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www.HartfordBusiness.com • May 28, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 9 FOCUS PDS has been meeting the needs of the construction industry since 1965. Our dedicated team of design and construction professionals welcomes the challenge of serving its past and future customers on their most demanding projects. Hartford Regional Fire School | Windsor Locks, CT PDS Engineering & Construction served as General Contractor for the construction of a new maintenance facility and three-story burn building at the Hartford Regional Fire School. The facility offers up to date, safe training and serves as a coordination point for all county training activities. Project Features: - 7,000 SF maintenance facility - 5,300 SF burn building - Heavy concrete Total Project Size: 12,300 SF 107 Old Windsor Road, Bloomfi eld, CT 06002 (860) 242-8586 | Fax (860) 242-8587 www.pdsec.com DESIGN BUILDERS • GENERAL CONTRACTORS • CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS SPOTLIGHT ON: H S PDS ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION, INC. THINK • PLAN • BUILD her invention "C.A.N.O.P.E. — Carbon Abatement Naturally Over Paved En- vironments." Larson will be compet- ing at NICEE again this year and is a six-time CIC program participant. Q. So, tell us some anecdotes of inven- tions that have gone through the pro- gram and yielded patents or actually led to the formation of a company. A. In 2011, at 13 years old, Mallory Kievmen invented the Hiccupop, a lol- lipop designed to stop the hiccups. Af- ter receiving her patent, she located a manufacturer and started marketing Hiccupops and selling them through her website. Kievmen ran this busi- ness all through high school and even into her early college years. Hannah Pucci, inventor of Egghead Ice Cream, has received her patent, conducted test marketing in Connect- icut and is now working on improving the manufacturing process so she can bring her product to a broad market. Lucca Riccio, inventor of a Blue- tooth communication system for patients using CPAP oxygen, is in the final stages of his patent work and hopes to have his product marketed to individuals and healthcare facili- ties in the near future. Both Pucci and Riccio were recog- nized as Student Entrepreneur of the Year by the CT Entrepreneur Awards in April 2018. Q. How do students with marketable and viable inventions or startups go from the classroom to potentially developing their product or idea? A. For many students, the process of bringing their invention to life outside of the classroom begins with honing their proof of concept and fil- ing a patent application. From there, some of our students have gone on to secure funding to advance their in- ventions, be it through market test- ing or prototype development. "They focus on helping people be more comfortable telling their own story and AARP's story," Langley explained. The AARP training program in- cludes six sessions — three online and three in-person meetings in Texas — plus additional one-on-one coaching. That's the kind of extended time- line that works best, Drescher and Ornato agreed. It takes a little time to internalize the learning and see it reflected in a new confidence in com- municating information. While they do some single-session training, the women prefer a mini- mum of four sessions to show results. 'Emotional intelligence' In the corporate realm, The Bolder Company's founders point to success working in "emotional intelligence." It's a broad topic that includes reading the cues that others are giving and adjust- ing your approach accordingly. The program focuses on finding common ground and taking other's perspectives and experiences into ac- count. It dovetails with another of The Bolder Company's specialties — diversity and inclusion. The improv style allows participants to develop comfort with different personality and cultural styles. The conversa- tional interplay of "Yes and" allows participants to improve situational awareness, including when to step up — or step back — in a situation to influence positive outcomes. Dresher and Ornato say engineers and architects have responded well to improv techniques in moving beyond their tendencies to demand rigid attention to detail. The firm, whose other clients in- clude University of Hartford, Middle- sex Hospital and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, also offers a variety of facilitation and training programs, from administering Myers- Briggs personality tests to coaching on overcoming unconscious bias and organizational dynamics. The Bolder Company's training sessions, like this one at reSET's business accelerator program in Hartford, are designed to get everyone engaged and practicing improv techniques. 203•294•2062 edc@wallingfordct.gov | Plugin2Wallingford.com Over 50% of CT's Worforce is Within a 20 Minute Commute Lowest Electric Rates In CT With Superior Reliability New Tax Incentives For Offi ce Renovation / Development And Manufacturing Searchable GIS For Commercial / Industrial Properties ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Because Location is Critical To Your Success! * LOCATION • LOCATION • LOCATION * Improve Your Bottom Line Today!