AUTM on the Air AUTM

Have you ever wondered what really powers the success of tech transfer offices at universities? It’s not just the groundbreaking research or innovative technologies—it’s the relationships behind the scenes.
In today’s episode, we’re highlighting the importance of cultivating strong relationships with faculty members. These connections not only facilitate technology disclosures but also significantly boost the marketing reach and appeal of research to industry partners.
Joining us to shed light on this topic is David McClure, the Managing Director of Licensing at the Office of Research Commercialization, Texas Tech University System. David brings a wealth of experience and insight into why fostering strong faculty relationships is essential for the success of a tech transfer office.
We’ll be discussing effective strategies for initiating and maintaining engagement with faculty, the challenges and nuances of making tough decisions about researchers' inventions, and the best communication practices for managing expectations. Plus, we’ll explore how relationship-building can be seamlessly integrated into these efforts.

In This Episode:
[01:21] The importance of strong relationships with faculty for tech transfer success. We have to create a system of mutual trust where each of us will do our respective jobs.
[02:27] No invention has ever been licensed without the full support of the researcher. The feedback is very important for success.
[04:03] The key is communication. When an invention disclosure comes in it gets assigned to a licensee manager and they carry it through until a license is negotiated. Making the process transparent and showing every step to a faculty member along the way.
[05:21] They make decisions on new inventions in 60 days, but they try to do it in 30 days.
[06:48] Outsourcing assessments to a third party makes the researchers feel like everyone's on the same team.
[08:45] Maintaining engagement is important. They get a list of new faculty hires. They give them a visit and ask what they are interested in and establish a relationship from day one. 
[13:42] Communicating every step along the way is an effective communication strategy. Showing your work and letting the researchers know what you're doing on their behalf is very helpful.
[15:02] They also use LinkedIn as a success story communication tool.
[19:48] They make it easy and affordable for faculty members to license their technology. The industry appreciates customer validation.
[21:03] It takes years to get a patent issued and to take a technology to market. It's a long process where you should take as many shots as possible. David and his team preach patience to new faculty members. They also use colleague examples to demonstrate the process.
[22:52] The role of training and professional development in preparing TTO staff and faculty for successful collaboration and commercialization. David tries to get them plugged into the ecosystem as quickly as possible.
[27:21] How strong faculty relationships impact the overall success and growth of a tech transfer office in the long term.
[28:12] Advice for tech transfer professionals includes critical management and building a portfolio over time. Start small and build over time. Show your work. Be patient. 

Resources: 
David McClure Texas Tech University
David McClure LinkedIn

Industry-University Partnerships are crucial for fostering innovation, addressing societal challenges, and driving economic growth. By working together, universities and industries can leverage their unique strengths to create solutions that benefit society as a whole. Today, I'm excited to be joined by an amazing panel of guests, Dr. Gayathri Srinivasan, Shahila Christie, and John D. Wilson, to discuss taking a holistic approach to these partnerships.
Dr. Gayathri Srinivasan is the Executive Director of MIT Corporate Relations, a position she has held since the beginning of February 2024. As Executive Director, Gayathri leads the growth of the Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) and the Startup Exchange, building on a roster of over 200 member companies and forging impactful connections between global business leaders and MIT faculty.
John D. Wilson is the Director of Academic Contracting at GlaxoSmithKline. John's responsibilities include aligning industrial and academic research to ensure that science, technology, and people collaborate to benefit scientific development. John sits within a research externalization group that liaisons with all research units and therapeutic areas across his organization, as well as globally.
Shahila Christie began her career in academic research focusing on small molecule drug discovery and development. Recognizing the potential for commercialization, Shahila transitioned to the entrepreneurial space by co-founding a spin-off company leveraging her research. She has consulted for university-based startups and led clinical efforts for a medical diagnostics company in oncology. In her current role at Portal Innovations, she supports the growth and development of early-stage life science technologies.
I’m excited to have Gayathri, Shahila, and John with us today to talk about these crucial partnerships. 

