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Nebraska Innovation Forum
The first annual Nebraska Innovation Forum was held on Thursday, March 30, 2006 at the Cornhusker Marriott in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Forum was sponsored by Bio Nebraska Life Sciences Association, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Midlands Venture Forum, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Nebraska Economic Development Association, Nebraska EPSCoR (with support from an NSF Infrastructure Improvement grant), and the University of Nebraska. Business leaders, policymakers, and researchers are invited to hear distinguished speakers and attend a workshop on innovation. Innovation Forum participants were invited to the 2006 Nebraska Research Expo (below) also. The next Innovation Forum will be held on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at the Qwest Center in Omaha. Check back for updates.
Speakers
Dan Berglund is the president and CEO of SSTI, a non-profit organization designed to enhance initiatives, particularly those at the state level, that encourage economic growth through the application of science and technology. SSTI is the most comprehensive resource available for those involved in technology-based economic development. Leading SSTI since its inception in 1996, Mr. Berglund has helped develop a nationwide network of practitioners and policymakers dedicated to improving the economy through science and technology. SSTI works with this network to assist states and communities as they build tech-based economies, conduct research on best practices and trends in tech-based economic development, and encourage cooperation among and between state and federal programs. Prior to joining SSTI, Mr. Berglund worked as a private consultant, served as the primary author of Partnerships: A Compendium of State and Federal Cooperative Technology Programs and as the Director of Ohio's Thomas Edison Program and the Ohio Technology Transfer Organization (OTTO), Ohio's largest public/private economic development programs. View "Investing in Tomorrow."
Robert Blair is an Associate Professor and Director of the Urban Studies program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His primary expertise is in community and economic development policy, city management, implementation theory, and urban studies. Dr. Blair teaches courses on policy design and implementation, municipal administration, and urban studies. He conducts research in community and economic development, specifically urban sprawl management, neighborhood development, economic development policy, policy networks, and policy tools theories. Dr. Blair is active in the Urban Affairs Association, the Nebraska City Management Association, and the Urban Management Education Committee, a partnership of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration and the International City/ County Management Association. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and B.A. and M.P.A. degrees from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. View "Innovations in Urban Development Research."
John Brasch, a technology entrepreneur and former business professor, is associate vice chancellor for technology development at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Brasch's duties include managing the evaluation, marketing, negotiating, and licensing of university technologies as well as developing and implementing a strategic plan to commercialize research technologies, breakthroughs, and products created by UNL faculty and scientists. He works to establish close ties with businesses and to increase UNL's effectiveness in technology development. He is founder and past president of Senior Technologies Inc. The company designs and manufactures safety and security products for the health-care industry. Dr. Brasch also serves as CEO of Turun International Inc., an international holding company with European distribution operations. Prior to joining Senior Technologies Inc. in 1980, he was a professor of business administration at UNL where he established programming in international marketing. He holds master's and doctoral degrees in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Brasch has served on the Building and Budget Committee of the American Health Care Association and on its Life Safety subcommittee. He is a past president of the Healthcare Manufacturer's Marketing Council; the Greater Nebraska Alzheimer's Association; the Nebraska Center for Excellence in Electronics, an electronics testing facility specializing in radio frequency testing to FCC and CE specifications; and he chairs the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development Technology Council.View "Technology Transfer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln."
Dr. Winnie Callahan is the Executive Director of the Peter Kiewit Institute in Omaha and the Assistant Vice President of the University of Nebraska Foundation. In her two positions, she serves as a liaison between the Omaha business community and the deans of the two colleges in the institute, and works with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska-Omaha to enhance opportunities for collaboration and cooperation. View "The Peter Kiewit Institute."
Martha Connolly, Director, Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS), University of Maryland
Dr. Connolly is the Director of the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS), a program of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTECH). The MIPS program accelerates the commercialization of technology in Maryland by providing matching funds for collaborative R&D projects between companies and University System of Maryland faculty. Dr. Connolly was a research faculty member at Johns Hopkins University and an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Dr. Connolly is the author of 36 publications in cardiovascular systems physiology and is the former Senior Biotechnology Specialist for the State of Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. Dr. Connolly was a founder of Clairus Technologies, Inc., a technology development company, and Director of Business Development at EntreMed, Inc. Dr. Connolly is experienced in early-stage technology commercialization, business development and economic strategies. Dr. Connolly holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemistry from Stevens Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University. View "Success in Partnerships."
