TECH COMM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Technology Licensing Officer
Adam Bolton joined the Technology Commercialization team in 2022 and is a Licensing Officer responsible for the marketing of agricultural and horticultural technologies developed by University of Minnesota Researchers.
Prior to joining Tech Comm, Adam worked for Syngenta Group as a Product Development Specialist and Product Placement Scientist developing new varieties of vegetables for North America. Adam received his Ph.D. and B.S. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in Plant Breeding and Genetics where his research focused on understanding the genetics and physiology of abiotic stress tolerance in carrot.
Outside of his work at the University, Adam enjoys getting outdoors and hiking/camping with his wife and two dogs on the North Shore.
Job Titles:
- Technology Portfolio Manager
Allison Ferro manages a diverse range of UMN technologies in the biotechnology and medical device space. Allison joined Technology Commercialization in 2019 after almost two decades in the medical device industry. Most recently, she spent nine years managing the intellectual property and early stage technology development for ophthalmic diagnostics at Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. She started her career in product development with jobs at Lumenis and Ellex Medical, where she led the laser development for solid state photocoagulator lasers for ophthalmology. In between, she worked in strategic development at Nellcor Puritan Bennett (now part of Medtronic) evaluating new technologies for acquisition and licensing, and as a patent analyst for IP Checkups, a boutique patent analytics firm.
Allison enjoys working at the intersection of technology, business and law. She is experienced in evaluating early stage technologies, knowledgeable about intellectual property protection strategies, and understands what it takes to turn an idea into a product.
Allison has a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry with a Certificate in Optics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a B.A. in Chemistry from Carleton College.
Job Titles:
- Technology Licensing Officer
Andrew collaborates with faculty and staff to commercialize software and digital innovations developed at the University. His portfolio includes intellectual property license negotiations covering patents, trademarks, copyrights, and technical expertise. Some of those licenses are to University-based start-up companies. Andrew's favorite work aligns with the AUTM Better World Project: licensing innovations that will improve our everyday lives, with the hope for long-lasting impact.
Prior to Tech Comm, Andrew spent time in sales, marketing, and business development roles at several Twin Cities start-ups. Two years performing bench science in cardiology at UCLA preceded Andrew's business development interest, and he competed internationally on the United States National Rowing Team and coached collegiate rowing at UCLA and Columbia University.
Outside the U, Andrew enjoys rowing on Lake Nokomis and the Mississippi River. He lives in Excelsior with his wife and three daughters.
Andrew holds a B.A. from Princeton University.
Job Titles:
- Technology Portfolio Manager
Anne joined Technology Commercialization in 2006, and has spent more than a decade bringing early stage life science technologies to market. As a Technology Portfolio Manager, she manages intellectual property and early stage technology development for a wide range of innovations, with a special focus in Biotechnology and Agriculture/Horticulture. Her portfolio ranges from the Honeycrisp apple to the Sleeping Beauty® Transposon.
Anne enjoys developing strategies to take technologies to market, and helping academic researchers at all levels (students to tenured faculty) learn what it takes to develop their innovations into real world products and services.
She is experienced in evaluating market potential of University-developed technologies, developing intellectual property strategies via both patent and trademarks, and reviewing and negotiating contracts with research sponsors and commercial partners.
Anne began her career in the life sciences as a research scientist working on advances in chromosome and hormone receptor biology. She has a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a B.S in Biology from Truman State University, and conducted Postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Patent Accountant
April Kane works with Accounts Payable/ Accounts Receivables in Tech Comm.
April Kane has worked as an Accountant and Contract Officer for ten years. April grew up on the East Coast and went to college on the West Coast but now calls Minnesota home.
April Kane started her college career as an Organic Chemistry Major. April has a Master's in Fine Arts in Writing and a Master's in Liberal Arts as well as a bachelor's degree and a degree in business management.
Job Titles:
- Technology Licensing Officer
- the Technology Licensing Officer
Cecilia Hall is the Technology Licensing Officer responsible for the portfolio of technologies within Engineering and Physical Sciences. She brings subject matter expertise in polymer science and business-driven R&D to support faculty and staff in commercializing innovations developed at UMN.
Prior to joining Tech Comm in 2023, Cecilia spent five years advancing technology in industrial research roles. She worked on projects that ranged from scouting early technology to process scale-up and commercialization, with direct experience in pursuing and protecting inventions to support business goals. Cecilia has diverse experience innovating across a variety of applications including flexible circuits and membranes.
Cecilia earned her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota and completed her BS in Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin.
Job Titles:
- Senior Venture Development Manager
Chris Ghere works with faculty/staff, post-docs, Ph.D. students and entrepreneurs to form and launch high quality startup companies based on innovations developed from University of Minnesota research. His primary responsibility is managing and getting resources to the pipeline of startup innovation coming out of the University, UMN's Venture Center Pipeline.
