Posted March 4th, 2010 by admin
HydroWorx CEO, Anson Flake, has extensive experience working with colleges and universities in his line of business. As co-founder of the company, he’s enjoyed success manufacturing and selling premium aquatic therapy pools to big name institutions and organizations in the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NCAA. I sat down with him to better understand the impact academia, and ITN, could have on expanding a business like his.
In Pa, ITN has assisted HydroWorx by connecting the company with talented faculty in graphics & design, and business at one of our members, Millersville University. Together the faculty pair led a select group of students as they compiled and ultimately presented their findings on market research and competitive analysis to company executives. From Anson’s view, the collaborative opportunity injected a small team into his company for a short-term, specialized project. As he put it, a faculty team identified by ITN is like having your own scout for research talent. ITN did the searching, calling, and connecting of faculty in his designated sweet spot while faculty did the heavy lifting guiding, leading, and supporting students as they addressed real-world issues from HydroWorx.
According to Anson, ITN’s model of representing a group of small colleges and universities is both a pre-launch and post launch opportunity for companies. Pre-launch involves demographics, market validation, product development, packaging, messaging, the works. Post launch is all about studies to confirm and validate the product deliverable, lending further credibility to the product once it lands squarely in the market. With so many experienced faculty to choose from, across such a broad spectrum, the odds of finding the right fit are equally as good, if not better, than working with only one institution.
For students, the experience is one more notch on the belt for those seeking every advantage in building their portfolio and getting a foot in the door as a future hire. In this case, the Millersville student’s successful data collection and information analysis was integrated into HydroWorx existing research and is being used to enhance their decision-making process. These budding professionals got the chance to understand working on a specific timeline, under pressure, and making presentations that had an impact on real business decisions, and then hearing the feedback. All while calling a dorm room home.
Back at ITN, we’ll continue to work on the challenges - coordinating schedules, improving communication, and increasing face time between companies, students, and faculty, all immersed in crammed schedules. This project was a great chance to get our feet wet with HydroWorx, and now, as we discuss our next joint effort, we’re ready to take the plunge.
Tags: Add new tag, competitive analysis, faculty research, HydroWorx, Innovation Transfer Network, market research, Millersville University, new product development
Posted in : Uncategorized |
Posted January 26th, 2010 by admin
Assisting a funded project through the next steps of commercialization is the objective of ITN and our seed grant program. An interesting meeting in the healthcare space took place recently when ITN hosted a small gathering of business professionals, a faculty project leader funded by ITN, and their corporate partner. Project participants were looking for input and possible road blocks on future funding, feedback on the business model and guidance on intellectual property. Our industry connections allowed ITN to pull together business executives from the life sciences, medical, legal, investment, and economic development sectors as a sounding board for the project team.
Steve Hulse of JPL talks with JoAnn Lawer of Lancaster General Hospital
As is usually the case, the draft business model initiated more questions than answers, focusing on which end-users would be willing to part with cash for the product and the true value-add to a customer. It was clear that innovation in healthcare can be a tricky ride as companies try to navigate the HIPPA and new technology guidelines. With input from those in medical and healthcare education, the conversation turned to opportunities around licensing, product integration and/or tweaking the existing concept to target a different set of customers.
Mel Billingsley (left) of the Life Sciences Greenhouse, Alan Snyder of Penn State Hershey Medical Center, and Eric Darr of Harrisburg University.
This type of engagement between faculty and corporate project teams is invaluable to those immersed in development. The discussion allows the team to consider additional issues around realistic sales channels, legal concerns, and business development questions before they head too far down the road and it’s painful to turn around. It was a great example of the willingness of the business community here to support new business ideas and the entrepreneurial activity created when faculty and small business connect.
Whether the team decides to ditch the project completely, dig deeper into the market to find answers, or alter their current strategy, this type of discussion is worth hitting the brakes for a 90 minute time investment to support business innovation. At the end of the day we’ll either have a new company, a new division, a new product (or some variation of the three) or smarter executives and faculty primed for the next opportunity. Either way, the road ahead looks promising.
Tags: healthcare, HIPPA, innovation, Innovation Transfer Network, medical, patient education, product development, start up companies, technology
Posted in : Uncategorized |
Posted January 13th, 2010 by admin
Drafting a new Intellectual Property (IP) policy is not for the faint of heart. ITN arranged a conference call this morning between one of our liberal arts colleges and our university partner supporting ITN on IP questions. The Director shared a few items for consideration and potential road blocks for companies, faculty and the universities as they draft new policies. It was interesting to hear the crazy circumstances that creep up in university-based IP development.