Kimberly Galt is the Associate Dean for Research in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions at Creighton University, and the Director of the Creighton University Health Services Research Program (CHRP). She is responsible for development of research opportunities and overseeing the appropriate infrastructure and resource support needs for the faculty to successfully conduct their research. Her role includes management of a large internal research development grant program, student research program, and the CHRP program. In her own work she has emphasized research and innovation in health information technology and patient safety, with funding support exceeding $3M in research grants and contracts. Her most recent work includes a three year study funded by the Agency for Health Research and Quality on hand held technology, e-prescribing and medication safety in primary care. She also leads a Creighton University subcontract for a 3 year HRSA Bioterrorism/Public Health Emergency Curricular Enhancement Project as a collaborator with the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Her recent federal panel appointments include expert panel member for the AHRQ Practice Based Research Network-Resource Center, the AHRQ Health Information Technology National Resource Center Steering Committee, and the Health Care Technology and Decision Sciences Study Section for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of Health and Human Services, in Rockville, MD. Dr. Galt earned her Bachelors in Sciences and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. View "Creighton University."
Peter G. Kotsiopulos is the University of Nebraska vice president for university affairs. He is responsible for the division within university administration devoted to economic development and university engagement, strategic communications, public relations, marketing, and state and federal government relations. He brings extensive business and community service experience to his position. Before graduating from college, Mr. Kotsiopulos took out a loan to open his own business, Varsity Formalwear in Kearney, Nebraska. He contracted the cleaning to his father’s business, Liberty Cleaners, and a few years later, opened a linen and uniform supply company. The three businesses merged in 1981, and when his father retired, Mr. Kotsiopulos became general manager and president. Today, the company includes ten dry cleaning stores, four routes, eight agency sites, and three formalwear locations throughout central Nebraska. Mr. Kotsiopulos is a member of the International Fabricare Institute, the Nebraska-Iowa Fabricare Association, the Mid America Management Bureau, the International Formalwear Association, and the Chambers of Commerce and Development Councils in Kearney, Hastings, North Platte and Grand Island. From 1994 to 2002, he served as mayor of Kearney. He is a former chairman and member of the Nebraska State College Board of Trustees and the Nebraska Postsecondary Education Commission, a member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, and a former member of the Board of Counselors at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Mr. Kotsiopulos has served on the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry education committee and the board of directors of the Kearney State College foundation. He has been involved in his community through the Boy Scouts of America, the Kearney Area Arts Council, the Museum of Nebraska Art, Sertoma International, and numerous community-based committees. Mr. Kotsiopulos received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Kearney State College, now the University of Nebraska-Kearney, in 1970.
Dr. Carolyn Lee is the Director of Research at Global CONNECT, a dynamic collection of organizations (firms, regional development organizations, university programs, and capital service providers) working together to enhance regional economic development through technology commercialization and the growth of globally traded science based companies. She is the Director of Research for Public Programs at UC San Diego, and heads the Office of Regional Innovation Studies in UCSD Extension, under Associate Vice Chancellor Mary L. Walshok. Along with Dr. Walshok, she is working to identify and systematically quantify the impacts of research universities on regional economies. She is mapping how regional R&D clusters gave rise to emerging knowledge based industries in San Diego, California, Texas, and other high-tech regions of the nation. She is documenting how emergence of social networks between university and industry researchers reinforces and anchors high tech industries to these regions. She is also documenting the role that universities play in educating the skilled workforce that high tech industries demand. Dr. Lee has an extensive background in technology transfer from UCSD, UCI and UCLA. She holds a PhD in physical chemistry from MIT and an MA in comparative public policy from UCSD's Graduate School of International Relations & Pacific Studies. View "Regional Strategies for Building High Tech Clusters."
Charles Mathews, a private investor and independent company director, is a director of the Tech Coast Angels (an organization of over 250 members, investing as individuals, representing Southern California’s leading source of funding and guidance for start-up ventures). He is a founding member and past president of the San Diego Tech Coast Angel Network. Elected 2003 Director of the Year – Corporate Governance by the San Diego Corporate Directors Forum, Mr. Mathews has been an independent company director, an early-stage investor, and consultant providing CEO-level perspectives since 1996. He currently serves as the chairman of both the board of directors and the corporate governance committee, and a member of the audit committee of Avanir Pharmaceuticals (AMEX:AVN – a drug development and marketing company), and as chairman of the board of directors of Controltec, Inc. (a software and services provider to local governments and educational institutions). Mr. Mathews has held general management responsibility for companies operating in a broad range of life- and silicon-science industries, as well as service industries, on three continents. He has served on the boards of directors of over twenty companies in seven countries. His background includes significant start-up, large and small public company, and private company experience, initial and secondary public offerings, and turnarounds. He was founding Chief Executive Officer and board member of AlphaNet Telecom Inc., and led the company through both its initial public offering and an additional offering. Mr. Mathews also served as the president and a director of two public companies: Scientific Micro Systems Inc. and Cipher Data Products Inc. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Science – Imperial College of Science, London, England, completed post-graduate studies in business at Stanford University, and has resided in the San Diego, California area for the past 17 years. View "TALES FROM THE DEALS."
