Tech time: SBDTC links future business leaders with emerging tech companies.

• Position: SMALL BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Graduate student intern Josh Ritch summed up his time working with two technology-based companies as a part of the Small Business and Technology Development Center's Summer Consultancy Program simply: "It was quite an amazing experience."

Each year the SBTDC hires highly qualified graduate students from North Carolina universities to work with technology-based companies. This is the 18th year John Ujvari, SBTDC's SBIR Program Specialist and member of the Technology Commercialization Services team, or Tech Team, has run the summer internship program.

The SBTDC is a business and technology extension program of the UNC System, administered by North Carolina State University and operated in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration. SBTDC's business counselors assist small- and mid-size businesses throughout North Carolina from 16 offices across the state, each affiliated with a college or university.

The SBTDC's Tech Team focuses on providing counseling and resources to small business owners, university researchers and entrepreneurs looking to advance their innovations to the marketplace. These innovations typically involve intellectual property which has a strong competitive advantage in the marketplace and serves as a foundation for the business.

Growing technology firms often need access to hands-on business skills and expertise to help their ventures advance to the next level. The Summer Consultancy Program matches selected student interns with well-defined commercialization projects chosen by the businesses. Throughout the summer, the Tech Team provides in-depth mentorship to the students and monitor their projects to make sure the deliverables are achieved. Six group meetings are held with all the interns to discuss their projects, encourage knowledge sharing, hold practice pitch sessions and present final project deliverables.

This summer, 12 graduate student interns from across the state are working with 24 small businesses. Projects include primary market research, financial analysis, commercialization plan development, market assessments, competitive analysis and others. Participating schools have included North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, Western Carolina University, UNC-Charlotte and Appalachian State. The...