Greenlighting 10 Startups: Entrepreneurs Fund Awards Grants to Alumni Ventures  

Carnegie Mellon's Open Field Entrepreneurs Fund (OFEF) has awarded $500,000 to 10 startup companies from across the U.S. Announced last year, the fund was established by CMU alumnus and Flip Video Camera creator Jonathan Kaplan and his wife, Marci Glazer, to provide early-stage business financing and support to alumni who have graduated from CMU in the last five years.

"Carnegie Mellon graduates have what it takes to create great companies," said Kaplan (left), CEO of The Melt and five-time entrepreneur. "But without money and mentoring these young adults can often take jobs instead of taking risks. I want them to dream big and create the next great product or service just like I did." 

Ashton Kutcher Among Backers of CMU Spinoff;  Users Can Translate Web, Learn New Language 

CMU computer scientists Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker have created a new, free website, Duolingo.com, that will help users tackle the huge task of translating the Web even as they learn a new language. The site has received $3.3 million from investors, including New York-based Union Square Ventures and Hollywood actor and producer Ashton Kutcher. 

Duolingo features computer tools that enable these foreign language learners to translate text as well as a professional.  The site, which has been used by more than 100,000 people in a just-completed beta test, offers free language lessons in English, Spanish, French and German. In addition to computer-generated exercises to build vocabulary and grammar skills, Duolingo offers users a chance to practice their new language skills on real-world texts from the Internet, with the computer providing advice and guidance on unknown words.

Read more about Duolingo.com.

Greenlighting Tiramisu: Spinoff To Market App 

CMU spinoff Tiramisu Transit LLC has received Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I funding of $102,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to commercialize Tiramisu, the smartphone app that enables transit riders to create real-time information about bus schedules and seating.

Tiramisu has been in use in Pittsburgh since summer 2011 and is available for iPhone and Android phones. Thus far, users have recorded more than 30,000 trips on Port Authority of Allegheny County buses and trains.

Read the full story.

CMU Partners To Help Improve Job Training  

Fractions, Long Division Predict Math Success 

Transportation Topic of Town Meetings           

Carnegie Mellon's Transportation Committee invites people commuting from the suburbs to attend one of four meetings to discuss current and potential transportation issues. Topics of conversation will include car sharing, van pooling, satellite parking lots and Port Authority options.  

Each meeting will focus on a specific geographical location.

The meeting times and locations are:  

Western communities (Bethel Park, Crafton, Bridgeville, Dormont, Greentree, McKees Rocks, Moon, Mt. Lebanon, Oakdale, Peters Twp., Upper St. Clair): 4-5:30 p.m., Thursday, June 21, UC-McKenna/Peter

Southern communities (Clairton, Duquesne, Elizabeth, Finleyville, Homestead, Jefferson Borough, Pleasant Hills, South Park, West Mifflin, Whitehall): 9-10:30 a.m., Friday, June 22, UC-McKenna/Peter  

Eastern communities (Delmont, E. McKeesport, Forrest HIlls, Irwin, Monroeville, Murrysville, Penn Hills, Plum, Trafford, White Oak): 9-10:30 a.m., Monday, June 25, UC-McKenna/Peter  

Northern communities (Ambridge, Allison Park, Aspinwall, Cranberry, Fox Chapel, Freeport, McCandless, Millvale, Natrona Hts., Oakmont, Sewickley, West View, Wexford): 4-5:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 27, UC-Connan.

Ticket Sales Begin June 26 for Kennywood Picnic 

Ticket sales for Carnegie Mellon's Employee Picnic at Kennywood Park, sponsored by Staff Council, begin 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 26 in the University Center. This year's picnic is Saturday, July 7.  

Employees can purchase one ticket ($37.99 value) for $10 (valid only on July 7) and four additional tickets for $15 each. Tickets must be purchased with cash only and employees must present their own CMU ID.  

The following are dates, times and locations for the ticket sales: 

• June 26    11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.        University Center
• June 27    11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.        University Center
• June 28    11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.        Mellon Institute
• July 2        11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.        University Center
• July 3        11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.        University Center
• July 6        11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.        University Center

Read the full story.

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