In This Episode:
[03:02] Holistic Industry University partnership is looking at the entire Institute and enterprise for the collaboration. Research, innovation, students, and education.
[05:25] It represents a collaborative effort that spans beyond the simple technology licensing. It's a multifaceted approach that is designed to nurture.
[06:30] Approaching things as a good partner who wants to collaborate and develop science is critical.
[07:19] Identifying common goals is key for collaboration. Understanding where partners are looking for opportunities and what the challenges are is very important.
[09:56] When addressing significant societal challenges for the public good. look at what your company is good at and what the academic is good at and be proactive about reaching out and solving the issues.
[12:09] It's important to be proactive, not reactive.
[13:58] Industries are well versed in knowing where the market needs are. Universities should tap into this space to leverage their capabilities and drive Innovation forward.
[16:43] The expertise is in the academic centers and pharma is really good at developing drugs. Cutting-edge technology is coming out of academic centers and working together is the best choice for creating new drugs and solutions.
[21:23] Startups in the university ecosystem are so important for this type of development.
[24:01] Best practices for creating and maintaining communication during these crucial partnerships.
[25:33] Having a dedicated point person to champion between the two institutions is key.
[27:53] Looking for ways to leverage federal money, university input, and matching dollars from industry to develop future scientists.
[30:44] Look at societal problems and which Industries and companies are suited to solve those problems. 
[34:03] We talk about sharing information to develop better technology. 
[34:42] Shahila talks about how VC firms analyze investment opportunities. They evaluate university partnerships through a multifaceted lens that includes assessing the technology's potential and the university's tech transfer capabilities.
[36:45] VC f

We are focusing on innovation, organizational growth, and the commercialization of emerging technologies with a very special guest, Pam Henderson, a renowned author, entrepreneur, CEO, and expert in business and innovation strategy.
As the founder of NewEdge, a growth strategy firm, Pam leads the charge in identifying and anchoring growth opportunities. Her extensive experience spans both academia and industry, with her work featured in prestigious outlets like the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and NPR.
This is a wonderful episode for anyone with an entrepreneurial mindset. We learn how Pam’s academic work eventually led to her establishing NewEdge. She also developed the opportunity thinking approach, which involves getting clear on how ideas will serve the market. We learn about defining what an opportunity is and more about turning an idea into a strategic business opportunity.

In This Episode:
[01:29] Pam's journey from academia to founding NewEdge. She began as a professor for Carnegie Mellon. She was invited to help commercialize early stage technologies which eventually led to Pam founding NewEdge. 
[03:03] Pam developed the opportunity thinking approach. A lot of ideas don't land in the market. Getting clear on how our ideas will serve the market leads to better ideas.
[04:32] Defining opportunity first increases the odds for success. We get excited about ideas, but defining the broader opportunity gives us ideas about what will actually work.
[05:22] You have to define what an opportunity is.
[07:06] Get clear on the need, way to create value, and conditions. 
[08:38] Opportunity Thinking™ taps into six sources: market forces, business models, technology, organizations, environments, and design. Before the iPod, there were digital ways of gathering up music. 
[09:33] Apple created a business model that allowed us to get singular songs as opposed to entire albums. The larger opportunity was to build out the success of these different sources.
[10:53] Sometimes we need to take a step back and go slow to go fast. Look at the opportunity and then build the technologies accordingly.
[11:27] Pam shares an example of an innovation partnership that led to cooling shirts made from coconut polymer fibers. 
[15:25] Harley-Davidson's first electric vehicle. Staying true to the opportunity leads to bigger ideas in the market.
[17:16] We learn about the voice of the ecosystem. 
[20:07] Common strategies companies face when trying to implement opportunity thinking and how to overcome them.
[22:43] People confuse risk aversion with uncertainty aversion. We can work on uncertainty aversion by getting people more familiar with opportunities.
[24:15] Pam talks about the importance of culture. Working on culture is one of the things that has made her the most proud in her organization.
[25:06]  A consultant really helped them identify their values. Make your values interesting and true to who you are. They love people who are driven and continually improving. Other values include team first and grounded provocateurs. Teachable trust builders or being a teacher and a learner at all times.
[28:46] Co-innovation is one of the emerging trends companies should take notice of. Companies are going to need to collaborate more to make big changes.

