Many studies have shown that companies with diverse leadership and innovation teams are the most successful and profitable. And yet, representation of women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities in management positions of companies, including startups, remains low across the marketplace.
In an effort to encourage greater diversity in the innovations pipeline, CU Innovations applied for – and received – a $50,000 Growth Accelerator Grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Innovation and Technology to support startups and STEM-focused entrepreneurs. This was the first time CU Innovations, which specializes in commercializing technology, developing ventures and building business partnerships, applied for the SBA grant.
We chatted with Doreen Molk, MS, CU Innovations licensing manager and diversity and inclusion officer, and Kimberly Muller, ESQ, executive director, about the significance of this award and CU Innovations’ wider mission of encouraging diversity and inclusion across the spectrum of technology and innovation.
(Photo at top: Robin Deterding, MD, is co-founder of two med-tech innovation companies – Now Vitals and EvoEndo. Deterding is also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and medical director of the Children's Colorado Innovation Center.)