Whiteboard to Boardroom

“Collaborative CommercializationIn the Bi-State Region”

GCEC 2013

Founding Partners: UMKC, William Jewell College, University of Kansas Center for Technology Commercialization, Johnson County Community College

Funded by National Science Foundation

W2B Objectives

• Identify game changing technologies and get them into the hands of established businesses and talented entrepreneurs, resulting in new projects and businesses that stay local and grow.

• Fully integrate university, hospital and industry research into the existing entrepreneurial ecosystem

• Create a central clearinghouse (www.CEObullpen.com) for regional commercialization information, including ideas for licensing, CEO candidates for startups, and entrepreneurial resources

W2B: Making Connections

ManagementTeams

Startup Resources Growth

Resources

IdeaIdentification

Market & TechnologyAssessment

Connect Research toKC Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

How It Works

W2B team members serve as “match-makers,” connecting technologies with entrepreneurs to start and expand businesses

Partner with research organizations and technology transfer offices to identify

technologies

Identify

entrepreneurs with a depth of technology expertise and business experience

Team with business development organizations to provide business assistance and

create startups

Research Partners

University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO

The Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO

St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, MO

Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, MO

Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO

William Jewell College, Liberty, MO

University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

Jordan Valley Innovation Center, Springfield, MO

Mercy Research and Development, Springfield, MO

Blue Valley High School CAPS Program, Overland Park, KS

University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

KU Medical Center, Kansas City, KS

Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

Wichita State University, Wichita, KS

MRIGlobal, Kansas City, MO

CEO Bullpen

KCTechMatch LinkedIn Group• People who have recently been involved in exits from

other companies and are looking for their next best thing.• Middle-managers who have recently exited large

corporations and have strong P&L experience.• Others who have the capacity and social networks to

make things happen.

W2B Program

Education• Technology commercialization programs for university faculty and

hospital physicians

Technology/Expertise Hub• Central catalogue of university technologies available for licensing• Database of domain experts for technology evaluation• Relationships with CEO’s ready to run newly formed companies

Examples of Activities

Connections• Matching available technologies to entrepreneurs and established

companies in the region• Facilitating the licensing of university technologies to regional

companies• Recruiting medical device companies to partner with universities and

hospitals to mature their technologies• Fostering relationships with regional trade networks

Business Development• Promoting joint development projects between regional companies• Teaming with business development organizations such as UMKC

SBTDC and KCSourceLink to provide business assistance to entrepreneurs

• Identifying funding resources for newly formed startups

Outcomes To Date

In the last eighteen months-

14 research partners5 licenses

8 company formations 8 company formations pending15 industry/research projects underway

138 KCTechMatch members recruited105 entrepreneur/company interactions

Resources