The Venture Center team is responsible for leading the formation and launch of new companies based on the broad range of technologies coming out of the research enterprise at the University of Minnesota. Chris focuses on helping nascent startup opportunities with understanding their market, recruiting and developing the entrepreneurial team, and creating early-stage funding strategies.
Chris has over 20 years of experience working to bring early staged innovations and companies to market. He has worked on the Tech Comm team for over a decade, previously managing the University' software, artificial intelligence and robotics portfolios and creating strategies to bring these innovations to the market. Prior to joining Tech Comm, Chris co-founded a software startup and was the engineering lead in another. He has worked with both investors and start-ups to evaluate or raise early-stage investment capital.
Chris earned an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Chris also has a B.A. in computer science from Carleton College.
He lives in south Minneapolis with his wife, two children and their dog.
Before transitioning to Technology Commercialization in 2024, Consolate worked for various prestigious law firms spanning various jurisdictions. Her responsibilities included drafting legal documents, conducting due diligence for prominent mergers, advising on company restructuring and facilitating intricate transactions. She provided legal opinions and delivered insightful legal assessments for technology industry leaders with a special focus on data privacy regulations to prominent organizations such as Microsoft, Facebook and Google, among others. Additionally, Consolate's responsibilities included managing trademark portfolios as well as collaborating with affiliated firms across Africa to ensure comprehensive registration, licensing, and assignment of intellectual property rights.
Consolate holds a Master's degree in law from the University of Colorado - Boulder with a specialization in Intellectual Property, Technology, and Telecommunications Law, as well as a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University.
Job Titles:
- Technology Licensing Officer
Doug Franz joined Technology Commercialization after 35 years of product and business development experience with Hewlett Packard, Altek Medical, and Interyl Consulting.
Doug has extensive research and development experience with electronics, mechanics, optics, ASICs, firmware, and software systems. As manager and engineer, he contributed to the design and manufacture of imaging & printing peripherals, digital cameras, and medical devices. He lived 15 years in Asia and Europe establishing R&D labs, supply chains, and manufacturing product lines. As a consultant, he's contributed to the Minnesota startup community and supported US companies expanding in Asia.
Doug received a B.S. in electrical engineering from Iowa State and a M.S. in electrical engineering from Stanford University. He is an inventor on several patents and was a recent NSF I-Corps Industry Mentor.
Job Titles:
- Associate Patent Administrator
- Member of the Patent Administration Team
Emma is a member of the Patent Administration Team, which handles sponsor compliance, data and records management, formal documents, and communications with inventors and law firms regarding upcoming deadlines and requirements for their patent applications.
Emma joined Technology Commercialization in December 2023 after spending eight years working at a patent law firm in various roles including project manager, business development lead, and docketing and annuity specialist. Prior to that, she was an elementary school music teacher for four years.
Emma received a BA in Music and Spanish Education from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
Job Titles:
- Technology Portfolio Manager & Intellectual Property Officer
Eric Olson is responsible for protecting and evaluating innovations in high tech arising from research at the University of Minnesota as well as partnering with Technology Licensing Officers to facilitate commercialization of these innovations.
Prior to joining Technology Commercialization in 2007, Eric Olson had more than five years of experience in startup companies, consulting and as an associate in an angel investment network. He had a number of roles ranging from systems engineering at a wireless communications startup company to developing strategies for new and growing technology ventures in a consulting capacity.
Eric is an inventor on 21 issued US patents related to interference cancellation in CDMA mobile communications systems. He is also an author on a number of published scientific papers on the topic of soliton wave propagation in optical fiber.
Eric has an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; an M.S. in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado at Boulder; and a B.S. in electrical engineering and mathematics from Marquette University.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Research Partnerships Officer
Jason Stockman joined the Technology Commercialization team in April 2022. Jason is responsible for advancing corporate partnerships and promoting the Minnesota Innovation Partnerships Program (MN-IP).
Jason has over 23 years' experience in the medical industry in sales, training, management, marketing, and business development. He has worked both for a mid-size family-owned pharmaceutical company and large publicly traded pharmaceutical organization. Holding a variety of leadership roles throughout his career, Jason has been a key player in numerous product launches in Cardiology, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Women's Health, and CNS. He greatly enjoys working with companies that are seeking out new research opportunities and technologies that could lead to new commercialized products and innovations. Jason understands the unique challenges that go along with the commercialization of new medical technologies.
Outside of the University of Minnesota, Jason is an avid sports fan and has spent the past 12 years coaching his three sons in both youth hockey and baseball in Elk River, MN.
Jason has a B.A. degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, with majors in Political Science and English Writing/Journalism.
