James Harder, external engagement project manager for Virginia Tech’s Department of Computer Science, managed a prior GO Virginia Region 2 grant called “Blockchain Ecosystem Catalyst,” which was an initiative focused on growing and strengthening the Blockchain Ecosystem through seminars, training, and resource sharing for startups, existing companies, and students. Blockchain Ecosystem Catalyst began in 2019 and over the course of the grant, trained 365 students in blockchain technologies. His second Region 2 grant, cs/root, was inspired by the desire to expand the lens of the first grant and incorporate a number of different computer science fields outside of blockchain. “We knew the community was hungry to go beyond blockchain and that students love the idea of being entrepreneurial and starting their own companies,” Harder said.

1. What are some of the specific activities cs/root will undertake to help entrepreneurs?

We’re bringing a lot of Virginia Tech alumni who have successfully started companies to campus for speaking events and workshops. These alumni will interact with students in proactive ways to provide feedback on ideas they have for companies. We will develop a cohort where students and community members that have been accepted into the program will move through content that’s designed to support an idea they’re developing, similar to the way someone might work their way through early stage ideation in preparation for an incubator or an accelerator. We also will have a community advisory board that we will collaborate with on events and programming, and this board includes organizations such as the Apex Center for Entrepreneurship, Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, Regional Accelerator & Mentoring Program (RAMP), and LINK + LICENSE + LAUNCH.

2. What kinds of technical startups will the project focus on assisting?

As long as it falls into the computer science realm, we would definitely help and could certainly design the services and the programming around whatever the idea is going to be. We are open to companies focused on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, app development, blockchain, and more. Any facet of computer science is welcome, and we like the idea of being open-minded to a wide variety of ideas within innovative tech.

3. What is your favorite part of working with Virginia Tech alumni?

They’re a fascinating group of people. From companies focused on blockchain to cyber-security, these entrepreneurs’ businesses encompass a wide variety of applications of computer science. It’s a great opportunity to work with successful entrepreneurs who want to do what they can to help out the next generation. I am really excited about the three alumni who are coming to campus this spring to help us kickstart activities in cs/ root. Srinidhi Varadarajan, the speaker for our kickoff event, has founded four companies – Silverdraft Supercomputing, Cloudistics, Librato, and AppAssure – and used to be a faculty member in our department. The other two speakers – Jim Miller and Matt Pfeil - both have lots of experience including founding companies in the national security space (Jim) and advising early-stage companies as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Top Tier Capital Partners (Matt).

4. What is something you are looking forward to learning or doing as you work on the project?

My primary interest is to support students who have a creative idea they think might become a company or an interesting disruptive technology. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how students and community members use this programming to execute their ideas. That’s why we’re here – to provide participants with the support they need to accomplish their dreams.

5. What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start their own business?

Mentorship is key. It’s important to identify people who have done this before and have them help you think about the next steps you need to take. Everybody has advice, especially for early stage companies. Shows like Shark Tank are popular for a reason. However, we believe that seasoned mentors who come from a similar background can provide sage advice and help you position yourself for success. That’s a great resource. I’m proud we’re putting this mindset front and center with our work with cs/root. There are so many critical early stage decisions and navigating those opportunities and threats can be best achieved by a closely aligned, neutral advisor. Additionally, a big part of the programming at cs/root will be open-to-the-public events that help attendees learn about entrepreneurship and alumni success stories. I’m confident that the simple act of learning about how entrepreneurship operates and becoming “fluent” in the language of startups has tremendous value for Virginia Tech students and our local communities. The inception of a new idea may come immediately or we may lay the foundation of something on a longer-term horizon. Both have tremendous value.

6. What was the last book you couldn’t put down?

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is excellent. I went to school at University of North Carolina Wilmington, and the author does a great job of capturing the feel of the coastal South.