Major topics on the call included questions around how to treat students (graduate students vs. undergraduates) as they get involved in projects. What happens when students move into the lab and begin working on specific research? Are medical and law students treated the same as students involved in research?
The age-old issue of getting agreements in writing appears to be a step people still avoid. It’s a simple step that can eliminate many a sleepless night and large investments in legal battles if parties would simply take the time to document their mutual understanding prior to moving forward. This doesn’t have to invovle the next iteration of search technology either. Issues can be as simple as developing new website designs (created by students) or faculty course design. Laying out who owns the final product in advance can go a long way in saving relationships.
Joint ownership of IP, and assigning patents to companies or back to faculty, are additional tricky and potentially time consuming endeavours. If ownership of IP is between multiple parties (either people or people/colleges/universities), there are specific items to discuss on how those parties can move forward on development. And if outside funding has occurred to support IP development, meaning an NSF or NIH grant for example, then approval for assigning IP becomes more involved - and takes longer.
When faculty members want to pursue starting a company and integrate their IP into the start-up, things get really interesting. Is the role of the faculty member as company owner or as a key management team member? Will the university take an equity stake to license the technology or not? Will a specific faculty member’s skills translate to strong start-up company leadership? (Most investors say no.) These were all part of the dialogue.
For colleges and universities looking into a new IP policy, tapping into a qualified IP resource for Q&A early in the process can be a big help, and time-saver. You might also want to take a look at Wendy Kennedy’s “So What? Who Cares? Why You?” It’s a reader-friendly, colorful workbook for those seriously considering launching a company - whether faculty or not - and can be a valuable handout. The more access everyone has to simple, easy-to-read guidelines and forms, the smoother the process can be for all parties involved.
Tags: faculty, Innovation Transfer Network, intellectual property, IP, IP policy, start-ups, Wendy Kennedy
Posted in : Uncategorized |
Posted December 9th, 2009 by admin
The other day Malcolm and I had lunch with two faculty members from Lebanon Valley College (LVC) and a Director from JPL in Harrisburg. It was an opportunity to host a casual business and academic discussion with folks interested in the same topic. In this case, what makes a quality intern in a design/creative environment?
The pair from LVC are both energetic faculty and not afraid to try new ideas in the classroom. They are two of the three professionals involved in the Digital Communications Group at LVC. Meeting JPL’s Director gave us all a chance to hear more about what an entrepreneurial organization looks for in young talent. She was well versed in many aspects of JPL and understood the corporate culture they continue to foster.
As part of the discussion, the Director shared that JPL values students who can cross multiple departments with strong collaboration. Even better if they have cross discipline training; some expertise in both communications and graphic design, for example. According to her business feedback though, this is rare. For their part, LVC is working on just such an endeavour inside the Digital group. Faculty from Art, Business and English are leading the effort to bring business skills into the artistic, digital, creative space.
After years of developing a well-known, well-respected intern program, JPL has the luxury of attracting and hiring mostly seniors, and is willing to pay for top talent. It was apparent that part of this has to do not only with the candidate’s skill set but in JPL’s ability to evaluate what candidates have learned from their successes and mistakes. What changes did the student made to a project? Why? What’s the thought process? How did they react to constructive feedback, someone who didn’t love their design? It was a valuable conversation and I credit LVC and JPL for the willingness to sit down and hash out a few ideas around the table.
Imagine what we can accomplish if more meetings like this take place: Faculty interested in hearing what the business community wants from graduates. At ITN, we’re willing to shell out a few bucks for a cheap lunch or coffee in the spirit of helping our network members connect with business, and we plan to do more of it.
Tags: business, design, faculty, Innovation Transfer Network, interns, JPL, Lebanon Valley College
Posted in : Uncategorized |
Posted November 16th, 2009 by admin
On Friday, Dr Stephen Fonash spoke to a group of entrepreneurs and faculty in Harrisburg about the challenges of taking an idea from the lab to market. This is an area where he has significant experience as co-founder of two companies, NanoHorizons and Solarity, and as a key player for Penn State’s nanotechnology and materials research in “Happy Valley.”