Job Titles:
- Technology Development Manager
Jill Crawford-Nichols joined the University of Minnesota's Technology Commercialization office in January 2022 and is located in Duluth, MN where she primarily works with researchers at UMD and NRRI. Jill's role includes technology scouting and commercialization coordination for researchers navigating the commercialization process at Tech Comm. Because of this, she is often the first person Duluth inventors interact with.
Jill has years of R&D project experience in the fields of healthcare, academia and design. Prior to joining the university, she worked for a healthcare innovation center, reviewing and developing inventions. Jill received her Masters in Interior Architecture and Product Design from Kansas State University. While at K-State, her focus was in universal design practices, which rooted a strong passion for a career in a field of positive impact. This passion is fulfilled every time she supports Duluth faculty and students transfer their meaningful research into the public realm.
Job Titles:
- Technology Portfolio Manager & Intellectual Property Officer
Karen Ohlfest manages intellectual property in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and veterinary fields. She joined Technology Commercialization in 2013 after working as a patent attorney for seven years at Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.
Karen began her career in life sciences conducting molecular biology research for several years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Karen has a B.S. in zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; a Ph.D. in molecular, cellular, developmental biology and genetics from the University of Minnesota; and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Job Titles:
- Office Manager & Events Associate
As Office Manager and Event Associate for the Technology Commercialization team, Katie is responsible for supporting the TechComm staff in their office and event planning needs.
Before coming to the University of Minnesota, Katie worked for Earlham College in their Epic Journey program as a career coach and recruiter. She also worked as a Library Assistant in Earlham's science library, the Center for Science and Technology.
Katie graduated from Trinity Washington University with a degree in Political Science in Washington, DC. Before she started her career in higher education, Katie oversaw the young adult lobbying program for the Friends Committee on National Legislation, which included FCNL's annual young adult lobby weekend, Spring Lobby Weekend.
Katie lives in the Twin Cities with her wife, Sam, and their pet family.
Job Titles:
- Technology Licensing Officer
- the Technology Licensing Officer
Kenneth Karanja is the technology licensing officer responsible for licensing life science assets including antibodies, reagents, cell lines, and animal models. Kenny joined the Tech Comm group in 2019 from the University of Iowa where he was a senior licensing associate responsible for marketing and licensing life science, computer science and engineering and medical device assets.
Kenny has over 10 years' experience in academic research at the University of Minnesota and the California Institute of Technology (CalTech). He graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a PhD in Biochemistry Molecular Biology and Biophysics and a Master's degree in Medical Device Innovation. He was a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech where he researched the molecular contribution of nuclease/helicases to genome maintenance and stability. As a postdoctoral associate at the University of Minnesota, he studied lipid metabolism in muscles seeking to unravel the "Athlete's Paradox." He is a named inventor on several issued US patents for small molecule adjuvants for chemotherapy and is involved in commercializing these compounds.
Kenny is passionate about entrepreneurship and technology transfer and has helped startup companies and university inventors develop and execute business/product development and intellectual property protection strategies. Kenny was awarded the prestigious Bremer Scholarship (2017) by the Association of University Technology Managers.
Kenny is an avid football fan (the real football!), a fan of the Gunners and Les Parisiens.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Associate Director, Technology Licensing Group
Kevin Anderson is responsible for marketing and negotiating licenses for medtech inventions arising from University of Minnesota research activities.
Kevin has over 20 years' experience in the medical industry in sales, product management, training, and business development. He has worked in large and specialty pharmaceutical companies. Also, he's gained significant experience working in early stage healthcare information technology leading teams in the launch of new products. Throughout his career, he's launched over 20 new products in various commercialization leadership roles. He especially enjoys working with companies that are commercializing new products because he understands the challenges associated with market introductions of new medical technologies.
Kevin has a business degree from Western Michigan University with a major in business management and a focus on computer information systems.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Specialist
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Associate Director, Marketing & Corporate Engagement
Leza connects faculty and researchers with companies to create win-win research partnerships. She is a matchmaker, navigator, and innovator with intellectual property, licensing, business development, and marketing expertise.
Leza has more than 15 years of experience in technology transfer, including assessing innovations, developing intellectual property (IP) protection strategies, negotiating IP terms in research agreements, and technology marketing. Through her experiences at university tech transfer offices in Australia and England, Leza brings an international perspective and new ideas to her work.
Before joining the University, Leza was a global product manager (marketing) for process analytical technologies at Thermo Electron Corporation, an analytical instrumentation company. She worked with customers in many industries, including pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and chemical.
Leza is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP). She has an M.S. in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.S. in chemistry from Binghamton University.
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Royalty Accountant
Luba Anderson is a finance and accounting professional with 20 years of experience in finance, business services and office administration. She has worked for the University of Minnesota for seven years and transferred to Technology Commercialization from the College Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences in August 2013.
She is responsible for the intellectual property royalty process, which includes invoicing, deposits, collections, disbursements, revenue sharing, and providing guidance, training, and presentations to internal and external parties. Also, she has been a licensed income tax preparer since 2011.
