by Michelle Millet
JumpStart Davis is holding its monthly mixer this coming Wednesday April 15th at the Pollinate Space at Regency Square, located at 508 Second Street. Complimentary food and drinks will be provided.
This month’s speakers include, Elise Wong from Citrus Circuits, Niki Peterson, from the UCD Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Mike Fee from Spotlight Education, and Anya Simmons from UCD Camp Kesem.
The JumpStart event switched locations this month in order to accommodate a robotics demonstration by “Citrus Circuits”, a FIRST robotics team based out of Davis Senior High School, which includes students from Woodland Christian, Da Vinci Charter Academy, and Davis Senior High School.
FIRST® is a non-profit organization which stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. The mission of the organization, which sponsors national robotics competitions, is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
As part of network of local and national FIRST Robotic Competition teams Citrus Circuits participates in robotics competitions. According to the teams website the program gives students hand-on experience in areas like mechanical engineering and programming, and encourages them to think creatively as they solve problems with limited materials and time. Students who participate are also eligible for over $14 million dollars in college and university scholarships.
Citrus Circuits captain Elise Wong’s presentation will be followed by a demonstration of the team’s robot.
Niki Peterson is the Program Manager for the Child Family Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Her goal is to create a professional and welcoming entrepreneurial platform where innovators can come together to cultivate and develop their ideas, and work towards turning them into tangible and marketable products.
Mike Fee is one of the founders of Spotlight Education. The company creates software that provides teachers, families, and other education stakeholders the ability to gain fast, easy insight from educational data. Their software analyzes and communicates data in customized, easy-to-understand narrative reports, which emphasize the most relevant data, and can be tailored to the individual needs of the user.
Anya Simmons is the director of Camp Kesem, a college student run summer camp for kids with a parent who has, or has had cancer. The camp’s mission has two parts: to provide support for children affected by a parent’s cancer, and to empower college students by focusing their passions towards making a difference.
According to their website the their one-week sleep away camp give kids from the ages 6-16 “a chance to have a fun-filled week and just be kids”. Everything we do at Camp Kesem focuses on our goal of giving campers the most fun week possible, while providing the extra support and attention they need.”
JumpStart is excited to be hosting these great speakers at the Pollinate Co-working space, which has officially opened and is already home to its first entrepreneurs. Come listen to some great talks, enjoy some appetizers and drinks, while checking out the new co-working space
For more information about this or any other JumpStart event, please contact Michael Bisch at michael@davisproperty.com, Bill Habicht at williamhabicht@gmail.com, or Michelle Millet at michellemillet@sbcglobal.net.
