UW News

March 30, 2011

UWs Center for Commercialization announces new Entrepreneurs-in-Residence

UW News

The UWs Center for Commercialization has recruited five additional industry experts as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.

The center launched the program in 2009 with support from the Washington State Economic Development Commission, the Washington state Legislature and in partnership with the Washington Research Foundation.

The newest Entrepreneurs-in-Residence are:

  • Lars Johansson, a former Microsoft executive, active Cleantech angel investor and the co-chair of Northwest Energy Angels.
  • Ronald Berenson, a medical oncologist who founded biotechnology companies HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, Xcyte, and CellPro.
  • Terri Butler, a 20-year technology veteran awarded patents for innovation in electrostatic printing and advanced materials while at 3M Company.
  • Henry Berg, a director at A3 Alliance, whose background includes start-up efforts focused on mobile devices and patented work on collective intelligence business forecasting tools; and
  • Stephanie Amoss, a marketing expert with more than 20 years experience in the health care and medical device industries.

The five join current Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Ken Myer, former president and CEO of the Washington Technology Industry Association, who is focusing on UW software spinoffs; David Kaplan, Seattle-based innovator and entrepreneur who has been working with UW researchers to further develop a regional smart grid research and development program; Thomas Schulte, a 30-year veteran in the medical device and diagnostic product industries, who is working with UW faculty on technologies for improved clinical diagnostics; and David Croniser, an engineer and pioneer in diagnostic imaging, who is focusing on innovations in the health care sector.

“We want to see more companies, more jobs, and more impact come out of our Universitys research,” said Linden Rhoads, vice provost and executive director of the center. “We cant expedite company spin-outs without talented entrepreneurs who recognize potential applications and market opportunities for UW research.”

The Center for Commercialization — C4C for short — introduces entrepreneurs-in-residence with specific domain expertise and industry experience to UW faculty carrying out translational research in related areas. The entrepreneurs have helped identify UW technologies with commercial promise and have provided researchers with real-world insights about the commercialization process along with expertise about target markets, product development, and fundraising strategies.

Over the past two years since its launch, the centers Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Program has helped dozens of projects develop commercially viable business plans.  Several new companies have launched and are in various stages of fundraising and commercialization, including Portage Bay Photonics, Cardiac Insight and Corazonix.