithaca’s startup community outdoors at South Hill Cider–one of our member companies and discover some of Ithaca’s newest startups. COVID may have paused a lot of things, but Rev’s startups did not slow down. We gained several new members and many of our existing members blew past their goals.
The night will begin with some socially distanced networking followed by fast pitches from several new Rev startups. Then, inspired by this year’s challenges and the monumental way many startups were forced to adapt to meet customer needs —we will announce the first annual winner of Rev’s “Most Customer Driven Startup” award. Focusing on customer needs and challenges is a central doctrine we practice at Rev. Three local startups, will be nominated for the award.
Visit revithaca.com/awards to vote for the startup you think should win the “Most Customer Driven Startup” award this year.
Votes will be counted until 7:00 pm on July 21 and the winner will be announced at our Network Night. Winner earns bragging rights for the year and an amazing handcrafted trophy.
All are welcome, admission is free. Snacks and beverage tickets will be provided to registrants.
You must RSVP to attend as space will be limited.

Click here to register!

Manufacturing Hardware Accelerator Information Session
2021-07-29 11:00 - 12:00, 2021-08-16 11:00 - 12:00, 2021-09-07 11:00 - 12:00 | Online
Join the Manufacturing Hardware Accelerator program team to learn more about the 2021 accelerator program and how to make your application more competitive.
The Manufacturing Hardware Accelerator, funded by the Economic Development Administration and offered in partnership with the College of Engineering at Cornell University, is a cohort-based program that supports hardware startups ready to bring their prototypes into production. Entrepreneurs will benefit from programming, significant manufacturing expertise and advice, and introductions to investors to enable them to advance from the prototype stage into production and bring their products to market.
The program is open to startups based anywhere in the U.S. that have a fully functional prototype and have identified their customer market. Hardware and physical product startups are encouraged to apply. The program will begin in October and run for 60 weeks.
Applications for the 2021 accelerator will be accepted through September 20, 2021. Apply now.

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Rev Member Exclusive: CEO & Sponsors Morning Coffee
2021-07-30 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-08-27 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-09-10 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-09-24 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-10-08 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-10-22 08:00 - 09:00 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
All CEOs of Rev Member Companies and Rev Sponsors are invited to sit down and catch up over a cup of coffee at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works. Registration is by invitation-only.

Networking@Rev: Hardware Accelerator Demo Day
2021-08-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Join Rev’s Prototyping Hardware Accelerator and ClimateTech Protoyping Hardware Accelerator teams as they pitch their innovations and share their journeys to create a prototype and launch a business!
About a dozen teams, from a variety of industries, will be showcasing their latest prototypes and business plans as the culmination of Rev’s 11-week hardware accelerator programs. Some of the innovations from the Prototyping Accelerator include modular, vertical farm kits for city use and solar powered lawn mowers; while innovations from the ClimateTech Accelerator, focused on addressing climate change and clean technologies, include zero waste camp stoves and smart biofertilizer machines.
Take a look at the teams’ products, explore the next-era innovations, and see how far all the teams have come.
Safety Guidelines
Unvaccinated guests will be asked to wear masks and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Vaccinated guests are not required to wear masks.
Please only register for the event if you fully intend to go as space will be limited.
You must RSVP to attend as space will be limited.

Click here to register!

