AGENDA


ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY STARTUPS CONFERENCE & DEMO DAY

The University Startups Conference and Demo Day brings together a diverse audience of over 300 people of university Startup Officers, university startups, entrepreneurs, Fortune 1000/Global 1000 corporations, VCs, angel investors, policy leaders, and federal government agencies. The event provides a venue to form and maintain robust transaction networks among the participants with the aim to align university IP and startups with investor and corporate needs.

Held from April 18-20 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., the event highlights the different areas that make up the ecosystem that supports commercialization:

April 18 (8:00 Am to 12:30 PM): The Demo Day showcases the startups that are best aligned with industry needs and corporate technical needs.
April 18-19: The conference discusses best practices for creating, supporting and funding university startups.
April 20: The Congressional Startup Day aims to raise awareness of the pivotal role that universities play in the formation of high potential startups, the creation of high-value jobs across the country, and overall national competitiveness.

NOTE: This Agenda will be updated periodically; panel/showcase dates and time, panels and speakers may change without notice as the conference develops.
All listed speakers are confirmed.

 

DEMO DAY AND CONFERENCE AGENDA

APRIL 18: University Startups Demo Day
7:00 am - 8:00 am   Registration and Networking
8:00 am - 8:15 am  

Opening of the University Startups Demo Day and Conference

Welcome Remarks

Tony Stanco
Executive Director
National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer
8:15 am - 9:15 am   Demo Day Presentations: Pharma/Med Presentations/Advanced Manufacturing
9:15 am - 10:15 am   Demo Day Presentations: Clean Tech and Chem/ICT and Consumer Facing Platforms
10:15 am - 10:30 am   Break
10:30 am - 11:30 am   Demo Day Presentations: Pharma/Med Presentations/Advanced Manufacturing
11:30 am - 12:30 pm   Demo Day Presentations: Clean Tech and Chem/ICT and Consumer Facing Platforms
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm   Lunch on your own
2:00 pm - 2:15 pm  

Welcome by Startup Officer Leadership Council

  • Robert Hisrich, PhD, Kent State University
  • Robert McGrath, PhD, Drexel University
  • Brian McIlroy, PhD, University at Buffalo
  • Steve Nappi, Temple University
  • Helena Wisniewski, PhD, University Alaska Anchorage

Welcome by Corporate Commercialization Council

  • Glenn Vonk, PhD, former BD Tech, Director of Business Development and Alliances, NCET2
  • Jay Amarasekera, PhD, SABIC Ventures
  • Dana Lowell, Faurecia
  • Steve Socolof, New Venture Partners
2:15 pm - 3:00 pm  

University Panel 1: Best Practices in Commercializing Research with University Startups

  • Moderator: Steve Nappi, Temple University
  • Robert Wooldridge, Carnegie Mellon University
  • Neil Veloso, Johns Hopkins University
  • Christina Orsi, University at Buffalo
3:00 pm - 3:45 pm  

University Panel 2: Valuation of Startups

  • Moderator: Bob Hisrich, PhD, Kent State University
  • Helena Wisniewski, PhD, University of Alaska, Anchorage
  • Gary Gibbons, PhD Thunderbird School of Global Management
  • Steve Roberts, Kent State University
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm   Break
4:00 pm - 4:45 pm  

University Panel 3: University Angel Groups

  • Moderator: Helena Wisniewski, PhD, University of Alaska, Anchorage
  • Robert Hisrich, PhD, Kent State University
  • Seth Tropper, Angel Investor
  • Nancy Saucier, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
4:45 pm - 5:30 pm  

VC/Angel Panel: Funding University Startups

  • Steve Socolof, New Venture Partners
  • Ajit Singh, Artiman Ventures
  • Ari Nowacek, Arch Venture Partners
  • Jiong Ma, Braemar Energy Ventures
5:30 pm - 6:15 pm  

Corporate Panel 1: Corporate Needs Panel

  • Moderated by: Glenn Vonk, NCET2
  • Anton Xavier, Pfizer
  • Mike Myers, Eli Lilly and Co
6:15 pm   Summarization of Day 1
7:30 pm   University-Corporate Dinner (by invitation only)
     

APRIL 19: University Startups Conference
8:00 am - 9:00 am  

Registration
9:00 am - 9:30am   Recap of Day 1
9:30 am - 10:15am  

Panel: Partnering with the DoD to Develop Medical Products

  • Tyler Bennett, U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency
  • Kathleen Berst, U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency
10:15 am - 10:45 am   Break
10:45 am - 11:30 am  

Panel: Essential University Startup Services

  • Glenn Vonk, PhD, NCET2
  • Walter Wrigglesworth, SBIR and Funding Advisor, NCET2 (formerly from Raytehon)
  • Michael Blaustein, Corporate Venture and Funding Strategist, NCET2 (formerly from DuPont)
  • Victoria Scarborough, Technology Commercialization Expert, NCET2 (formerly from Sherwin-Williams)
11:30am - 12:15pm  

Corporate Panel 2: Corporate Needs Panel

  • Moderated by: Glenn Vonk, NCET2
  • Meagan Lazor, Saint-Gobain
  • Eric Breese, Evonik
  • Werner Kaufmann, BASF
12:15 pm - 2:15 pm  

LUNCH (on your own)
2:15 pm - 2:30 pm  

University Keynote

President Satish Tripathi, PhD
University at Buffalo
2:30 pm - 3:15 pm  

University Panel 4: Universities Engaging Large Corporations

  • Moderator: Brian McIlroy, PhD, University at Buffalo
  • Bob McGrath, PhD, Drexel University
  • Jay Amarasekera, PhD, SABIC Ventures
3:15 pm - 4:00 pm  

Policy Panel: Legislation for Supporting and Funding University Startups

  • Stephen Ezell, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
  • Andrew Mooney, Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL)
  • Yan Zheng, PhD, Senator Chris Coons (DE)
  • Hilary Gawrilow, Rep. Jared Polis (CO)
  • Joel Cresswell, Rep. Daniel Lipinski (IL)
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm   Break
4:30 pm - 5:15 pm  

Corporate Panel 3: Corporate Needs Panel

  • Moderated: Glenn Vonk, NCET2
  • Najib Abusalbi, Schlumberger
  • Dana Lowell, Faurecia
  • Sven Harmsen, M Ventures (Merck Germany)
5:15 pm   SUMMARIZATION AND CLOSING

APRIL 20: Building a Startup Nation: Congressional Startup Day
8:30 am - 9:00 am  

Registration
9:00 am - 9:15 am  

Welcome/Opening
9:15 am - 11:45 am  

Building a Startup Nation

University Entrepreneur Congressional Internship Program

Congressional Startup Day Across America

Startup Panel: Students and University Entrepreneurs Talk About Their Experiences
11:45 to 12:00   Wrap-up and Closing
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm   Congressional Office Visits Day

 

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