Resources: 
Pam Henderson NewEdge
NewEdge
Pam Henderson LinkedIn
Killing Ideas - You can kill an idea, you can't kill an opportunity

I’m thrilled to have Levi C. Maaia and Noah Mark to talk about the Pathways to Invention documentary. Noah Mark is the President of Maaia Mark Productions and Levi is the Director of the film. 
This 60-minute documentary explores the age-old question of whether inventors are born or made. Through up-close profiles, it highlights the impactful contributions of inventors across various disciplines, including biotech, medical diagnostics and prosthetics, sustainable agriculture, food production, software development, and materials science.
All featured inventors are recipients of the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Student Prize. In this film, Levi and Noah uncover the journeys of inventors across various fields, shedding light on the pathways to creativity, resilience, and success.
This documentary was produced by Maaia Mark Productions in association with the Lemelson-MIT Program, with funding from The Lemelson Foundation, MIT's School of Engineering, and the University of California at Berkeley.
In our conversation, Levi and Noah share the inspiration for the documentary, common traits of inventors, and how education can foster young minds. We also discuss the significant challenges inventors have overcome, the recurring theme of collaboration and mentorship, and how the inventors were chosen to showcase. 
Additionally, we explore how personal experiences shape an inventor's journey, how technology has made inventing more accessible, and the intersection of invention and social impact.

In This Episode:
[02:22] Noah and Levi were curious about people's ability to shape the world around them and the maker movement.
[03:09] They were inspired by all of the makers in Cuba who have no choice but to be innovative because of the embargo.
[04:06] The idea changed to a broader lens about inventors from coast to coast in the US. 
[05:02] All of the inventors in the film were at some point recipients of the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Student Prize.
[07:00] The goal was to demystify the term inventor. In real life, it's usually a team effort. Many attempts and failures are also involved.
[08:06] The story of invention is really a story of overcoming failures and embracing them.
[09:02] Are inventors born or made? A little bit of both. There has to be Spark. An inventor needs to be a self-starter who sees a problem and wants to solve it.
[10:01] Inventors do need a supportive environment and resources.
[12:53] Pig crushing is the number one challenge faced for pork producers. The solution was to create a wearable alarm for the mother.
[16:21] Many of the inventions are in very diverse areas and they don't have to be a tech application.
[16:53] Collaboration and mentorship. Fostering or creating a network will lead to innovation.
[18:11] We talk about partnerships and recycling plastics on a smaller scale. Noah and Mark share how they love the resilience featured in this story. 
[20:02] Nicole Black from inspiration from her own story with hearing loss. Personal experience has a profound impact on an inventor's journey.
[22:31] Two of their inventors were using machine learning at the time. 
[24:23] They were surprised by how much perseverance is required to bring something to fruition.
[29:03] You have to be open to failing and confident to learn.
[31:02] Innovation driving positive change in society. We can innovate and solve the challenges of the future.
[33:00] There is no problem that is too overwhelming to attempt to solve.
[35:55] They are also working on a series about innovators. Allowing hopeful optimistic people who want to make the world a better place a way to connect with each other.

Resources: 
Pathways to Invention
Levi C. Maaia
Levi C. Maaia LinkedIn
Noah Mark IMDB
Noah Mark on X

Global Entrepreneur in Residence Programs are revolutionizing the startup world by providing crucial support to international founders. We'll discuss the impact of these programs to enable immigrants to innovate and become entrepreneurs and founders in the US startup space. 
I'm thrilled to be joined by Steve Tobocman for this discussion. Steve is a leader in community and economic development, with a special focus on immigrant inclusion. Since 2010, he's been the executive director of Global Detroit, an organization dedicated to driving growth and prosperity in Detroit and Southeast Michigan through immigrant-inclusive strategies. 
Before his work at Global Detroit, Steve served as an elected representative in Michigan's State House. There, he championed initiatives to support immigrant communities, including legislation to protect immigrants from exploitation and advocating for equitable access to education and services. 
In addition to his leadership roles, Steve is a partner at New Solutions Group, LLC, a Detroit-based consulting firm. He also co-directs the Michigan Political Leadership Program at Michigan State University. Steve holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School and a Master's in Public Policy from UM’s Ford School of Public Policy.