Rev Morning Grind: Sales for Startups with Steve Gal & Ken Rother
2021-08-20 09:30 - 10:30 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
Seasoned entrepreneur and professor, Steve Gal, joins Director of Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, Ken Rother, in this interactive workshop focused on sales as it relates to startups.
“Take a look at the curricula of the world’s top-ranked business schools, and you might come away with the impression that sales is unimportant. Most MBA programs offer no sales-related courses at all, and those that do offer only a single course in sales management. Even at the undergraduate level of business instruction, sales courses are sparse.” Harvard Business Review, Teaching Sales, July/August 2012
Sales—the generation of revenue—is perhaps the most important function for the success of a business. Revenue is what pays for everything else that a profitable business does—marketing, accounting, finance, administration—you name it.
In this workshop, Steve Gal and Ken Rother will cover the ins and outs of sales, common mistakes startups make, and expert tips and best practices to help new (and seasoned) founders. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session.
About Guest Speaker, Steve Gal:
Steven Gal is a career entrepreneur and professor. He currently teaches entrepreneurship and innovation at Cornell Tech and Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management and serves as Vice Chairman at HangIt, an early stage mobile technology company where he was the startup CEO.
Steven has spent more than two decades as a technology entrepreneur and board director, serving as a senior operating executive or CEO at seven venture-backed technology companies, three of which he co-founded, leading to over $100 million in venture financings, five successful sales, and NASDAQ IPO.
Earlier in his career, Steven was an associate professor in the Entrepreneur Program at USC’s Marshall School of Business and a Visiting Associate Professor at the Rady School of Management at UCSD. He is an attorney and a member of the California Bar.
Steven holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from University of Southern California School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, where he serves as Chair of the Entrepreneurship@Cornell Advisory Council.
Location:
This session will be located at Rev Ithaca Startup Works’ second floor conference room. Please wear your mask during this session as we are adhering to Cornell’s Covid-19 health and safety protocols.
Accessibility:
Please contact Monika Crosby (mlc258@cornell.edu) three days before the event with questions and accessibility needs.

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Networking@Rev: Former Student Startups Take Flight
2021-09-02 08:00 - 17:00 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
Based in a college town, Rev has been a touchpoint for many student startups over the years. Some of those students stepped away from their original pursuits, some pivoted and changed directions, and others took flight.
Join us at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works on Thursday, September 23 (6:00 – 8:30 p.m. ET) to catch up with several former students about their startup journeys and see where they have landed.
All are welcome and admission is free. Because space is limited, you must RSVP in advance to attend.
COVID-19 Safety:
Based on rapidly changing COVID safety guidelines, protocols for this event will be shared with attendees via email closer to the date of the event.

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Rev Content Session: Legal Considerations for Hiring Remote Workers
2021-09-17 09:30 - 10:30 | Online
The pandemic has impacted how many companies do business. In particular, the rise of remote work, presents new opportunities and challenges for employers, as well as important legal considerations when it comes to hiring.
In this interactive Rev Content Session, exclusive to Rev Members, participants will take a deep dive into the legal ins and outs for startups hiring remote and out-of-state workers. Leveraging his extensive experience offering legal counsel to startups, Nate Cook, an Entrepreneur in Residence at Rev and Founding Partner of Klausner Cook, PLLC, will be leading the session and taking questions from attendees.
About Nate Cook
Nate Cook is a Founding Partner of Klausner Cook, PLLC, a law firm that represents businesses and individuals in connection with a wide array of complex commercial business and real estate transactions. He is the Program Director of the Kessler Fellowship, a program based in the College of Engineering that supports students in STEM fields interested in entrepreneurship to secure summer internships at early-stage tech startups. He also lectures at the S.C. Johnson School of Business and the College of Engineering at Cornell University where he teaches courses on entrepreneurship, early-stage finance and venture capital transactions, and commercialization.
Nate is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, S.C. Johnson School of Business, College of Engineering, Launch NY, and the Southern Tier Startup Alliance. He also serves as a mentor for the 76West clean energy business competition and the Grow-NY food and agriculture competition.
Throughout his career as an attorney, he has represented a diverse group of clients including publicly traded corporations, middle market companies, and emerging technology startups. He regularly counsels companies on corporate governance, fund raising, M&A transactions, and protection and licensing of intellectual property. Nate is a member of the New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey bars. He received a J.D. from Rutgers Law School and Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the University of North Texas.

