WheelsUp Accelerator Curriculum
First Flight’s WheelsUp Accelerator is a 12-week program that includes technical and business facilitation. WheelsUp teams will meet online weekly for approximately 3 hours, with additional time spent with mentors, coaches, technical teams and additional time spent with customers and investors via video meetings. Each session will be split evenly between business and technical topics with 90 minutes devoted to each.
A sampling of course technical topics includes (approximately 1 per week depending on the specific focus of the cohort):
A sampling of course technical topics includes (approximately 1 per week depending on the specific focus of the cohort):
1. Course Overview
Overview of (Drug Discovery)
Healthcare Industry and Market Trends
FDA Regulatory Pathways: Therapeutics, Biologics, Diagnostics
Introduction to commercialization
2. Intellectual property
Writing strong tech descriptions
Copywriting and trademarks
Patents and trade secrets
Drug exclusivity and licensing
IP Valuation
3. Development of Therapeutics
Target Validation and Pre-clinical Activities
Extrapolating from animals to humans
Product optimization
Clinical studies
NIH and NCATS Programs
Role of Contract Research Organizations (CRO)
4. Development of Therapeutics: Quality Requirements
Animal Studies (GLP)
Quality assurance and Manufacturing Controls (GMP)
Clinical Practices and Protection of Human Subjects (GCP)
Clinical Studies (Phase I-IV)
FDA Challenges and Industry Concerns
5. Development of Medical Devices
Idea Generation/Evaluation and Customer needs
Design and Planning
Feasibility testing
Prototyping
Pilot production
Scale-up manufacturing
Product launch
6. Articulate and Funding your Technology
Market analysis
Effective presentations
Costs of Product Development
Sources and types of Capital
Creating and funding a Company
Exit Strategies
7. Corporate Partnering and Strategic Alliances
Collaborative arrangements (Outsourcing, licensing, Joint ventures, etc.)
Choosing a Partner
Academia-Industry partnerships
8. SBIR/STTR & Other Federal Funding Programs
Participating Agencies
Phases and funding mechanisms
Evaluation areas and review criteria
IP issues
Solicitation examples
9. Life Science Commercialization
Biotech model
Academic Technology Transfer
Startup and Early-Stage Experiences
Tactical Tips for Licensing Opportunities
Discussion of case studies
10. Reimbursement considerations
Medicare and Medicaid Programs
Billing regulations
Limitations on Payments
Payer contracting
11. The Researcher/Entrepreneur
Finding a balance between academic and business endeavors
Managing conflicts of interest
Finding the right business partners
Benefits of entrepreneurial undertaking
12. Pitch Presentations and Demo Day
Presentation tactics
Presentation development / Pitch-deck preparation
Practice sessions
A sampling of course business topics includes (each of these broader topics will take 2-3 weeks):
1. Business Concept
Business Idea
Product Portfolio
Revenue Model
Customer Portfolio
Market Position
2. Organization
Ownership & Board
Employees
Partnerships
Business Processes
Legal Issues
3. Operations
Financials
Funding
Production & Deliveries
IT Systems
Facilities
4. Customer Relations
Networking
Marketing
Sales & Service
Communication & PR
Branding
Additional components:
Mentorship Sessions (with Navigators): each company will have mentors that will have access to the Company Assessment and Action Plan. The mentor(s) will be matched based on company gaps, mentor skills, schedule availability, and other factors.
Pitch Preparation: includes the necessary information a company needs to know to start fund raising, communicate value of products/services, and understand terms associated with early-stage funding.
Networking: these activities will focus on exposing selected companies to industry professionals, investors, strategic partners, potential customers and successful entrepreneurs.
Demo Day: Celebration of all that has been accomplished throughout the previous 12 weeks. Opportunity to showcase technologies for the ecosystem, including investors and key stakeholders.