TRACTION WORKSHOPS
Open to: Students, Community Members
Traction Workshops are a unique opportunity to help aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage startups move their ideas forward. Open to any UConn student, this series of virtual workshops provides participants with hands-on guidance in developing a strong foundation of entrepreneurship knowledge. Whether you have a concept in its earliest stages — or no idea at all, these workshops aim to empower you to learn about entrepreneurship on your own terms.
Participants will benefit from expert-led sessions that cover essential startup topics, including value proposition creation, customer discovery, creating an impactful pitch deck, and business model development.
Don't have all your questions answered? Set up office hours with any of our speakers!
VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS
Twelve workshops will be offered each academic year to support entrepreneurs at various stages of building a business idea. These workshops will be led by experienced entrepreneurs, CCEI instructors, and UConn faculty — open to all students.
MENTOR OFFICE HOURS
Office hours are hosted each week following each live workshop, and are available to only those who attended the virtual workshop(s). They are designed as an opportunity to dive deeper into a business idea on a one-on-one basis with the instructor.
FALL 2025 WORKSHOPS
Problem Solution Fit
September 10, 2025
6:30-7:30pm
register here
This workshop will dive into the core principles of successfully introducing a new product or service to the market. Together, we’ll explore best practices for customer discovery — pinpointing meaningful customer challenges and translating them into actionable insights that can fuel your startup’s success. Join us for a dynamic session where you’ll learn how to uncover real customer problems and transform them into valuable market opportunities. Discover practical strategies and tools designed to sharpen your approach and give your business the strongest possible start in today’s competitive landscape!
Led by Leland Holcomb
Leland is a Sr. Innovation Associate at CSAA Insurance Group. In his role, Leland helps AAA’s insurance arm respond to emerging threats and opportunities through new product development, core business collaboration, and partnership with startups and leading companies. Leland is also an EIR at CCEI where he helps student entrepreneurs design and conduct initial customer discovery and engage in experiential learning experiences within insurtechs.
Leland previously served as the Director of Business Development focused on technology at AdvanceCT helping technology companies grow and expand into and within Connecticut. Prior to joining AdvanceCT, Leland led Customer Success at Aureus Analytics, a venture backed insurtech company, was Head of Scouting for Startupbootcamp's Hartford InsurTech Hub accelerator, and was a Global Fellow at Patamar Capital, an impact investment venture capital fund.
Concept to Commercialization
September 23, 2025
6:30-7:30pm
register here
This presentation will walk through the critical steps of moving from prototype development into full-scale manufacturing. FORGE — a leading resource for startups navigating the complex path from concept to commercialization — will guide participants through each stage, from market research and product validation to scaling up manufacturing operations. We’ll cover essential topics such as prototyping, design for excellence (DFX), and preparing for manufacturing readiness, along with strategies for building a sustainable, efficient supply chain. You’ll also gain insights into why early-stage planning, risk management, and quality systems are vital for ensuring product success at scale. Join us for an opportunity to learn directly from industry experts and discover the connections and resources that can help turn your innovations into reality.
Led by Scott Longley and Trinell Ball
Scott Longley is a Manufacturing Expert in Residence at FORGE with over 28 years of international operations experience. His expertise spans process engineering, production, and supply chain management, which he uses to advise startups as they scale. Scott has held roles at Fortune 100 companies like Apple, HP, and Sun Microsystems, managing global supply chains and manufacturing operations. He also co-founded a Net Zero Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) startup, where he designed its supply chain and manufacturing strategy.
Trinell Ball is the Program Director for FORGE in Connecticut, where he focuses on fostering innovation among state suppliers and manufacturers, particularly in physical products. With 15 years of experience in innovation and strategic planning, Trinell has worked at Toyota's Silicon Valley operations, Leadbird (a sales and marketing technology startup), and Goodyear's Innovation Lab. He has extensive experience with new product commercialization and venture building for corporations and early-stage startups, taking ventures from 0 to 1.
Design Thinking
October 16, 2025
6:30-7:30pm
register here
Great ideas don’t start with solutions, they start with understanding people. Design thinking is about creating human-centered solutions to complex challenges. At the heart of innovation is creative problem-solving, and practicing design thinking can help any entrepreneur build better products for their customers. This approach begins by empathizing with human needs: focusing first on the problems we’re solving for potential customers, then designing a product or service that truly meets those needs. In this workshop, we’ll introduce the core concepts and techniques of design thinking and guide participants through a hands-on activity that brings these ideas to life. Whether you’re just starting to develop an idea or already building your business, this session will provide practical tools to strengthen your entrepreneurial journey.
Led by Brooke Foti Gemmell
Brooke (she/her) is a Design Strategist at UConn’s Greenhouse Studios and enjoys big-picture thinking and dreaming up creative solutions to big problems. Though she is trained as a creative generalist, Brooke believes that her greater calling is in the development of the people around her, and is wholly energized by the successes of her mentees and peers alike. When she isn't at UConn, she is riding horses, chasing her kid around, and asking if she can pet your dog.
The Business Model
October 29, 2025
6:30-7:30pm
register here
Every successful startup begins with a clear blueprint for how it creates, that’s where the business model comes in. A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value. It serves as a foundational document for detailing a startup company and is often required to access both debt and equity capital. In this workshop, we’ll break down the key components of a business model (and its short-form version, the Business Model Canvas) and explore how it can be used to highlight value creation while identifying risks and assumptions in your business. By the end of the session, all participants will have begun (or refined!) their own business model canvas to help chart a stronger path forward.
Led by Michelle Cote
Michelle Cote is a Lead Instructor at CCEI, as well as Director of Launc[H], an innovation ecosystem in Hartford. At CCEI, Michelle teaches courses that help students and faculty build skills critical for entrepreneurship and innovation, and supports them in forming and bringing new ventures to market. Through Launc[H], Michelle leads the design and development of initiatives that help to make Hartford a visible and vibrant hub of entrepreneurship and innovation. Working together with anchor institutions and other community partners, Michelle has helped to seed and support several key accelerator and incubator programs, including: Hartford InsurTech Hub, Digital HealthCT, and Nassau Re/Imagine. Launc[H] also provides entrepreneurs with critical connectivity to business growth resources across the Hartford region.
The Pitch Deck
November 13, 2025
6:30-7:30pm
register here
A strong pitch deck can open doors, spark excitement, and turn interest into investment. In this workshop, you’ll learn the fundamentals of building a compelling deck for your startup. We’ll explore what slides to include, how to structure your pitch for maximum impact, and ways to make your deck visually engaging. By the end, you’ll have the tools to create a presentation that not only tells your story but gets your audience eager to be part of it.
Led by Alycia Chrosniak
With over ten years of experience in entrepreneurship, marketing and innovation, Alycia is passionate about creating and promoting impactful programs that support the growth and success of startups and entrepreneurs. Currently, she is the Assistant Director of Brand and Venture Development at the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI), where she oversees the operation and management of four startup accelerators, a pitch competition series and the center's marketing. She is driven by the mission of CCEI to foster a vibrant and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Connecticut, and brings diverse perspectives and experiences to the team, having founded and grown a digital food brand, CT Eats Out, to national recognition.
MEET THE TRACTION TEAM
Michaela Hartl
Engagement & Outreach Coordinator
michaela.hartl@uconn.edu
Alycia Chrosniak
Assistant Director of Brand & Venture Development
Rachel Ayers
Program & Financial Assistant