Founded in 2014, Bobcat Ventures advances entrepreneurial literacy. Bobcat Ventures strengthens students’ business rapport by giving them the resources to become proficient in complex problem-solving, critical analysis and thinking, and innovation strategy. Mission Bobcat Ventures provides a space at Bates where entrepreneurship thrives. In the leadership team’s effort to consult and advise participants to perform at their best during the year-end competition, we hope to build a bridge between our liberal arts education and the expanding industry of entrepreneurship in order to put theory into application. Bobcat Ventures is the start to creating a campus culture of entrepreneurship and fostering creativity at Bates. What We Do • We provide technical skills, mentorship, and business skill-building workshops. • We award prize funding to turn ideas into reality. • We engage the entire Bates community. • We provide students with the tools to launch their ideas into the world. Who We Are The operations of Bobcat Ventures are overseen by a leadership team. The leadership team initiates training, coaching, and competition day preparation. The work of the Bobcat Ventures leadership team drives entrepreneurship at Bates. We work with alumni, faculty and staff all year long to prepare a program that will help teams refine their business models, projects, and pitch it successfully in the spring. Last Year’s 2018 Workshops • What is Entrepreneurship? Discussion and Brainstorming Activity • Business Model Canvas method with Don Gooding • Networking and Building a Team with Marianne Cowan ’92, Purposeful Work • Product/Service and Market Analysis with John Stadler • Team Organizing, Reaching and Identifying Consumers with Tyler Mosher ’11 • How Venture Capital Evaluates Businesses • Raising Capital and Finances with Daniel Vannoni ’05 • 1:1 Pitch Clinics with Leadership Team • Refining Pitch Skills and Pitch Feedback with Kati Vecsey, lecturer in the Theater Department