What We Do

What We Do

The Cleantech Fellows Institute is the nation’s first targeted program to educate experienced entrepreneurs and executives in technology sectors of the cleantech industry. The program promotes the intersection of experienced executives and serial entrepreneurs with new ventures and technologies that ultimately create jobs and grow the cleantech sector.

Fellows selected for the program are educated in clean energy technologies, markets, business models, funding opportunities and policy matters. They are introduced to the network of experts and resources required to be successful in the cleantech industry, and connected to early-stage ventures and laboratories where clean energy approaches are being developed. The Institute provides site visits to national labs, local research centers, cleantech companies and installations and concludes the program with a capstone project meant to introduce new cleantech concepts to the ecosystem.

How We Do It – Our Curriculum

Each class of Fellows is limited to 10 to 15 executives, which encourages peer-to-peer discussion and engagement with our guest speakers.  In 2012 our Fellows completed 175 curriculum hours, welcomed 160 speakers and embarked upon nearly 30 cleantech tours.

“I made more connections in the first 6 weeks of this program than I have in the past six years.” – John Tuttle, 2012 Fellow

The curriculum is not a lecture series, but a highly interactive discussion and dialogue with executives from industry, leading technology experts, and key ecosystem players.  The program combines seminars, lectures, case studies, lab visits, webinars, site visits and a capstone project.  The Institute’s ecosystem includes national venture capital firms, innovation centers across the Rocky Mountain West, entrepreneurs, and strategic partners – to name but a few.

Commitment

Fellows are expected to commit 20 hours per week for the duration of the 16-week program. The 2013 session kicks off in mid-August and concludes in mid-December with a graduation pitch event. The Institute is a tuition-based program and includes specific meals, group transportation and on-site materials. Participants are responsible for out-of-state travel and lodging expenses.

Capstone

One of the keys to the program’s success is the exposure the Fellows gain to near-commercial-ready technologies from our various partners. Fellows may select a technology from one of the Institute’s associated research centers or they may arrive at the Institute with their own concept.  We look forward to exploring any and all cleantech concepts and welcome the opportunity to help build the business concept during the course of the program.

 

The Institute graduated its first class of Fellows in January and will begin accepting applications for the 2013 program on March 1, 2013.