As anyone who’s been around the start-up process knows, there are many issues. It can be even more tricky when you’re an active faculty member. The three charactor traits Fonash emphasized for survival were being tenacious, realistic, and flexible. Tenacity gets you through the challenges and being realistic comes in handy when negotiating with investors on a company’s valuation. Flexibility enters the picture when a mangement team is hired around you, as the company grows and a founder’s percentage of ownership decreases with outside capital investment. The handling of intellectual property (IP) was another hot topic, and getting a good lawyer was a point he made more than once.
When asked about his tenure and direct involvement in NanoHorizons, Fonash shared that the level of his day-to-day involvement decreased as it became more of a product-focused company and less of an early stage, idea-generation company. For him, this equated to approximately fours years of intense engagement.
Safe to say there was a lot more to his experience than time would allow. His battle scars are evident. Both faculty and those eyeing business ownership have much to learn from Dr Fonash. No grass grows under his feet as he continues his involvement with education, writing books, and starting other companies. As for NanoHorizons, he told us at lunch, ”Now I’m just watching my stock.”
Tags: business start up, Innovation Transfer Network, intellectual property, materials science, nanofabrication, nanotechnology, Penn State Harrisburg, start up advice, Stephen Fonash, venture investors
Posted in : Uncategorized |
Posted November 3rd, 2009 by admin
This is a guest post by ITN’s Faculty Liaison, Malcolm Furman
Greetings All! Over the past couple months we all have been pretty busy with the website, a few events, and meeting new people. If you haven’t yet done so, have a look at my new grant highlights page, “Mal’s Picks.” If you don’t see your particular interest in that short list, give me a call – I have a reserve in the file.
In my travels around the region, I have renewed contact with Lebanon Valley College – meeting four professors over the summer and meeting their new Dean, Michael Green and a few more faculty for lunch. So far we have seen Chemistry and Biology faculty and recently Jennifer and I had a great meeting with the Digital Communications group. Moving south to Franklin & Marshall College, I met Curtis Hare and Claude Yoder. As it turns out, these folks comprise only a small fraction of the Chemistry talent in the ITN community. I am also working with a few faculty on Requests for Research [RFRs], a pathway to sponsored research for which our Out of Cycle Seed Assistance Grants may be particularly useful.
ITN has received referrals from industry, including Ben Franklin Technology Partners, DCED, and from HACC. These range in purpose from heat sinks, to concrete, materials recovery to computer and electronics applications, and maybe a power plant. I am encouraged by the alternative fuels work being done at Penn State Harrisburg and Dickinson College. There is great opportunity for collaboration among the schools for these and other projects.
The IT and computer science connections I have made so far span Shippensburg Univeristy to Millersville University. The sophistication in gaming and simulation technology in the region is commendable. Jennifer met the guys from VGI Phila (VideoGame Growth Initiative) and they’ll be coming to meet ITN for what we hope will be a lively discussion. Call me (717.948.6455) if you want to join the meeting.
For many of our faculty I am finding links to federal grant solicitations, not only in gaming, but in materials, devices, and human factor developments. As we move forward I believe these grant programs will become important components in the commercialization process – providing sufficient resources to the project partners to reach the critical mass needed to go to market. Having spent three days at the Federal Laboratories Consortium regional meeting gave me a sense of the opportunity that exists in making those connections work. I will be writing about that in more detail later.
In addition to my activities with faculty, I’ve also met with Fred Botterbusch of MANTEC, our regional IRC. Being able to expose our faculty to the wider connections in the business community, and vice versa will be a great advantage. While I haven’t listed all of the meetings, calls and letters fielded from my cubicle over the past couple months; please know that one way or another, I have made some connection with all of the schools. I do enjoy projects that “stink, glow or burn” but I am also involved and excited about the many opportunities I find here. In addition, when I have spoken of our activities to the business community or organizations, like the FLC, there is much interest in what we are doing – and usually a request to become involved or stay informed. Until next time….
Tags: commercialization, computer science, concrete, faculty, federal labs, funding, gaming, grants, innovation, Innovation Transfer Network, materials, Pennsylvania, research, VGI Philly
Posted in : Uncategorized |
Posted October 5th, 2009 by admin
It was unanimous, good collaboration begins not with money, an iron-clad agreement, a timeline or extensive research. It begins by developing a good fundamental relationship with a potential partner. This was one of many points bantered about by faculty and business panelists at Dickinson College, the site of ITN’s “Plug Into the Private Sector” event.
During the course of the evening’s discussion, the group shared their strategy for identifying potential partners. Brian McNew, CEO of EarthNet Energy, found his faculty partner by reaching out to his alma mater, Shippensburg University. McNew engaged one of the two faculty he’s working with as a result of his interaction with the University.
