CONNECTS
Our CONNECTS seminar series enhances the experiential education of any individual interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. Tailored mainly for students to help take their ideas from conception to commercialization, the seminars run throughout the fall semester. Teams looking for talent and talent looking for teams can CONNECT at these events.
McGinnis Venture Competition Focused Seminars (Fall 2026)
- Applying for the McGinnis Venture Competition? There are specific seminars tailored to help you prepare for these competitions. These are noted in the seminar descriptions.
All CONNECTS events will be hosted in a hybrid format. If you attend in person, the event will be held in the Swartz Center on the 3rd floor of the Tepper Quad. If you wish to attend virtually, you can attend via zoom. Everyone will receive the zoom link when you register.
Advanced registration is required. Please note that the session will be recorded.
Fall 2026 CONNECTS Schedule
Design Thinking Amplified: Creative Problem-Solving with AI
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ
You already know Design Thinking, but do you know how it shifts when you think alone, think together, and think with machines? This session shares new tools and methods that widen perspective, sharpen problem framing, and accelerate ideation without losing the collaborative, human-centered core that makes Design Thinking work.
Business Model Canvas: A Practical Guide*
Thursday, September 3, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: , ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Swartz Center
*This seminar is recommended for anyone participating in the McGinnis Venture Competition.
Many aspiring entrepreneurs have heard of the business model canvas, but few actually use it correctly. This workshop will focus on the proper techniques to leverage the full value of this important tool for business planning and validation.
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: , ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ
Why interview for a job when you can be the CEO of your own company after graduation? No ideas for a business? No problem, acquire an existing business and be in control of your future.
Customer Discovery*
Thursday, September 10, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: , Schmidt Market Research
*This seminar is recommended for anyone participating in the McGinnis Venture Competition.
Understanding the importance of customer-centricity in decision-making from concept to commercialization and practical tips for when and how to gather customer insights.
Meet Swartz Center EIR’s with Q&A
Thursday, September 24, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: , , and , ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Swartz Center EIRs
Meet some of our Swartz Center EIRs and learn more about their expertise and find out more about how to get connected.
The Science and the Art of Pricing & Revenue Management*
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: , Chief Financial Officer, sovaSage Inc.
*This seminar is recommended for anyone participating in the McGinnis Venture Competition.
Pricing is far more than setting a number—it is where finance, marketing, economics, psychology, and strategy intersect. In this seminar, we will review how organizations use data and analytics to optimize pricing while also understanding the behavioral factors that influence customer decisions. We will explore how organizations across industries use pricing to maximize revenue, enhance profitability, and create lasting customer value. The session will provide practical frameworks and real-world examples that can be applied across industries.
Financial Modeling
Thursday, October 1, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter:
If you’re going to start a company, mapping out your financial projections will be an important part of that process. Learn the basics and gain insight on how to incorporate assumptions and flexibility into a model. Understand and be able to discuss key terms such as burn rate, cash runway and EBITDA which will allow you to more confidently support projections to your investors, Board and fellow team members. Includes both a financial model template and a user-friendly simple cap table.
Splitting the Founder’s Pie & Other Aspects of Equity Compensation
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: , Startup Whisperer, 2 X Frank Entrepreneurial Yoda-for-Hire
Equity compensation can be a very mysterious concept for first-time entrepreneurs. Learn how to make critical decisions from the division of the Founders' Pie through stock option grants.
Early-Stage User Acquisition and Marketing
Thursday, October 8, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: & , Trainwell
Matt Spettel (CEO) and John LaGue (COO) of Trainwell break down the basics of acquiring your first 10, 100, and 1000+ customers as a consumer business. The talk will cover the basics of growth hacking, channel experimentation (across advertising, influencers, and partnerships), acquisition funnels, and unit economics.
Pitch with Production Value*
Thursday, October 22, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: , ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ
*This seminar is recommended for anyone participating in the McGinnis Venture Competition.
How to script, capture and edit quality video that looks more expensive than it was.
Understanding the Customer and Creating a USP*
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: , ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ
Please note: The speaker for this talk will be virtual
*This seminar is recommended for anyone participating in the McGinnis Venture Competition.
This workshop will explore how to understand the customer and then determine what the organization’s unique selling proposition (USP) is based on who the customer is. A critical source of failure of entrepreneurial enterprises is lack of understanding the customer. A second source of failure is not having a unique selling proposition, also called unique value proposition in the business model canvas. Topics to be covered include learning the customer is more than just the end user and often is what Bob calls the customer chain - the different layers including the end user and intermediate customers such as a retailer that also is involved in the purchase decision. Additionally Bob will describe the three criteria for determining if the product or service has a USP, what is the difference between a benefit and a feature and why is this critical in determining a USP along with examples from both for profit and non-profit firms of USP’s.
Building and Leveraging Your Expert Network*
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST
In Person: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Level, Tepper Quad/Virtual
Presenter: ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Swartz Center
*This seminar is recommended for anyone participating in the McGinnis Venture Competition.
Having a strong network of mentors, advisors and board members is incredibly important for your startup (and valuable for your career). But how do you identify and qualify potential experts, how do you build the relationship, and what's the difference between a mentor, advisor and board member? This CONNECTS talk will cover these topics and provide frameworks for assessing the sometimes conflicting feedback you receive from your network.
Fall 2026 Start Smart Legal Series Schedule
Check back for the fall 2026 schedule.
CONNECTS Series Schedules
Thank you to our Swartz Center Patrons
