| |





 |
Coupled with the long-term strategy of
research STARS teams, is the Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) program aimed at
generating a short-term boost to Washington economic vitality and stimulating
job creation. The EIR program, funded by STARS, is designed to enhance
entrepreneurial assistance programs targeted at research universities, key
research-dependent industries and small businesses. A strong
Entrepreneurial-in-Residence program is underway at both the University of
Washington and Washington State University.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence capitalize on Washington's strong
entrepreneurship history by housing leading locally-based,
entrepreneurial executives directly at the universities to collaborate
with university researchers. The entrepreneurs, contribute
necessary expertise for transforming research and intellectual property
into viable business strategies, plans and start-ups. After a
short period of operation, the program has seen dozens of potential
spin-outs in the pipeline converting university intellectual property
into private businesses and jobs. The EIRs also provide an expert
resource for the university's other initiatives which foster
entrepreneurship and industry relations.

University of Washington
The University of
Washington’s Center for Commercialization (C4C), has recently recruited
five additional industry experts as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs).
They join four continuing EIRs.
C4C’s EIR Program has
helped dozens of projects develop commercially viable business plans.
Several new companies have launched and are in various stages of
fund-raising and commercialization, including Adeona, Portage Bay
Photonics, Cardiac Insight and Corazonix.
New EIRs -
March, 2011
|
 |
|
Lars Johansson is an active
Cleantech angel investor and the co-chair of Northwest Energy Angels. At
UW C4C his primary focus will be on commercialization opportunities in
the Energy/Cleantech space. His background is in IT where he was an
executive at Microsoft for a combined 16 years. Johansson joined
Microsoft in Sweden and was responsible for the Nordic Enterprise
business when in 1993 he relocated to Redmond to lead the development of
the company’s initial volume licensing programs. Most recently he was
responsible for the Worldwide System Builder business.
|
|
 |
|
Ronald Berenson is a medical
oncologist, who founded several successful NASDAQ-listed biotechnology
companies that have developed mAb-based therapeutic products used to
treat cancer. Berenson has been the architect of multiple
entrepreneurial ventures in the biopharmaceutical industry. He was a
founder and executive at HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, which is developing
therapeutics in hematology and oncology, at Xcyte Therapies, which
developed antibody-based immunotherapies to treat cancer, and at CellPro,
a biotechnology company that developed and commercialized stem cell
harvesting methodologies for hematology and oncology applications.
|
|
 |
|
Terri Butler draws on more than
20 years of experience in technology and market development. Previously,
she provided strategic counsel to several small companies in her
commercialization work with Washington State University. Butler holds 13
U.S. patents: six in coating technologies for electrostatic printing
developed while employed at 3M Company and seven patents in nutritional
product applications.
Since arriving at UW,
Butler has been leveraging her expertise in advanced materials to
support startups in MSE and ME commercializing high-performance
organic/hybrid functional polymer materials for electro-optic
applications, and next-generation building materials.
|
|
 |
|
Henry Berg’s career focus is the
application of new technologies to business problems. His experience
ranges from hands-on product development to business strategy and
management. At present, Berg is a director with A3 Alliance, a
technology private equity fund. Prior to A3, Berg held several roles at
Microsoft, where he developed a big picture view of the challenges
facing technology companies today.
At C4C, Berg has taken on
the role of a hardware advisor to startups in EE and ME, focusing on
technologies such as advanced polymer cooling skins for electronics,
pico projection technology, low-power wireless systems and advanced
security technology.
|
|
 |
|
Stephanie Amoss has more than 20
years of experience in the healthcare and medical device industry and
most recently as a marketing and strategic consultant for medical device
start-ups. Previously, Ms. Amoss served as Senior Vice President of
Marketing and Strategic Development for Pathway Medical, a
Kirkland-based medical device specializing in endovascular atherectomy.
At C4C, Amoss is focused
on providing UW researchers, EIRs, and the commercialization teams
market research and development expertise.
|
Continuing EIRS
|
|
 |
|
Ken Myer is the former president
and CEO of the Washington Technology Industry Association and board
president of the Technology Alliance. Over a 20-year career he has led