In This Episode:
[02:09] Global Entrepreneur Residence Programs are a solution to America's immigration laws which don't include a startup visa.  These programs connect founders with part-time employment at or by universities so they can get an uncapped H-1B visa. 
[03:34]  A variety of STEM founders take an H-1B job and then work on their startup outside of this job. The time in the program is as short or as long as they need to advance their startup or company.
[04:17] This levels the playing field for American innovation. It allows early stage startups to be launched here from all over the world.
[04:52] The first program started in 2014, at University of Massachusetts Boston. In the first 10 years, they supported 81 founders who raised 1.5 billion in venture capital.
[05:20] There's about 10 programs. The program at Global Detroit has worked at about six different universities. More programs are also planned to be launched in the future.
[05:49] Global Detroit started in 2010. It was a vision of the philanthropic community. Funders pooled resources as the new economy initiative.
[06:27] They wanted to leverage and harness the economic driver of immigration.
[07:37] Over the last 15 years, they've seen a variety of new players in the immigration space that interact with economic development.
[07:54] These are local economic development agencies that realize that immigrants are important to the US economy.
[08:37] Global Detroit is a leader in the Global Entrepreneur in Residence Programs.
[09:11]  72% of all the electrical engineering students in America are international students.
[10:03] Steve talks about Chening Duker, a computer science student from Ghana and Britain who worked for a startup, before starting his own and launching Goodpluck, a startup that brings the freshest produce to your door. 
[14:11] The biggest challenge has been lack of awareness.
[18:20] Steve talks about the role of these programs to attract talent. California and other states are trying to adopt the model. There's a lot of growth. The programs have created a competitive advantage for Michigan. 
[21:14] Key considerations for tech transfer offices to leverage these programs include keeping in mind that International students contribute disproportionately to the ecosystem.
[26:04] Navigating the complexities to provide support for international founders. Read The Startup Visa or contact Global Detroit. 
[27:39] These programs not only provide a Visa they also provide other aspects of support. 
[34:21] The mission is to support the success of local programs. We believe America is stronger through immigration and robust integration.
[39:58] A global EIR strategy is a

We're diving into the world of intellectual property and technology transfer in Jamaica. Our special guest for this episode is Loreen Walker, a trailblazer in this field. Loreen played a crucial role in establishing the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) back in 2002, and she's here to share her wealth of experiences and insights with us.
Loreen Walker is a distinguished Attorney-at-Law with over 40 years of experience. She has worked across the private sector, public sector, and academia, specializing in areas such as commercial, corporate, labor, pension, insurance, intellectual property, and sports law.
In 2002, Loreen became the first Head of JIPO, collaborating closely with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to solidify JIPO's foundation. After her tenure at JIPO ended in 2005, she joined the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (Regulatory Division), known for the world-famous Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee. 
Loreen then moved to The University of the West Indies, where she advised on intellectual property and technology transfer matters. Now retired from the university, she is focused on developing tech transfer services for the Jamaican public.
In this episode, we explore Loreen's journey into tech transfer, her leadership at JIPO, the challenges and strategies she encountered, and her advisory role at The University of the West Indies. We'll also discuss the unique opportunities and challenges that Caribbean nations, including Jamaica, face in commercializing intellectual property and fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship.

In This Episode:
[02:28] Loreen shares how she got her start in tech transfer. She was exposed to tech transfer while head of the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office.
[03:19] People in Jamaica and the Caribbean are very creative because of all of the different influences that they've had. She's always been interested in making that creativity work.
[05:12] Before JIPO there were bits and pieces of IP protection through government offices. There were things like copyrights and trademarks.
[06:37] Loreen talks about challenges getting JIPO up and running. In the early days, the knowledge gap was a huge problem. Working with WIPO helped close that gap.
[07:54] Jamaica has only been a sovereign country since 1962. There were old colonial laws on the books. Getting the legislation in place for IP and tech transfer was challenging.
[09:41] Effective strategies included utilizing the courses that WIPO offered.
[12:59] It's also challenging to keep up with all the new changes including challenges brought about by AI.
[14:18] Tech transfer is more than something that universities need to know about. As a small country, Jamaica needs to reach out to the people, because there are people who are doing innovative things.
[18:26] There's a huge connection between innovation and entrepreneurship.
[20:02] There's a lot of work being done in biotech on the medicine side and the agricultural side.
[24:07] A big challenge is tapping into the global commercialization opportunities. Jamaica needs to consciously become a path of the global commercialization ecosystem.
[25:46] They need to be seen as a company of products that can benefit society. 
[27:05] IP has always been seen as a very important area for the Caribbean and Jamaica.
[28:39] IP is the new area of law that protects innovation and inventions. Resources need to be invested in the protection of IP.
[29:37] In order to keep on top of things we have to accept that we have to be lifelong learners.
[30:55] Another challenge is how each country has different laws about IP. We need to look at a more global IP system.
[33:26] One of the most rewarding things for Loreen is establishing an organization that is growing and helping people. It's also being able to share and give advice.

Resources: 
Loreen Walker AUTM
Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Jamaica Blue Mountain® coff