REEF Program

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REEF Program

The Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneurs Fellowship (REEF) Program

IMET's Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneur Fellow (REEF) Program enables environmental science graduate students to apply their research to real-world problems. Through workshops with local entrepreneurs, lessons on important topics such as intellectual property and customer discovery, and a final pitch competition, students cultivate leadership and business skills to transition technologies from the lab or field into commercial markets.

REEF supports the career success of its science graduates, enabling them to enter a wide range of professions. REEF alumni have used their skills to start businesses, lead within established companies, develop environmental policy in federal agencies, and advance research in an academic setting.

Program Elements:

  • Fellowships for select students
  • Short courses on basic business principles
  • Externships with established companies and start-ups
  • Seed funding for students with viable ideas for new company formation.

Sample Topics:

  • Intellectual Property Development and Management- Good vs. Great
  • Marketing & Strategic Communications
  • Stage Gate Theory Applied to Business Planning

REEF mentors are an invaluable part of the program. Some mentors are subject matter experts, and some are local entrepreneurs who provide inspiration along with information.

Established in the Fall of 2014, the REEF program is supported by the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation

logo with text: Philip E. & Carole Ratcliffe Foundation