companies ranging from startups to those at the Fortune 100 level. Myer
co-founded Interval Systems and positioned the company as a leading
provider of lean manufacturing software tools for industrial engineers.
He also led worldwide marketing, sales, technical, and customer service
teams for Active Voice Corporation, which Cisco Systems purchased in
2001. Earlier in his career he held executive positions at IBM Corp.
At C4C, Myer has been
actively involved with a wide variety of projects from CSE, EE and other
departments. These include potential startup companies in areas such as
advanced wireless sensing, electronic records for healthcare,
rehabilitation medicine, and technology for customer relationship
management for non-profits.
|
|
 |
|
David Kaplan is a Seattle-based
innovator and entrepreneur who has been concentrating on smart grid and
supporting power industry technologies. In 2006 he founded V2Green to
deliver information technology solutions that capture the full economic
value of connecting electric vehicles with the power grid. He served as
chairman, CEO, and chief technology officer until the company’s 2008
acquisition by GridPoint, after which he led the Electric Vehicle
Business Management unit until February 2009. Earlier in his 30-year
technology career he worked at Microsoft and Impinj. Kaplan holds
degrees in economics and operations research and is the inventor or
co-inventor of more than a dozen patented or patent-pending
technologies.
Kaplan is working with UW
faculty members in CSE and EE to pull together a Center of Excellence in
the Smart Grid area. This has included discussions with local energy
companies and outreach to WSU and PNNL to help coordinate regional
strategies in the smart grid space. This work is expected to lead to a
smart grid oriented startup company.
|
|
 |
|
David Croniser, an engineer and
pioneer in diagnostic imaging, has focused his clinical, technical, and
business experience in the UW healthcare sector. In the 1980s he founded
and led one of the earliest ultrasound imaging companies, Quantum
Medical Systems, purchased in 1991 by global industry leader Siemens.
Croniser has consulted for numerous start-up companies focused on
cardiovascular diagnostics, simulation software, and medical practice
software. He returned to Siemens in 2000 to work on strategic product
development, then direct ultrasound marketing efforts, and later work in
the anesthesia technology sector.
Croniser is supporting faculty in
commercializing a technology to improve the detection of kidney stones,
integrated with a first line of defense technology that actively
promotes the expulsion of the stones. Croniser has also joined a new
imaging team that is committed to bringing significant improvements to
the planning, tracking and quantification of the effectiveness of breast
cancer therapies.
|
|
 |
|
Thomas Schulte has 30 years of
experience developing medical devices and medical diagnostic products.
Dr. Schulte spent 17 years leading research and product development
programs at Becton Dickinson & Co., a Fortune 500 healthcare product
provider. His technology management experience also includes successful
product development in start-up companies like Micronics, Inc. of
Redmond, Wash., a spin-out company from the UW’s Department of
Bioengineering, and at Pelikan Technologies in Palo Alto, Calif., a
company focused on diabetes care and glucose testing.
Schulte is currently
working with faculty in several departments, including Mechanical
Engineering and Bioengineering, on technologies for improved clinical
diagnostics. His work with faculty in Bioengineering has led to the
formation of a new company to enhance the speed and sensitivity of
clinical immunoassays. He’s also involved with UW spinout companies
exploring improved methods of nucleic acid isolation, and new methods of
assessment of cardiac disease markers. |
|
Link to UW TechTransfer website:
depts.washington.edu/techtran |
|

Washington
State University's Entreprenuers-in-Residence
Accelerating technology
from research to the private sector
|
|

Kevin Petersen

Dr. Jumin Tang |
|
Developing
Food Safety Opportunities
Kevin Petersen - Working with WSU researcher, Dr. Juming Tang. WSU has formed
Food Chain Safety, LLC (FCS) . Funded by USArmy and consortium
of private food companies. FCS will be manufacturing
microwave sterilization food processing systems for the food
industry. Three orders have already been placed for an
estimated retail value of $5 million. Mr. Peterson is now in the
process of expanding the consortium and forming international
partnerships (China & Europe)
Data: Approximately 4
additional new patents to be filed. One new company formed.
Estimated direct jobs in short-term: 10
Quotes from industry
members:
“This is a tipping
point technology …. You cannot compare food processed through microwave
sterilization to any other approach … the difference is phenomenal”
Evan Turke – Sr. Fellow – Kraft
“Microwave Sterilization
is no longer a dream … It is very real and it is groundbreaking.”
Phillip Minerich– VP Product Development – Hormel
|
|
Working with WSU Nuclear Radiation Center and BSEL |
|

