Next XcellR8@NextGen Meeting to be held April 2nd at UConn — Nerac

TOLLAND, Conn. – March 28, 2018 – PRLog — Nerac is pleased to announce that its next XcellR8 meeting will be held on Monday, April 2nd at 6:30pm on the UConn Storrs Campus, Peter J. Werth Residence Tower.

XcellR8 is a powerful advisory program designed tofoster innovation in business and support entrepreneurs throughout Connecticut, particularly those originating out of UConn. Leveraging Nerac’s strong and far-reaching network of innovators and entrepreneurs, XcellR8 meetings assemble a comprehensive array of expert professionals who serve to advise and mentor entrepreneurs in all of the various facets of business and product development. The meetings are energetic, interactive gatherings wherein entrepreneurs present their ideas and concepts and gather feedback and guidance from experts in attendance.

Beyond the meetings, XcellR8 aids technology-based and other startups in developing and executing effective, big picture strategic plans by connecting them to relevant, up-to-the-minute resources, including CTNext – Connecticut’s go-to resource for entrepreneurial support. CTNext is partnered with Nerac in support of its XcellR8 and Incubator programs. As a member of the CTNext Partner Program, Nerac plays an important role in CT’s innovation ecosystem by introducing entrepreneurs selected for its XcellR8 program to resources and support systems that can help them carry out plans with success post meeting. An extension of the XcellR8 program, Nerac’s Incubator program makes ideal workspace opportunities available to Nerac’s strong network and community of entrepreneurs.

On April 2nd, XcellR8 welcomes the UConn student team from DropBoard, who are enrolled in the iQ competition looking to take their idea to the next level.  They include:

–          Aakash Balaji – Sophomore, majoring in Computer Science and Engineering

–          Andi Duro – Freshman, majoring in Computer Science and Engineering

–          Nick Huynh – Sophomore, majoring in Computer Science and Engineering

–          Kishan Patel – Sophomore, majoring in Economics

–          Sean Homa – Junior, majoring in Finance

Ther DropBoard team has continued to advance their idea and venture concept.  Their aim is to address a problem that exists in today’s current social media platforms which utilize the internet to connect people that aren’t necessarily close to each other.  Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat and Twitter can be accessed from anywhere in the world, meaning that you can have a sense of community even if you’re thousands of miles away.  However, the team feels that it doesn’t really help build communities that are near to each other.  DropBoard, a proximity-based social media platform revolving around drawing, seeks to solve this problem.

Challenges the team faces include validating their belief and underlying assertion that a community can be built with and around this tool.  Who and where are the customers and what is the compelling reason for them to engage?   How would they use the app?  What experiments could be used to test and rapidly evolve the value proposition for the community?

XcellR8@NextGen will provide a forum for a group discussion about the ways in which DropBoard might go about gathering additional data to validate their assumptions.  They will be looking for feedback.

“The XcellR8@NextGen group continues to leverage the innovative talent and creative energy of the people who attend the sessions and the UConn entrepreneurial community to benefit our members,” said Kevin Bouley, CEO of Nerac. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see the vast array of innovative ideas brought to each meeting, and I look forward to having the group brainstorm with the DropBoard team.”  Contact XcellR8 (mailto:xcellr8@nerac.com) to learn more today.

About Nerac
Nerac Inc. is a global research and advisory firm for companies developing innovative products and technologies. Nerac provides expert insights that equip clients with the knowledge to develop or refine a technology, explore market growth opportunities, evaluate intellectual property strategies and respond to regulatory changes. Nerac serves approximately 5,000 users worldwide and delivers over 12,000 research projects and custom alerts each year. Nerac has a long, successful consulting history in a wide-range of industries with significant expertise and extensive data resources supporting client requests in the areas of technology scouting, IP, medical device, engineering, chemistry and advanced materials.