Entrepreneurs-In-Readiness (EIRs) are serial entrepreneurs, ideally with a background in medical technology, who live for the excitement of starting new ventures. They have a proven track record in taking technology businesses from research/concept/idea to market. EIRs bring a breadth of experience from their past endeavors, starting with a good knowledge of the industry, and continuing with extensive functional expertise in operations management, intellectual property, venture financing, creating partnerships, strategic planning, marketing, sales, and technology commercialization.

The Opportunity

EIRs give back to the community by participating in the PFI MTCC program in a volunteer capacity. Their experience and expertise are great assets to the program, and greatly appreciated. Each EIR assembles a team around a medical need/ technology of interest, and works with the team to identify solutions to medical challenges/problems, to assess the technology and the market, to develop a commercialization plan, and to bring in needed resources, as necessary. The goal and the opportunity is to explore if startup potential exists, and if so, pursue it. The EIR makes critical decisions, including selection of management; s/he may be interim CEO or recruit potential CEOs for the new company. The EIR will lead a team that could include:

• An engineer (biomedical, mechanical, chemical, applied science, etc), or scientist (faculty, researcher, postdoc) - proposes medical technology solutions that have the potential to solve clinical needs, and conducts additional R&D of the technology towards commercialization; participates in technology assessments
• A student and/or postdoc - from Engineering and other disciplines: brainstorms solutions to the clinical need of interest, ideally working with his/her PI, and conducts additional development; participates in technology assessments
• A business school student - from UC Davis Graduate School of Management and/or CSUS College of Business Administration: performs market studies and contributes to writing the commercialization plan; may participate in business plan competitions
• A law school student - from UC Davis School of Law: performs analysis of the IP landscape
• A physician, resident, fellow or medical researcher - could be either a scientific advisor or part of the team: brings unmet medical needs, provides input to product development, etc

Expectations

• EIRs must submit a CV or resume to the PFI MTCC program, create a profile at www.younoodle.com and link it to the UC Davis Partnerships for Innovation group.
• We seek EIRs who are willing to teach, advise and share their experience and insights with their team members, as well as the students and scientists who participate in the PFI MTCC.
• EIRs are expected to proactively network with VCs, pursue funding from a variety of sources, and in general advance the technology/solution toward commercialization.
• EIRs must communicate with the PFI MTCC program manager often, to provide updates, suggestions, and information relevant to the program

Outcome

The PFI MTCC provides EIRs the opportunity to focus on creating new, high-impact companies by partnering with scientists, clinicians, and students. EIRs have the potential opportunity to become CEOs for the new ventures. Teams that receive one of the 3 annual awards for their commercialization plans will be awarded $15,000 to be used for advancing the technology closer to market.

The PFI MTCC is a university-based program, and as such, subject to applicable intellectual property policies at UC Davis. For detailed information on the services of the technology transfer office, UC Davis InnovationAccess, and UC policies that apply to intellectual property, follow this link: http://innovationaccess.ucdavis.edu/

PFI Entrepreneurs-in-Readiness

• Barry Zakar, MBA 
• Maurice Herbelin, MD, MBA
  
• Steve Barnett, PhD, MBA is leading the Advanced Tissue Diagnostics team. 
• George Cimino, PhD 
• Greg McParland
  

Contact

Gabriela Lee, MBA, MS, Gabriela.Lee@cbst.ucdavis.edu