UCF: by Category “Speaker/Lecture/Seminar”

  • Boss? Nah: Turn What You Know into a Business

    Student Union: The Blackstone LaunchPad

    You don’t need a million-dollar idea, rich parents, or years of experience to start a business - you need the right mindset and the skills you’re already building right now. In this talk, entrepreneur Renee Overton-Palma shares her real, unfiltered journey from corporate life to business ownership and breaks down how everyday experiences - classes, group projects, internships, part-time jobs, …

    UCF
  • Joust Information Session #2

    Student Union: The Blackstone LaunchPad

    Get a head start learning how to compete and win in UCF's most prestigious and rewarding entrepreneurship competition, THE JOUST! This interactive session will review preparation, application, and competition timelines as well as event rules and success tips. Join us - you can't win if you don't play!

    UCF
  • CREOL Spring Colloquium: Han Zhao, UCF Physics

    CREOL: CROL-103 and Virtual

    Title: Building network of superconducting quantum processors with optical interconnects Abstract: Optically interconnected networks of heterogeneous quantum platforms are milestones of future quantum information infrastructure. Integrating superconducting qubits as the prominent quantum processors in such a network requires efficient and high-fidelity microwave-optical interfaces. In this talk, I will highlight our recent progress towards an electro-optomechanical transducer, which converts quantum-level microwave …

    UCF
  • Building a Brand Is Like Making a Sandwich

    Student Union: The Blackstone LaunchPad

    Anthony "Biggie" Bencomo is a UCF alum who studied Marketing and has started 2 clothing brands. For the past 13 years, he has turned his passion for sandwiches into a sandwich-themed clothing brand- Deli Fresh Threads.  He will talk about how building a brand is like making a sandwich.  The importance of leaning into your niche and building a community around it. Learn about consistency and the importance of the journey, and where it …

    UCF
  • SBA Workshop: Learn to Minimize Common Problems with the 8(a) Application

    National Entrepreneur Center: Venture Training Room

    In-person Event: The SBA’s 8(a) Business Development program is one of the most powerful federal government certification programs that permit eligible, certified businesses to obtain sole source and limited competition contracting opportunities. To ensure that applicant businesses are eligible for certification, the SBA conducts a thorough review of an applicant’s business – including review of business documents, company tax returns, personal …

    UCF
  • Lessons of the Good Friday Agreement: Bertie Ahern on Ending Conflict and Preserving Peace

    Student Union: Pegasus Ballroom

    The UCF Office of Global Perspectives & International Initiatives (GPII) is honored to host former Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern, a key architect of the Good Friday Agreement, the historic accord that brought an end to decades of conflict in Northern Ireland. The successful approach to resolving this longstanding conflict is a living breathing model which can help end …

    UCF
  • Marketing Basics

    Virtual

    A virtual webinar providing an overview of the marketing process for small business, as well as a close look at all elements of a marketing plan. Marketing is the driver of revenue growth and an imperative for small business success. Topics include the traditional four “P’s” of marketing – Product, Place, Promotion, and Price – as well as three new …

    UCF
  • CREOL Spring Colloquium: William D. Phillips, NIST

    CREOL: CROL-103 and Virtual

    Title: A New Measure: The revolutionary, quantum reform of the modern metric system Abstract: The International System of Units (the SI), the modern metric system, recently underwent its most revolutionary change since its origins during the French Revolution. The nature of this revolution is that all of the base units of the SI are now defined by fixing values of natural constants. …

    UCF
  • Joust Information Session #3

    Student Union: The Blackstone LaunchPad

    Get a head start learning how to compete and win in UCF's most prestigious and rewarding entrepreneurship competition, THE JOUST! This interactive session will review preparation, application, and competition timelines as well as event rules and success tips. Join us - you can't win if you don't play!

    UCF
  • Navigating Business Funding: Expert Lenders Panel

    National Entrepreneur Center: Venture Training Room

    Attention small business owners! Join us for an insightful, in-person event where you can network with a diverse range of lenders ready to support your expansion plans and working capital needs. Experienced lenders will demystify funding options, loan criteria, common challenges, and required documents. Plus, you'll have the chance to connect with lenders after the panel discussion to fine-tune your …

    UCF
  • Joust Information Session #4

    Student Union: The Blackstone LaunchPad

    Get a head start learning how to compete and win in UCF's most prestigious and rewarding entrepreneurship competition, THE JOUST! This interactive session will review preparation, application, and competition timelines as well as event rules and success tips. Join us - you can't win if you don't play!