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Rev Member Exclusive: Free Pass Tuesday
2021-10-12 09:00 - 17:00 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
In the spirit of collaboration, Rev opens its doors to ALL employees of ALL Rev Member companies (virtual or full-time) on the second Tuesday of each month to come together and work without using any Day Passes.
Rev invites special guests from our pool of Rev sponsors, partners, and speakers to keep Free Pass Tuesdays interesting and innovative. Work from Rev on our next Free Pass Tuesday on October 12 – you never know who you’ll meet!

Rev Content Session: Taking Your Website to the Next Level with Analytics - Featuring Ben Boyd
2021-10-29 09:30 - 11:00 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
Event Info:
Website analytics can help you to understand how your digital presence drives the growth of your business. In this session, discover how you can leverage free analytics tools to identify the behavior of potential customers on your site, analyze the performance of your conversion funnel, and assess the ROI of your marketing and social campaigns to increase revenue while avoiding common pitfalls in analytics implementations.
About Ben Boyd:
Ben is currently VP, Product & Engineering of Exotanium.io and was previously the Chief Technology Officer of USATestprep and Avaaz.org. He began his career as a software developer working on environmentally focused web properties for Discovery, Inc. and has led globally-distributed R&D teams across multiple industries, including digital media, non-profit campaigning, and ed tech. Ben resides in Ithaca, NY, with his wife, two boys, and a feisty dog.

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Rev Member Exclusive: Free Pass Tuesday
2021-11-09 09:00 - 17:00 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
In the spirit of collaboration, Rev opens its doors to ALL employees of ALL Rev Member companies (virtual or full-time) on the second Tuesday of each month to come together and work without using any Day Passes.
Rev invites special guests from our pool of Rev sponsors, partners, and speakers to keep Free Pass Tuesdays interesting and innovative. Work from Rev on our next Free Pass Tuesday on November 9 – you never know who you’ll meet!

Rev CEO & Sponsors Coffee / Rev Content Session: Getting a Jumpstart on Tax Season
2021-11-19 08:00 - 09:30 | Online
Rev CEO & Sponsors Coffee / Rev Content Session: Getting a Jumpstart on Tax Season
Featuring Renata Dabrowska, CPA, Sciarabba Walker
Friday, November 19 (8:00 – 9:30 a.m. ET) – Virtual
As 2021 draws to a close, tax season quickly approaches. Don’t wait until the last minute to file taxes for your startup or small business.Join us on November 19 (8:00 – 9:30 a.m. ET) for our combined Rev CEO & Sponsors Coffee and Rev Member Exclusive Content Session, “Getting a Jumpstart on Tax Season” with Renata Dabrowska, CPA of Rev member company, Sciarabba Walker. In this engaging and informative virtual session, Dabrowska will share relevant federal and New York State tax topics, including qualified small business stock benefits, R&D credits, and a review of NYS incentive programs. Calendar invites for this event will be sent to Rev Members. If you would like to register, but have not yet received an invite, please contact rev@revithaca.com.

Rev Content Session: Product Management with Alex Meyers
2021-12-10 09:30 - 11:00 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
Event Info:
As a startup that is launching a new product, where should your focus be? Product development? Business justification? Pricing? Does it depend where you are in the product cycle?
These are just some of the questions we will answer in Rev’s upcoming content session: Product Management with Alex Meyers.
The entrepreneurial community is invited to join Alex Meyers, CEO and Co-Founder of MyWorkouts, as he shares insight on product mangagement as it relates to startup businesses.
About Alex Meyers
Alex is the Co-Founder and CEO of MyWorkouts – the fitness encyclopedia to help people figure out where to get started on their fitness journey. Prior to starting his own company, Alex worked as a Product Manageer at Compass and eBay. He also served as CIO at MacroFuel and daapr.
He earned a B.A. in Information Science from Cornell University in 2015.

