my.CSMD
Innovation @ the Velocity Center - From Idea to Enterprise: Becoming an Entrepreneur
October 03, 2024
06:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Velocity Center, 4465 Indian Head Highway, Indian Head, MD 20640, Room VC101A
Jeffrey Hunt, 301-934-7517, jahunt2@csmd.edu
Have you decided to become an entrepreneur and are wondering what steps to take next?
Join us for a presentation and discussion led by Marjorie Cota, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park.
Cota brings years of entrepreneurial experience working with companies of various sizes and industries. She has built significant relationships in the ecosystem and across the country, assisting startups from conception through second-stage growth and maturity.
Cota holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and has worked both internationally and locally in Maryland for the past 25 years. Come learn how to get started on your journey to being a successful entrepreneur!
Marjorie Cota Biography
Marjie Cota is the director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park, bringing years of entrepreneurial experience working with companies of various sizes and industries. She has built significant relationships in the ecosystem and across the country, assisting startups from conception through second-stage growth and maturity. Cota holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and has worked both internationally and locally in Maryland for the past 25 years.
Cota brings years of passion and experience in directing companies to grow. She achieves her goals through individual and teamwork while focusing on the greatest needs of the business. Her strongest areas of expertise lie in programming, business operations, marketing, and sales. She has entrepreneurial experience in a variety of industries, including human resources, technical, food service, engineering and prototyping, manufacturing, and global start-ups. One of her greatest achievements is leading cross-functional teams to develop and deploy global operational process improvement and customer-focused programs.
Cota's passion and experience are to support the local entrepreneurial ecosystems, and she enjoys mentoring startups and judging pitch contests. She has assisted in developing startups from conception to implementation phases, covering administration, operations, marketing, and sales. Startup experience ranges from
- Big data to benchmark resiliency in companies, cities, states, and nations to uncover and develop comprehensive action plans to mitigate risks
- Renewable and sustainable to create a global agri-manufacturing operation that upcycles rice and wheat straw to meet the global housing crisis, supplies housing solutions for natural/man-made disasters, and implements regional electric vehicle charging stations
- Enterprise software is used to uncover the social network of decision-makers and increase business development and marketing efforts
- Educational programming and events company in the sailing industry to provide education and hands-on events to those pursuing sailing or cruising
For fun, Cota spends time with her family and friends and may be found racing sailboats on the Chesapeake Bay or in ocean races to Newport, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.