The UNLV Office of Economic Development and Zero Labs, a business accelerator in Nevada specializing in gaming, hospitality, entertainment, and sports, is excited to introduce the Zero Labs x UNLV Innovation Launchpad. This 3-day event, scheduled for early 2024, will offer a unique pre-accelerator experience designed specifically for UNLV's students, faculty, and centers of excellence.
"The Innovation Launchpad combines academic rigor with real-world application, setting a model for how universities should engage with the startup ecosystem,” said Robert Rippee, executive director of the UNLV Black Fire Innovation Hub.
The Launchpad program is designed as a concentrated weekend event. It boasts a comprehensive curriculum tailored to quickly validate entrepreneurial ideas. Participants will benefit from the insights of seasoned professionals from both the industry and UNLV. The objective is to transform university-conceived ideas into market-ready solutions.
“The Launchpad is a testament to the power of statewide collaboration on a shared vision for developing a startup and early-stage accelerator program for Southern Nevada,” said Quinton Singleton, founder and principal at Zero Labs. “This initiative would not be possible without the support of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and UNLV’s Office of Economic Development."
Zero Labs’ accelerator program is a component of UNLV’s Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) which is supported by the Knowledge Fund.
“The Knowledge Fund focuses on taking university developed intellectual property from laboratory to market and we are delighted that through this collaboration we will be able to support students and faculties forming entrepreneurial ventures,” said Karsten Heise, senior director of strategic programs & innovation at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “Zero Labs will form a crucial building block in UNLV’s efforts to ensure Las Vegas maintains its global competitive advantage in gaming hospitality, entertainment, and sports.”
Both the founder of Zero Labs and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, through its Knowledge Fund, have made pivotal investments in the Launchpad. Each of these contributions is instrumental in strengthening Southern Nevada's startup ecosystem, furthering economic growth, and catalyzing job creation via entrepreneurship.
"UNLV is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs," remarked Bo Bernhard, vice president of economic development at UNLV. "The Zero Labs x UNLV Innovation Launchpad will ignite our students' ingenuity and provide a solid foundation for developing ventures that shape the future of the Fun Economy."
Dates for the Zero Labs x UNLV Innovation Launchpad will be announced soon. To sign up for information or to learn more, please visit www.zerolabs.io/innovationlaunchpad or contact Zach Miles, UNLV senior associate vice president for economic development, at 702-895-4507 or zach.miles@unlv.edu