Thomas McDonald received his M.S. from South Dakota State University, his Ph.D. in immunology from Washington State University (WSU), and his post-doctoral experience from the College of Veterinary Medicine at WSU. He is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), an inventor on several U.S. patents, and has authored numerous scientific publications in the field of inflammation and diabetic kidney disease. Dr. McDonald invented, developed, and manufactured prototype diagnostic tests for human and veterinary applications; he established start-up companies to manufacture and market technologies in collaboration with companies worldwide. Over a period of 15 years, he assisted UNMC in a variety of commercialization and technology development projects. Dr. McDonald is a member of scientific and business organizations including the American Association of Immunologists, the Federated Society for Experimental Biology, the Association of University Technology Managers, and the Licensing Executives Society. He is an invited member of the European Concerted Action Consortium on Developing International Protein Standards and serves on the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Molecular Virology Research.
Joseph Panetta is president, CEO, and a member of the Board of Directors of BIOCOM, the regional association representing over 450 biotechnology, medical device, diagnostics, medical equipment, and bioagriculture companies in the San Diego area, and numerous service sector companies, civic organizations, municipalities, universities, colleges, and biomedical research institutions in the San Diego region. As president and CEO, Mr. Panetta is responsible for executing BIOCOM's mission of serving as a catalyst in positioning the San Diego biotechnology community to achieve global success working with a staff of 14 and a 52 member Board of Directors. Before joining BIOCOM, he was employed by Mycogen Corporation, a pioneering San Diego-based biotechnology firm where he played a principal role in commercialization of the first recombinant DNA microbes and crops. Mr. Panetta served as a vice president at Mycogen during a period when the company grew to over 600 employees with sales of $250 million and offices throughout the world. His business development responsibilities included creating and serving as chairman of Mycogen Mexico, as corporate board member of Mycogen France, as a principal liaison to Mycogen's Japanese partners, Kubota Corporation and Japan Tobacco, as well as the company's Argentine subsidiary. After participating in the sale of Mycogen to Dow Chemical Company in 1998, he joined BIOCOM as its first president and CEO. Mr. Panetta serves on various committees, boards, and business coalitions addressing legislation and workforce and economic development pertaining to biotechnology. He is currently on the boards of directors of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, San Diego World Trade Center, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, and the San Diego Workforce Partnership. He earned a B.S. in biology from LeMoyne College in 1976 and a Master of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh in 1979. View "Building a Successful Biotechnology Cluster."
Tom Walker currently serves as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for i2E, Inc. and CEO and Executive Director of the Oklahoma Investment Forum. In i2E’s seven-year history, the state's investment has been leveraged $25:1 with industry, angel investors, and venture capital representing a total private investment of $300 million, which has created nearly 1500 jobs and 200 advanced technology start-up companies. Mr. Walker is responsible for the design, development and management of state and national programs/resources to assist advanced technology companies and entrepreneurs in enterprise development and access to early stage capital. He is a founding member and leader in the vision, design, and implementation of all aspects of i2E’s business units. He has been assessing the commercial potential of advanced technology opportunities for 14 years. Mr. Walker is a frequent national and international speaker and advisor in the areas of building innovation, entrepreneur infrastructures, and unique sources of risk capital. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and a Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University. He is a graduate of the 27th Annual Venture Capital Institute and the 4th Annual Venture Capital Institute Graduate Program. View "Turning Innovation into Enterprise."
Nebraska Innovation Forum Schedule
7:30-9:00 Breakfast
Welcome: Pete Kotsiopulos, Vice President for University Affairs, University of Nebraska
Remarks and Introduction: James B. Milliken, President, University of Nebraska
"Investing in Tomorrow": Dan Berglund, President and CEO, State Science and Technology Institute
9:00-9:50 "Successes in Partnership": Martha Connolly, Director, Maryland Industrial Partnerships, University of Maryland
9:50-10:10 Coffee break
10:10-11 "Turning Innovation into Enterprise": Tom Walker, COO and Executive Vice President, Oklahoma Technology
Commercialization Center
11:00-12 Nebraska Higher Education Panel Discussion moderated by Pete Kotsiopulos, with panelists: John Brasch
(UNL), Thomas McDonald (UNMC), Kim Galt (Creighton University), Robert Blair (UNO), and Winnie
Callahan (Peter Kiewit Institute, University of Nebraska)
12:00-1:30 Lunch
Remarks and Introduction: Jim McClurg, Chair, Board of Regents, University of Nebraska; Chair,
Board of Directors, BioNebraska Life Sciences Association
"Building a World-Class Biotechnology Cluster": Joe Panetta, President and CEO of BIOCOM
1:45 - 3:15 "Regional Strategies for Building High Tech Clusters": Carolyn Lee, Director of Research, Global CONNECT
3:15-3:30 Coffee break
3:30 - 5:00 "TALES FROM THE DEALS - How We Did It - San Diego Tech Coast Angels": Charles Mathews, past
president, San Diego Tech Coast Angels; member Board of Governors, Tech Coast Angel Network
View Innovation Forum Post Card. See Also: 2006 Nebraska Research Expo.
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