Matt Steiman of Dickinson College and Dr. Sairam of Penn State Harrisburg both agreed that attending national and regional industry meetings is the best way to make initial contact with potential partners. Both stressed patience and realistic expectations, in addition to, keeping in touch and nurturing the relationship. When the right opportunity presents itself, faculty then have a foundation from which to build and introduce a project.
One passionate point of disagreement across campuses is whether to share or not to share information. Hans Pfister, of Dickinson College, encouraged attendees to get their ideas out of their desks and onto the table. If faculty can test a concept with a trusted private sector partner “everyone wins,” according to Pfister. His track record supports the notion that business partners provide faculty and students with the opportunity to gain valuable insight, market input, and the ability to tweak before attempting commercialization.
Dr. Sairam of Penn State Harrisburg shared his view on collaboration with large, national entities. His private sector and start-up background has aided his negotiations with corporate partners. Defining objectives, signing non disclosures, and “sticking within the parameters of the agreement” are all part of keeping things on track in big business deals.
Despite the high powered brain cells and advanced degrees swirling the room, it was clear that all the research, published materials, and initials behind a name won’t help build successful collaborative relationships without the basic skills of flexibility, outreach, and good old-fashioned communication.
Visit the event photo gallery here: http://www.innovationtransfernetwork.org/events/photo-gallery
View the full event video: http://www.youtube.com/jhammaker09
Tags: Brian McNew, business, Dickinson College, Dr Sairam, EarthNet Energy, faculty partners, Hans Pfister, Matt Steiman, Penn State Harrisburg, private sector partners, research faculty
Posted in : Uncategorized |
Posted August 25th, 2009 by admin
P&G is one of many companies who have invested in the concept of openly recruiting new ideas and talent from outside their employee talent pool. Their website, P&G Connect, asks for “game changing” products, technology and business models and beckons innovators to submit. “Connect & Develop” is their mantra.
The “Connect & Develop” concept has slowly trickled down to main street communities particularly as business owners struggle to survive the current economic climate. Our recent interaction with corporate execs and owners confirms the notion that companies of all sizes are now more open to identifying and partnering with outside entities. This new way of “thinking outside the cubicle” is opening many doors here for collaboration. At a recent meeting with one Cumberland county-based engineering firm, we learned of their 2009 initiative to accelerate innovation. The company has developed a formal ideas submission process, including screening and committees, to quickly kill or act on ideas brought forth by employees. (This also has the side benefit of energizing employees.) Once the idea is deemed to have merit, organizations like ITN can provide further due diligence to save time and speed the process. Faculty active in a chosen industry segment can be identified by the ITN team and connected with the company’s project leader. (This process of identifying and connecting will be further accelerated in September, when ITN’s online Enclave community launches.) The ability to support a product or market launch with third party research offers companies ammunition to run the concept “up the flag pole” and seek the CFO’s blessing.
In addition to corporate meetings, we’re also talking with organizations like MANTEC, whose hot-button is helping manufacturers and other companies innovate and drive top line growth. ITN can sift through the faculty at local colleges and universities, find pockets of expertise, and identify willing and available candidates for a specific project. From there, it can be as easy as hosting a lunch discussion to see if the project has potential. For company project managers, interaction with researchers and experts outside the business offers a new perspective and perhaps different ways of looking at a product or process. On the flip side, it also helps the faculty understand that when you move from theory to practice, many other factors come into play – financial, market timing, employee motivation, customer demands.
In other meetings, Managing Director Asher Epstein of the University of Maryland’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, shared a few of his lessons learned with me. One such lesson includes figuring out how to get faculty/students and industry (which includes both investors and business owners) together as quickly as possible in the idea generation process. From his perspective (and the Center’s 23 years of experience) the faster research and ideas meet real-world obstacles and opportunities, the sooner all parties can determine the viability of a project and move it to execution, or the trash can.