Jeff Canin |
|

Bryan Zetlen |
The EIR team is
working
together
on the
commercialization of medical & industrial radioisotope
production capacity of WSU reactor, establishing deeper ties
with PNNL and commercialization experts. They are also aligning
research priorities for WSU TC and BSEL and developing
commercial applications & investment in cutting-edge WSU
positron research.
NRC : One new company to be
formed. Estimated direct jobs in short-term: 10
BSEL: Multiple companies may
be formed as a result of commercial demonstration activities
focused around BSEL.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Lewis Rumpler - Working to
support the successful commercialization of technology generated
from the significant research enterprise at WSU. Prior to this,
Lewis was Executive Vice President of Business Development at
Signature Genomic Laboratories (SGL). SGL was the leading
provider of molecular genetic testing for pre and postnatal
constitutional disorders.
Data: 2 patent apps to be
filed, one new company to be started. Estimated direct jobs in
short-term: 3
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Peter Quinn - Building sustainable businesses
in rural Jefferson County. Focus is on WSU’s portfolio of
near-market, modestly scaled economic opportunities (e.g. Vet
Surgery tools, cheese to bread, and beer, wine & cider
industries)
|
|

|
|
Karen Fleckner -
Collaborative Resourcing
– in partnership with NuElement, WSU
is developing a parallel technology
deployment model to facilitate the rapid
commercialization of WSU research products to yield
validated, market relevant research products.
Data:
Approximately 10 new patents to be filed. One new
company to be formed. Estimated direct jobs in
short-term: 5
|
|
 |
|
Jerry Schwartz is an Entrepreneur in
Residence with the WSU Research Foundation in support of the CASAS
Intelligent Environment research of Dr. Diane Cook and Dr. Maureen
Schmitter-Edgecombe. Jerry is CEO of Luna Blue International Ltd. and a
Northwest legal and business leader with over 25 years of experience in
a variety of senior executive roles within the technology industry, with
expertise in new business and strategic development, commercialization
of research activities and global product launches. Mr. Schwartz has
held senior
leadership positions in Microsoft Corporation, Fox Communications, and
locally successful technology start-ups: iCopyright.com, Design
Intelligence and Midisoft. Jerry holds BA, MBA and JD degrees from the
University of Puget Sound and an LLM in international legal practice
from Salzburg University in Austria. He is a member of the State Bar of
Washington and California.
|
|
 |
|
Robert E. Schilling - Commercializing
the diagnosis of trichonomiasis, the world's most prevalent sexually
transmitted disease. Robert is working to commercialize diagnostic
technology with WSU researcher John Alderete. Mayfield Bioscience
(MBS) is an early-stage life science company created to focus on the
this technology. |
|
 |
|
Justin Thornley is the CEO of
Intelipedics LLC, a company dedicated to extending the functional life
of orthopedic implants. Prior to this venture Justin was the Director of
the Innovation Assessment Center for the EDA of Washington State
University, the president of Logistitek, Inc., and the Director of
Information Technology for Walden VC. Justin holds a B.A. in
Business Administration with a major in Entrepreneurship from Washington
State University where he served as president of Students in Free
Enterprise and is a Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Fellow. |
|
|
|
Tom Murphy has several years' experience
helping companies achieve growth by bringing new products to market.
He runs a consulting firm that specializes in the interim C-level
services. He will help WSU commercialize positron technology. |
|
 |
|
Regional Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Northwest Innovation Resource Center - Whatcom County
In August, 2011 Chris Leyerle, former
EIR at WSU will join the NW Innovation Resource Center to begin the new
regional EIR program focused on commercializing regional intellectual
property in the Whatcom County area. |
Return to:
Top of Page |
Home Page
WA STARS | Evergreen Plaza, Suite 607 | 711 Capitol
Way | Olympia WA 98504-8302
Privacy Notice
|