Product Design to Market Launch

About this event

He bet his house on a $60,000 CAD system. He’s launched 13 startups. This Friday, they’re both in the same room. 🛠️ Join the hybrid event... Our Fall 2026 Robins Entrepreneur Series continues at the **University of Richmond - Robins School of Business**, and this one’s a masterclass in how real things get designed, built, and brought to market. The format - a fireside conversation with Jim Jernigan and me, live in the **EY** Innovation Lab and joined from California by **Rodger Thomason**. 👉 Friday, October 16th. Rodger is a maker. He started as an aerospace engineer, lost that job in an industry downturn with a young family to support, and clawed his way back, not as an employee but on his own terms. Launching his consultancy meant a 3D CAD system he couldn’t afford, so he borrowed against his home and bet everything on himself. Three decades later, he works across aerospace, automotive, medical, and consumer products. His philosophy: “If I can build what I design, then it can be manufactured.” Jim will join this conversation with Dale Fickett, live from the iLab. Since founding CATEA Enterprises in 1998, Jim’s helped launch 13 startups across consumer products, technology, and global distribution - after senior leadership roles at Coca-Cola, The Franklin Mint, and as a President amp; COO building operations across international markets. He’s also a fixture of Richmond’s civic life, serving on boards from Lewis Ginter to Richmond First, and mentoring the next generation of founders. Put a hands-on product engineer, a serial venture builder, and a room full of students and founders into one conversation — and you get the picture: from the bench, to the business, and into the market. If you want to understand what it actually takes to turn an idea into a product, and a product into a living, this is the conversation to be in. Founders and makers: what’s the biggest bet you ever made on yourself? 👇 📍 EY Innovation Lab, Robins School of Business, University…