Tags: Asher Epstein, college research, commercialization, Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, faculty, faculty collaboration, faculty research, innovation, Innovation Transfer Network, MANTEC, Pennsylvania technology transfer, product development, small business, University of Maryland, university research
Posted in : Uncategorized |
Posted August 6th, 2009 by jjh27
With a full contingent on board, including the arrival of Malcolm Furman our Faculty Liaison, we are fielding requests on multiple fronts. Certainly energy is the hot topic of the day and projects between firms like EarthNet Energy in Chambersburg, Shippensburg University and Dickinson College are in the works to enhance the efficiency and affordability of solar power. Messiah College, the recipient of a DOE grant supporting research on biodiesel production and methanol recovery, is also engaged with ITN as they explore business opportunities with end-uses of glycerin. In addition to the energy-related requests, companies are hungry for software development talent in our faculty network. Not only do we review multiple seed grant applications of this nature, we continue to make connections for companies willing to fund projects internally. Multiple faculty members at Millersville’s Software Productization Center, led by former seed grant recipient Stephanie Elzer, are a great example of software development talent who regularly link with small business. Carol Wellington, from Shippensburg, is another resource well-versed in private sector projects. She is currently involved in discussions with a Cumberland County business regarding an IT application. Market research is on the corporate radar too. Recent meetings like one with a Dauphin County company looking for research tied to product expansion in health care, are on the rise.
Since ITN is meant to be a launch pad for commercialization, the team also works closely with our former seed grant projects to aid in identifying additional follow-on dollars, either via federal grants, the Venture Investment Forum, and/or Ben Franklin Technology PArtners.
As the region’s “front door” for making connections between faculty and business, ITN is in position to tackle outreach and work with other high profile groups with similar interests. The Green Center, in partnership with HACC’s Midtown campus, and ITN are in discussion on how best to work together and leverage our resources. The Center is led by Jill Gaito, Executive Director, and supported by Doug Neidich, a well-respected entrepreneur and business owner. Gannett Fleming, with local offices in Camp Hill, is taking a leading role in innovation with the appointment of Art Hoffmann to run their corporate Innovation Center.
While there is no shortage of activity and enthusiasm, the task at hand is to deliver demonstrable results by way of commercialized products, business expansion and growth. No small chore, but we are up to the challenge. Join the discussion and post your comments and suggestions here.
Tags: Art Hoffmann, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, biodiesel, Dickinson College, DOE grants, Doug Neidich, EarthNet Energy, funding, Gannett Fleming, grants, Green Center, HACC, Innovation Center, Innovation Transfer Network, Jill Gaito, Malcolm Furman, Messiah College, methanol recovery, Millersville University, Shippensburg University, Software development, solar energy, Venture Investment Forum
Posted in : Uncategorized |
Posted July 28th, 2009 by jjh27
The effort to launch our local online community (September) for faculty and business seems to be arriving at the right time as the whole collaboration concept appears to be picking up steam in the national media. Maybe small business is realizing the ivory towers of research and the halls of academia aren’t so bad after all? Or maybe a new generation of faculty are realizing how valuable it is to their teaching, students, and personal growth to engage the corporate sector? Probably a little of both. Either way, the good news is the business sector is coming back around for another look at how to engage campus talent to accelerate their product development and spark innovation. The more outgoing and entrepreneurial (not to mention smart) faculty seem to be getting their due.
On the media front, The New York Times’ Sunday Entrepreneurial Edge, highlighted an example of collaboration taking place in nanotech. Quotes like, “The universities have been essential in this development process” and “Being able to use the core facilities of the university couldn’t help but accelerate our progress” underscore the benefits of a group hug between small business and academia. It’s not without challenges in coordinating business objectives and deadlines with course work and existing faculty projects, however, it can be worth the effort.
Here at ITN, we’ve seen a steady increase from both small and mid-sized businesses looking for assistance with market research, software and IT development, as well as the need for very specific product development expertise. The fact that our unique approach combines 13 colleges and universities together to act as a “front door” to access faculty, makes it easier for regional business owners to identify expertise.
In other media coverage, the Times published a recent article aptly named, The Tour d’ Admission, featuring high school counselors who arrived at Franklin & Marshall College and Elizabethtown College during what has become their annual summer bike tour. Mediabistro, an online media outlet, experienced a flurry of activity on Twitter last week when they attracted comments from students and faculty on the use - or lack of - of social media across campuses.
In this economic crunch a great deal of homework is being done on how to impact the bottom line, attract affordable expertise, and reach out to campuses for a combination of both. The media, both social and traditional, is taking notes.
(Side note - We decided to launch this blog prior to the new ITN site launch because there is so much activity taking place. Once the site does launch, we’ll post the new url on this blog so you can bookmark the blog’s permanent page and stay in the loop with us.)
Tags: business, collaboration, Elizabethtown College, faculty, Franklin & Marshall College, Innovation Transfer Network, Mediabistro, New York Times, product development, projects, small business, student
Posted in : Uncategorized |
