By Péralte C. Paul
More than 200 students at the Georgia Institute of Technology got an up-close view of the startup and entrepreneurial world at the recent College of Computing Startup Career Fair.
The College of Computing and the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) partnered to give students an idea of opportunities available to them with respect to full- or part-time jobs or internships at ATDC Select and Graduate companies, said Joy Hymel, campus outreach catalyst at ATDC.
As campus outreach catalyst for ATDC’s Campus Connect program, Hymel is the liaison between the Select companies’ needs and Tech’s resources and expertise.
Startups given the ATDC “Select” designation are considered the most ready to be successful and viable businesses. The fair featured 17 Select companies, including Predikto, Clean Hands Safe Hands, and Sideqik. Two ATDC Graduate companies, Patientco and CardioMEMS, also participated.
“Sideqik believes in stewarding a portion of our time to help grow the next generation of entrepreneurs and help fill the skills gap that often occurs between the classroom and a student’s desired full-time position,” said Kurt Uhlir, Sideqik’s founder and chief executive. “Campus Connect provides a focused way for us to connect with those students looking to make an impact and help them reach their goals.”
In addition to the College of Computing, students from Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Startup Exchange and Startup House participated in the fair.
The event is held twice a year and is offered as an exclusive benefit to ATDC Select and Graduate companies, Hymel said.
ATDC, an economic development program of Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute, is one of the nation’s oldest and largest university-based technology startup incubators.