    UCF
  • CREOL Spring Colloquium: Alexander Cerjan, Sandia National Laboratories

    CREOL: CROL-103 and Virtual

    Title: An operator-based approach to classifying topology in open and nonlinear systems Abstract: In this talk, I will provide an overview of some of the outstanding problems in the classification of topological materials in physical systems, and I will discuss how many of these problems can be addressed through the spectral localizer framework. For example, the chiral edge states that are guaranteed …

    UCF
  • SBA Workshop: SBA Surety Bond Guarantees for Contractors

    National Entrepreneur Center: Venture Training Room

    In-person Workshop: The SBA Surety Bond Guarantee Program is designed to assist small businesses that may struggle to obtain surety bonds through traditional commercial channels. By guaranteeing bid, performance, and payment bonds, the program enables these businesses to secure contracts that require bonding, which is often a prerequisite for bidding on government and private sector projects. Attendees will be briefed by …

    UCF
  • CREOL Spring Colloquium: Minjoo Lee, University of Illinois

    CREOL: CROL-103 and Virtual

    Title: A study in contrasts: epitaxial integration of III-Vs with dielectrics for novel lasers Abstract: This talk will highlight our recent progress in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) regrowth of laser structures that harness the contrasting properties of III–V semiconductors and dielectric materials to realize new device architectures. In the first part of the talk, I will describe efforts to integrate …

    UCF
  • RTS 2026! (Reverse Trade Show) Session 1 (9 AM - 12 PM)

    National Entrepreneur Center: Venture Training Room

    Our annual Government Contracting Reverse Trade Show is back! Meet with as many agencies as you can within a 3-hour time span. Best of all there are no agency appointments - allowing everyone the same opportunity to meet any agency! More than 20 agencies and prime contractors will be available. No scheduled meetings. Just come and speak with the agencies of your …

    UCF
  • RTS 2026! (Reverse Trade Show) Session 2 (1 PM - 4 PM)

    National Entrepreneur Center: Venture Training Room

    Our annual Government Contracting Reverse Trade Show is back! Meet with as many agencies as you can within a 3-hour time span. Best of all there are no agency appointments - allowing everyone the same opportunity to meet any agency! More than 20 agencies and prime contractors will be available. No scheduled meetings. Just come and speak with the agencies of your …

    UCF
  • Distinguished Lecture Series & Research Impact Showcase 2026

    Morgridge International Reading Center

    Join us for an exciting afternoon celebrating research, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration within the CCIE Research Community. The event kicks off with our Distinguished Lecturer, Terri D. Pigott, Ph.D., who will present The Use of Evidence for Policy Decisions: The role of systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Following the lecture, explore innovative research as students and faculty showcase projects spanning multiple …

    UCF
  • CREOL Spring Colloquium: Jelena Vuckovic, Stanford University

    CREOL: CROL-103 and Virtual

    Title: Inverse designed, densely integrated classical and quantum photonics Abstract: Recent breakthroughs in photonics design, along with new nanofabrication approaches and heterogeneous integration play crucial roles in building photonics for applications including optical interconnects and quantum technologies. This design breakthrough is named photonic inverse design, and refers to efficiently searching through the space of all possible photonic device geometries, within fabrication …

    UCF
  • SBA Workshop: SBA Veteran Small Business Certification Program

    National Entrepreneur Center: Venture Training Room

    In-person Workshop: The SBA became responsible for the Veteran Small Business Certification Program (VSBCP) in January 2023. Now that the dust has settled, learn about the new program, the steps to apply, and the eligibility criteria to be able to certify your business as a veteran-owned small business concern. Attendees will be briefed by the UCF SBDC Apex Accelerator program regarding free …

    UCF
  • SBA Workshop: Building Capacity with the SBA Mentor-Protégé Program

    National Entrepreneur Center: Venture Training Room

    This is an In-person Event: The U.S. Small Business Administration expanded its business development SBA Mentor-Protégé Program. By pairing your small business with a mentor enterprise, small business owners should benefit from the expertise of their mentor and better compete for government contracts - both of which can drive up the value of their business when it's time to sell. Most …

    UCF
  • SBA Workshop: Blueprint to a Successful SBA Joint Venture Package Empty heading

    National Entrepreneur Center: Venture Training Room

    This In-person workshop will provide an overview of how to build a successful Joint Venture package that conforms to SBA regulations. An old phrase says that two heads are better than one, your properly conformed Joint Venture will make that statement true. A joint venture agreement or JV is an arrangement between two or more businesses to team up to accomplish a …

    UCF
  • SBA Workshop: How to Be Prepared for Disaster Contracting

    National Entrepreneur Center: Venture Training Room

    This In-person workshop will discuss: If you reside in Florida, you are subject to floods, storms, and other natural events on an annual basis. When FEMA is activated, emergency contracts will be needed and if you are registered in the SAM.gov disaster registry your firm may be considered for those short-fused contracts. We will discuss how emergency contracting takes place, will address some of the provisions of the Stafford Act to protect impacted area small businesses, and will highlight some of the federal agencies that make use of contractors to fulfill their disaster recovery mission: FEMA, US Army Corps of Engineers, others.

    UCF