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This article is constructed based on an interview with former UI fellow, Fletcher Richman, on his experience of starting an off-campus incubator, [http://sparkboulder.com SparkBoulderSpark Boulder], near the University of Colorado.

Spark Boulder is a student created and designed and created coworking co-working meets incubator space, designed architected to foster creativity, progress talent, and accelerate innovative ideas. Spark Boulder is a student entrepreneurs playground that will allow boulder Boulder and the University of Colorado to remain at the forefront of student innovation and entrepreneurship.

Spark Boulder is designed to provide a place for students to innovate new ideas, and work in an environment dedicated to forward progress. Spark Boulder was created by the very students that needed it most, ensuring Spark meets all the criteria required to give students the tools and opportunities they need to design, create, and innovate ground-breaking ideas.

Spark Boulder is more than just a coworking space, it is a hub of innovation. With that combines top grade professional services , such as Archer Bay and Tuition Specialists, combined with some of CU's most talented and aspiring students. Spark Boulder offers its own server services, complete with SDK's, Master Suite, monitors, iPad's, iPhone's, and Android devices to give developers every tool they need to develop their projects.

Throughout the duration of the Spark Boulder project, we're the students made sure to stay true to our their mission of helping  other students. Students have done everything from the business plan and finances, to the branding and marketing, and the design of the space itself.

Incubator space is only a only facilitator. It Dedicated space needs the entrepreneurs to thrivein order for the incubation space to be successful. If the students don't use the space, the existence of the space would be hard to maintain. This makes correctly identify identifing the correct need , location, and provides the correct need space very important.

Richman was inspired by the phases in of life cycles in ''Startup Community'', which states bringing , "Bringing entrepreneurs together will create a synergy that can accelerate the innovation process. " By recognizing there are the 12 entrepreneurship -related student organizations on campus and school run programs, Richman found students are to be in need of a working space in order to start their entrepreneurial pursuits. In Boulder, Colorado, one of the center centers for entrepreneursentrepreneurship, the local community also greatly supports the idea of having a student incubator space.

"The goal of having an incubator space in Boulder, " Richman said, "is not only limited to providing space for young students student entrepreneurs, but also to give the opportunity to local investor investors to see some great work put out by the students."

When the collaboration with colleges and universities, some paperwork Paperwork may be required based on the type of collaborations that the incubator space providesbetween itself and the university. If the incubator space merely provides the space for extra-curriculum activities, obtaining the permission to collaborate with the school may be much easier. However, if the collaboration relates to student's credits or class work, this permission can be very restricted. Also this This permission process is very individually based, meaning it differs at every university. Depending on the type of school and the level of support towards entrepreneurship, the permission varies a lot.

In the case of Spark Boulder, one of the problem problems that Richman went into faced was getting gaining support from the University of Colorado, although even though students and low lower level faculty members are were in need and love to have supported having a student incubator space to work on their entrepreneurial projects. HoweverDespite this roadblock, Richman persisted and chose another route. Instead of getting gaining support and collaborate collaborating with the schoolUniversity, he leveraged the local highly entrepreneurial community to create and simply made provide the space available to the students. So In the end, he didn't need permission fromthe University to get permission from the schoolfulfill his vision, but at same time, still provides space for student entrepreneurial organizations will still come and use the space for their meetings and events.

The success of Spark Boulder is largely because of the excessive support from the faculty, studentstudents, and local community.

In At the University of Colorado - Boulder, there are over 12 student organizations, programs, and many more classes about surrounding the topic of entrepreneurship. However, the school doesndidn't have an incubator space for these organization and programs. So the The students very much support supported opening an incubator space close to campus that they can would allow them to work on their own projects , or even start their own companies.

Although getting support from the high higher-level faculty or administrators are proves to be difficult, the low lower-level faculty are in love of an with the incubator space. Richman said stated that there are many faculty members who are actually entrepreneurs themselves. An incubator space close to their office can also greatly help them develop their ideas and entrepreneur entrepreneurial pursuits.

Boulder is very entrepreneurial city. There are hundreds Hundreds of startups in are located within the local community. An A student incubator space will give has also provided these local startups a place to look for future collaborators, or even provide investor investors a place to find good project to fundinvest in new projects.

'''Cost (what : '''the funding was necessary to create and maintain the space, and how that funding was found/raised)

In preparing Spark Boulder, Richman raised $100140,000 to rent the 4500 5400 square feet foot space and renovating to renovate it for incubator the use. However, he also mention stated that this cost project can be as low as $25,000 if they were on completed with a tight much lower budgetdepending on how many renovations need to happen. With the sufficient support from the community, Richman was able to get enough fund funding to put pay for full sets of furniture, provide inclusive and include electricity, and WiFi. If the budget allows, or even monitors you can add additional assets and 3D printers if the budget is allowedequipment.

Spark Boulder locates is located very close to the main campus of University of Colorado - Boulder. At the same time, it's It is also surrounded by many local start-ups up offices. This nice location nicely matches the needs of both the students and the local community.

As a newly founded incubator space, Spark Boulder hasn't has not planned many activities for its residents. It will mainly serves as a new newly designed space for students to develop their ideas and meet with each other. And the organization Student organizations can work hold their business competition competitions in the this space as well. Richman also plans to bring on bringing some third party start-up accelerator programs to the incubator space to help the student entrepreneurs.

Spark Boulder aims to provide a truly lean start -up opportunity for student entrepreneurs. In terms of essential materials provided, students will have fully covered electricity, WiFi, provided furnitureand a fully furnished space. Since many of the new start-ups are related to application development, Richman also plans to have monitor and add monitors, a 3D printer, iPad, and iPhones in place for the students to use.

Spark Boulder is currently managed by students on the boardBoard. A law firm provides a secretary for greetingguests. In the future, Richman would like to hire an executive director Executive Director to manage aid in managing the space. But , but the space will still always be mainly managed by students.