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Rev Prototyping Hardware Accelerators Information Session
2021-12-10 14:00 - 15:00 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
Rev: Ithaca Startup Works offers a deep dive into prototyping through its 11-week Prototyping Hardware Accelerator summer program that leads product teams through a process for determining if their ideas are commercially desirable, technologically viable, and economically feasible. Upon completion of our program, participants are positioned to recruit team members, bring on partners, initiate work with contract manufacturers, and pitch to investors.
The program offers three tracks, classic, climatetech, and agtech. Each program features content catered for the specific industry or field.
Accelerator Program Tracks:
Classic Track
Open to innovators in any field since 2014, Rev’s classic track provides foundational training across industries.
ClimateTech Track
Climatetech startups are placed in a like-minded cohort, matched with clean energy and clean tech mentors, and learn from guest speakers in the field.
AgTech Track
Agriculture technology startups are immersed in specialized training and connected to experts and potential partners within the agriculture industry.
In this information session, Hardware Program Director, Ken Rother, will share program schedule, benefits and expectations. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions at the end of the session.
Applications for the Prototyping Hardware Acclerators will open in mid-December.

Click here to register!

Rev Member Exclusive: Free Pass Tuesday
2021-12-14 09:00 - 17:00 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
In the spirit of collaboration, Rev opens its doors to ALL employees of ALL Rev Member companies (virtual or full-time) on the second Tuesday of each month to come together and work without using any Day Passes.
Work from Rev on our next Free Pass Tuesday on December 14 – you never know who you’ll meet!

Rev Member Exclusive: Free Pass Tuesday
2022-01-11 09:00 - 17:00 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
In the spirit of collaboration, Rev opens its doors to ALL employees of ALL Rev Member companies (virtual or full-time) on the second Tuesday of each month to come together and work without using any Day Passes.
Work from Rev on our next Free Pass Tuesday on January 11 – you never know who you’ll meet!

Rev CEO & Sponsors Coffee Hour with Jennifer Tavares
2022-01-14 08:00 - 09:00 | Online
Rev CEO & Sponsors Coffee Hour
Featuring Jennifer Tavares, President & CEO at Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce
Calendar invites for this event will be sent to Rev Members. If you would like to register, but have not yet received an invite, please contact rev@revithaca.com.

Rev Content Session: Maximizing Social Media in 2022 for Startups and Small Businesses
2022-01-21 09:30 - 11:00 | Online
Regardless of the size of your startup or small business, social media is an important tool for building rapport with current and future customers, improving your brand’s visibility, and boosting sales.
Rev invites members of the entrepreneurial community to attend “Maximizing Social Media in 2022 for Startups and Small Businesses” on January 21, 2022 (9:30 -11:00 a.m. EST), led by Carol Cain, Principal & Owner at Brave World Media and a 2021 Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur. Leveraging her expertise in marketing and communications, Cain will walk participants through the basics of building an effective social media strategy for 2022 and social media best practices for startups and small businesses.
Whether you’re a social media marketing “newbie,” or looking to maximize your existing social media channels, this session will help you determine how to improve your business’ social media presence in the New Year!
About Carol Cain
Carol’s media outreach and communications work is inspired by her time as an award-winning travel blogger with a global social media audience as @GirlGoneTravel. Before then, Carol had firmly established herself as an expert in public relations and communications, a career she has worked to build on for over 20 years. She has invaluable experience working in social media marketing, media outreach, campaign and marketing strategy, brand messaging, and crisis management.
Her work is also inspired by her commitment to diversity and inclusion, long before these became marketing buzzwords. Her leadership, insightfulness, and years of experience have been instrumental in the success and growth of her clients and in shifting marketing narratives that align with and represent society as it looks and feels today.
When not working to impact the media and marketing industries in positive ways, Carol volunteers her time as a Spanish-language interpreter for asylum seekers detained in the U.S. She most enjoys everyday life with her family and two puppies.

