Join us at 6 pm to interact with our panel members & your fellow participants.
Enjoy light bites & make new connections.
“So You Want To … ?” is an event series designed for people eager to explore new professional opportunities, including new gigs, new side hustles, investor roles, board positions, or other pathways that are innovative, independent, or both.
Each event will focus on a specific pathway that attendees may be curious about, focusing on technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, investment in assets for growth, and avenues toward business ownership.
This event – “So You Want to … Launch a Startup, Leveraging University Technology?” – is the THIRD event in this series.
Turning university research into a successful startup can be a powerful and complex path to innovation. From licensing intellectual property to building a company, raising capital, and navigating early growth, this journey requires both strategic insight and real-world experience.
Join us at Innovate New Albany for an interactive roundtable discussion featuring founders who have successfully launched companies based on university-developed technology from the Ohio State University. This session will explore what it really takes to commercialize university IP and build a venture around it.
Our three panelists bring perspectives from across the startup lifecycle:
- Chimdi Chekwa, founder of Legacy Acres, a new software startup in the agricultural space. Chimdi will share insights from forming a company, executing a university license, and recently securing $200K in non-dilutive funding from the state of Ohio’s TVSF program.
- Nicole Weidner, CEO of Scioto AgriTech, an ag-tech startup built on licensed OSU technology. Nicole will discuss translating research into a scalable business and navigating the realities of fundraising while growing a science-driven company.
- Stephen Quiring, former President of Storm Impact, who will reflect on building a company around OSU technology and successfully exiting through an acquisition.
Together, the panelists will candidly discuss:
- Licensing university technology and working with tech transfer offices
- Deciding when (and how) to form a startup
- Early funding strategies, including non-dilutive capital and equity raises
- Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Lessons learned on the path from research to exit
Our Panel Moderator:
Dr. Jay Dahlman is the Associate Director of Licensing at The Ohio State University’s Innovation and Commercialization group. Dr. Dahlman has over 20 years of experience in technology transfer and scientific research focused on driving research innovations to the market. At Ohio State, Dr. Dahlman leads a team of licensing professionals focused on technology assessment, business development, licensing, and service to stakeholders. He and his team are responsible for developing and executing licensing strategies that align with the inventors goals & objectives, the university’s mission, as well as promoting faculty engagement, and ensuring an outstanding customer experience.
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This event is FREE, but please register in advance.
Schedule:
6:00 – Light Bites / Socialize & Connect
6:30 – Panel Begins; Be Ready to Ask Questions
7:45 – Panel Ends & Connecting Resumes
8:30 – Event Concludes
