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X-WR-CALNAME:Learn about commercializing lab innovations at the 2024 Porth 
 Lecture
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Central Time (US & Canada)
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260910T110018Z
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_47755014271549
DTSTART:20241021T190000Z
DTEND:20241021T200000Z
DESCRIPTION:Dede Willis\, president\, CEO and cofounder of Orbit Genomics I
 nc and partner with Ventac Partners\, will present the Harry William Lee P
 orth Distinguished Lecture at 2 p.m. Monday\, Oct. 21\, in the Innovation 
 Lab Forum. Her talk is titled “From Lab to Market: Commercializing Unive
 rsity Life Science Innovations.” There will be a reception following. Al
 l are welcome.\n\nAbstract: In the rapidly evolving field of life sciences
 \, translating groundbreaking academic research into viable market solutio
 ns presents  both exciting opportunities and unique challenges. The talk i
 s based on both personal experiences as an entrepreneur and investor as we
 ll as learnings from other company’s successes and failures. We will exp
 lore the journey of llife science innovations from the lab to commercial s
 uccess\, addressing critical questions such as the origins of new life sci
 ence products and the strategies for assessing their commercial potential.
 \n\nWe will delve into the essential steps for building a successful busin
 ess around life science innovations\, emphasizing the importance of foster
 ing a culture of creativity and entrepreneurship within academic instituti
 ons. We will also discuss how to direct research toward commercial opportu
 nities\, ensuring that innovations are aligned with market needs and deman
 ds. Attendees will also gain insights into the nuances of transitioning fr
 om academia to the start-up world\, including best practices for navigatin
 g this shift. Finally\, we will highlight common pitfalls that entrepreneu
 rs and universities may encounter along the way and offer actionable strat
 egies to avoid them.\n\nBio: Dede Willis is a partner at global life scien
 ce venture creator\, Ventac Partners. She is also President & CEO and a co
 founder of Orbit Genomics\, Inc.\, a genomics company cofounded by Ventac 
 Partners and Missouri S&T alumnus\, Dr. Harold “Skip” Garner. \n\nDede
  has over 25 years of executive leadership experience in Life Science star
 tups in the US\, Europe and Asia. In addition to Orbit Genomics\, she has 
 cofounded and/or led multiple university spinouts. She started her career 
 with the former Hoechst Group (now Sanofi\, Celanese and DuPont) where she
  worked in several corporate start-ups in the U.S. and Germany\, gaining o
 perational experience in every functional role and across multiple industr
 ies. In her first international role\, she was responsible for establishin
 g an innovation process for  Hoechst’s global corporate research (German
 y\, US and Asia) to ensure research projects had commercial potential. She
  was also responsible or acquiring startup and technologies from universit
 ies. She has been responsible for the development and launch of many life 
 science products including therapeutics\, diagnostics\, medical devices & 
 veterinary products.\n\nDede has a B.Sc. Degree in Chemical Engineering fr
 om Clemson University and an MBA from the University of Houston\, but her 
 real education comes from a career in start-ups. She lives in Boulder\, Co
 lorado where in her spare time she enjoys skiing\, cycling ad hiking in th
 e Rockies and other beautiful places around the world.
GEO:37.948544;-91.77153
LOCATION:Innovation Lab\, Forum Room
SUMMARY:Learn about commercializing lab innovations at the 2024 Porth Lectu
 re
URL;VALUE=URI:https://calendar.mst.edu/event/dede-willis-porth-distinguishe
 d-lecture-series
CATEGORIES:Lectures & Conferences
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