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Rev CEO & Sponsors Coffee Hour featuring Chuck Schwerin
2022-01-28 08:00 - 09:00 | Online
Rev CEO & Sponsors Coffee Hour featuring Chuck Schwerin
Rev CEOs and sponsors are invited to a virtual coffee hour with Chuck Schwerin, Managing Director of Business Services at Ithaca Area Economic Development (IEAD), on Friday, January 28 (8:00 – 9:00 a.m. EST). Chuck looks forward to discussing the breadth of services IAED offers Rev members who may be in a position now, or in the near future, to leverage those services.
IEAD is a local non-profit that has been supporting small business growth in Tompkins County since 1964, stimulating over $1 billion in capital investment. Clearly, early stage companies are hard pressed to attract the financial backing to grow. IAED plays an important role in filling that gap. Its overarching goals are to promote the growth and retention of small businesses in the county, to help them finance their operations, find suitable locations to expand, and assist with workforce development.
For example, IEAD’s Revolving Loan Fund Program has supported such local success stories as Ithaca Hummus, Ithaca Beer, Emmy’s Organics, GiveGab, Exotanium, and Rosie. Its companion entity, the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency, supports most of the large development projects in the county with significant tax incentives that are necessary for projects to be financially viable.
Calendar invites for this event will be emailed to Rev CEOs and sponsors. If you would like to register, but have not yet received an invite, please contact rev@revithaca.com.

Revving Up the Maker Revolution (eCornell Keynote)
2022-02-01 15:00 - 16:00 | Online
Revving Up the Maker Revolution: Specialization Fuels Success
Tuesday, February 1 (3:00 p.m. EST) – Virtual
As a maker, you know that if you build it, they — your customers — won’t come right away. So, you build it again and again, often with the help of increasingly affordable 3D printers and prototyping tools. But what comes next? Anyone can be an inventor; you need to refine and scale a business to compete.
In this webinar hosted by the Hardware Accelerator team at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, industry experts and startup founders share their hard-won advice, revealing the obstacles they faced making the leap from product idea to prototype to manufacturing and how specializing helped them succeed. You’ll discover how these entrepreneurs harnessed trends and resources to scale product companies focused on specific industries, like climate and agriculture technology.
Interested in learning more about Rev’s hardware accelerator programs? Visit the Hardware Accelerator website.

Register now

Prototyping Hardware Accelerator Information Session
2022-02-02 16:00 - 17:00, 2022-02-10 17:00 - 18:00 | Online
Rev: Ithaca Startup Works offers a deep dive into prototyping through its 11-week Prototyping Hardware Accelerator summer program that leads product teams through a process for determining if their ideas are commercially desirable, technologically viable, and economically feasible. Upon completion of our program, participants are positioned to recruit team members, bring on partners, initiate work with contract manufacturers, and pitch to investors.
The program offers three tracks, classic/open, climatetech, and agtech. Each program features content catered for the specific industry or field.
Accelerator Program Tracks:

Classic/Open Track: Open to innovators in any field since 2014, Rev’s classic track provides foundational training across industries.
ClimateTech Track: Climatetech startups are placed in a like-minded cohort, matched with clean energy and clean tech mentors, and learn from guest speakers in the field.
AgTech Track: Agriculture technology startups are immersed in specialized training and connected to experts and potential partners within the agriculture industry.

In this information session, Hardware Program Director, Ken Rother, will share program schedule, benefits and expectations. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions at the end of the session.
The Prototyping Hardware Accelerator tracks are free and open to the public. Applications for the 2022 summer program are now open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis: https://www.tfaforms.com/4950343

Click here to register!

Rev Member Exclusive: Free Pass Tuesday
2022-02-08 09:00 - 17:00 | Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 E State St, Ithaca
In the spirit of collaboration, Rev opens its doors to ALL employees of ALL Rev Member companies (virtual or full-time) on the second Tuesday of each month to come together and work without using any Day Passes.
Work from Rev on our next Free Pass Tuesday on February 8 – you never know who you’ll meet!
