The UT Research Foundation along with the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) proudly announce “Invention to Venture,” a one-day workshop on Friday, November 11, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) along with the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) proudly announce “Invention to Venture,” a one-day workshop on technology-based entrepreneurship with emphasis on life sciences and medical devices. The event will be held on Friday, November 11, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), 800 Madison Ave., in the Student-Alumni Center Schreier Auditorium. Pitt Hyde, founder of AutoZone, Inc., is the keynote speaker during the program’s noon luncheon.
“Invention to Venture” is designed for university faculty and students, the Mid-South business community, and anyone interested in learning more about technology-based life sciences entrepreneurship, which may involve biomedicine, biotechnology and biomedical devices, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic product development, life systems technology, food processing, and institutions focused on research, development, technology commercialization.
Presentations will focus on topics such as idea validation and assessments, building the team, business plan modeling, and intellectual property. Featured speakers are experts and entrepreneurs drawn from the entire region.
“At all universities, including the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, there is an increased emphasis on converting academic discoveries into products and services that benefit the public. By hosting educational events like Invention to Venture, the UT Research Foundation is helping educate faculty, staff, and students who want to better understand the commercial potential of their work,” said Richard Magid, vice president of the UT Research Foundation. “Our goal is to increase the rate at which university breakthroughs make it to the marketplace, create jobs, and improve people’s lives.”
For more information about “Invention to Venture,” or to register for the workshop, please visit www.invention2venture.org/tennessee2011 or contact Dee Helton, president of the UTHSC Student Government Association Executive Council, by email dhelton5@uthsc.edu, or by phone, 317-698-5583.
The University of Tennessee Research Foundation, founded in 1935 and reorganized in 2003, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes the commercialization of UT intellectual property, encourages an entrepreneurial culture, contributes to state and regional economic development, and promotes research and education to benefit the people of Tennessee and beyond. For more information, please visit utrf.tennessee.edu.
The National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, established in 1995 by The Lemelson Foundation, is dedicated to supporting technology innovation and entrepreneurship in universities and colleges to create experiential learning opportunities for students, and successful, socially beneficial businesses. For more information, please visit www.nciia.org.