University College London hosts Entrepreneurship Boot Camp

American-trained scientist, engineer and leading venture capitalist Jack Gill has pioneered his Entrepreneurship Boot Camp at leading US universities, such as Harvard, MIT and Stanford. Now he is now offering UCL students and academics a two-day course geared towards high-tech entrepreneurship. The idea is to help to expand UCL’s enterprise strategy and increase the commercialisation of innovations stemming from the institution’s research centres.

The course is based on extensive expertise and knowledge gained through working in fields such as biotechnology, medical devices and diagnostics, photonics, telecommunications, internet businesses, mobile communications and business software in the US. Gill will deliver six lectures pertaining, among others, to start-up company dynamics, attracting investments and entrepreneurial success. Three real-world entrepreneur case studies will also be provided, along with leadership and planning self-help kits.

Gill says: “Despite the impact of wars, natural disasters and the ups and down of market cycles, technological advances and entrepreneurial solutions make the world go around. Entrepreneurs create enterprises, jobs, products, services and benefits to mankind. We must find them, feed them, support them, educate them, nurture them and recognise them for their wonderful inventions and contributions.”

Steve Currall, Vice Dean of enterprise in UCL’s Faculty of Engineering Sciences and Head of the Department of Management Science and Innovation, says: “Dr Jack Gill is one of the founding fathers of the venture capital industry in California’s Silicon Valley. We are thrilled to have engaged him to teach this course as it helps UCL take its entrepreneurship education to even greater heights.”

Tim Barnes, Executive Director of UCL Advances, says: “UCL Advances is unique among UK universities in its approach to building the entrepreneurial environment through networking and training. By bringing a leading figure such as Dr. Jack Gill into the heart of UCL we are able to take a sizeable step in extending the contacts and understanding that are critical to developing entrepreneurship among our staff and students for both their benefit and that of the UK as a whole.”