PHILADELPHIA--(January 30, 2018) – Karina Sotnik, a serial entrepreneur, mentor, adviser and educator with over a decade of experience growing international companies in Silicon Valley, is the latest Entrepreneur in Quorum. In her current role as the Director, Business Incubation and Accelerator Programs at the University City Science Center, Karina is developing and operating a suite of programs targeting companies looking to expand internationally. As Entrepreneur in Quorum, Karina will offer targeted advice for entrepreneurs looking to start and grow their businesses. From February through June, Karina will hold Office Horus in Quorum where entrepreneurs can meet with her one-on-one for 30-minute sessions.
Entrepreneur IQ will kick off with a reception for members of the entrepreneurial, innovation and business community to meet Karina, learn more about her experience and areas of expertise. The reception will be held on February 1, 2018, from 5:15 – 6:30 p.m. at Quorum, the entrepreneurs clubhouse.
Karina is launching a global accelerator at the Science Center to help international companies establish a foothold in the region’s life sciences and technology markets. Her goal is to attract the most promising international companies to Philadelphia, and help them expand operations in the US through highly curated programming. Karina is also intimately involved with the launch of the Global Startup Accelerator in partnership with the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, which will leverage the knowledge of successful immigrant professionals to help local early-stage life sciences and technology startups as they plan for expansions in foreign markets.
Before joining the Science Center in August 2017, Karina spent five years growing WorldUpstart, a consulting practice focused on providing mentorship, consulting and advice to academic incubators. WorldUpstart helped 16 companies from four Scandinavian accelerators expand to the US market in the life sciences and health IT fields. Karina also worked at the University of Pennsylvania PCI Venture group where she managed a portfolio of 19 companies. In 2013, she launched and managed the AppITUP Challenge, a digital accelerator for mobile platform businesses at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration on digital health.
Karina holds a bachelor and master’s degree in computer science from Rigas Tehniska Universitate, Latvia. Her areas of expertise include international business development, program development, CRM, retail, e-commerce, product marketing, health IT, accelerator and incubator development.
Entrepreneur IQ Kickoff Reception:
5:15 p.m. – Registration & Networking
5:45 p.m. – Remarks by Karina Sotnik
6:00 p.m. – Networking
6:30 p.m. – Adjourn
There is no charge to attend the kick-off reception, which will take place at Quorum at the Science Center, 3711 Market Street, Suite 800. Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged. Online registration is available at: http://sciencecenter.org/engage/entrepreneur-iq-with-karina-sotnik-reception
About the Science Center
Located in the heart of uCity Square, the Science Center is a mission-driven nonprofit organization that catalyzes and connects innovation to entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. For 50+ years, the Science Center has supported startups, research, and economic development in the life sciences, healthcare, physical sciences, and emerging technology sectors. As a result, graduate firms and current residents of the Science Center’s incubator support one out of every 100 jobs in the Greater Philadelphia region and drive $13 billion in economic activity in the region annually. By providing resources and programming for any stage of a business’s lifecycle, the Science Center helps scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators take their concepts from idea to IPO – and beyond.
For more information about the Science Center, go to www.sciencecenter.org