Luba graduated from Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics (MESI) with a B.S. in finance.
As Chief of Staff, Maria is responsible for supporting the Associate Vice President, executing key initiatives and driving cross-functional collaboration. She serves as a bridge between Tech Comm and other UMN departments while building efficiencies, ensuring effective communication and strategic alignment with Tech Comm's goals and objectives.
In her previous role, she served as the Executive Director of Minnestar, a nonprofit organization committed to building, nurturing and engaging those interested in technology through meaningful connection. In her role, she worked to promote the strategic vision and growth of the organization, while developing events and experiences that bring the MN tech community together.
She has held leadership roles with several public/private coalitions committed to serving the MN tech and entrepreneurial ecosystems, such as Make. It. MSP and Forge North. She is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in tech, and served as Operations Chair on the board of Technovation[MN], working to inspire girls and nonbinary youth to make an impact in their community using technology.
Maria is also a former educator with Minneapolis Public Schools, and was selected as a U.S. Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grantee in Bragança, Brazil where she developed university-level educational programming and events. She holds a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Megan Villella has over 20 years of experience in multiple financial roles at several Minnesota companies. She has a wide-ranging industry background in finance and accounting, including previous roles at one of the larger local craft breweries, a local marketing company, a leading health care provider, and a financial institution. She has an Associates degree in Accounting and a BS in Finance. Megan joined Technology Commercialization in February of 2022 as a Royalty Accountant.
Job Titles:
- Technology Commercialization Fellow
Michael Woods joined Technology Commercialization in January 2023. In his role, Michael works closely with Technology Portfolio Managers and Technology Licensing Officers to evaluate, market, and license technology, as well as with Corporate Research Partnership Officers to facilitate corporate research partnerships. Michael has a long-standing interest in the intersection of science, business, and law and how these fields work together to facilitate the development of innovative products.
Before joining Technology Commercialization, Michael worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at a Pulmonary/Sleep medical practice in the Twin Cities. He worked with pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and contract research organizations to manage clinical trials at the site level.
Michael earned a Master of Science in Pharmacology from the University of Minnesota. In the research lab, he studied molecular mechanisms that modulate neuronal excitability and behavior, using molecular techniques, animal models, and behavioral models of anxiety, PTSD, and addiction. Michael also earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Kennesaw State University.
Job Titles:
- Business Systems Associate
Job Titles:
- Agent
- Technology Commercialization Fellow
- Technology Licensing Officer
Naomi Walsh joined the Technology Commercialization group in 2019 initially as a Fellow and is now a Licensing Officer specializing in the transfer and commercialization of Life Science Research Tools including cell lines, antibodies and mouse strains.
Prior to working in Technology Commercialization, Naomi completed her doctoral and post-doctoral work at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she focused on fungal pathogens and antifungal drug development. During this time, she also participated in business courses and workshops, was formally trained in writing Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIRs), and worked as an independent consultant for local biotech startups. Enthusiastic about appropriately protecting innovations, Naomi has pursued formal education in intellectual property law through engaging in law courses, attending IP conferences, and passing the patent bar exam.
Naomi is a registered patent agent and holds a PhD in biochemistry from UW-Madison and a BS in biochemistry from right here at UMN.
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Operations & Finance Manager
Nathan Wassenberg is a finance professional with more than 10 years of experience in both the private and public sector. Prior to joining the Technology Commercialization staff, he worked for the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he managed the finances of both sponsored and non-sponsored research. His private sector experience includes commercial banking and commercial real estate.
Nathan holds an M.B.A. focused in accounting from the University of Saint Thomas Opus College of Business and a B.A. from the University of Minnesota.
Nathan joined Technology Commercialization in January 2015. His primary responsibilities are the financial management of patent-related expenditures and patent cost reimbursement.
Phil Snyder has 15 years of experience in information technology and data management. He has worked for the University of Minnesota for over ten years and transferred to the Technology Commercialization from Admissions in April 2016.
Phil is responsible for the management, oversight, and administration of reporting and data analysis tools that support Technology Commercialization's effort to successfully identify, develop and commercialize new discoveries and technologies created at the University.
Phil graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in finance and accounting. He also holds a database specialist certificate from Des Moines Area Community College and an administrator certificate for Salesforce.
Job Titles:
- Technology Licensing Officer
Rajesh Udupa, Ph.D., is responsible for marketing and commercializing life science opportunities arising from University of Minnesota research activities.
Previously, Rajesh was director of business development at the Office of Technology and Business Development at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. There he was responsible for commercializing potential therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities from life science departments within Mount Sinai, with special interest in areas of oncology, neurology and immunology.
Prior, Rajesh was a postdoctoral researcher at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he performed research into understanding the molecular mechanism of RNA pol II transcription using yeast as a model system.
Rajesh earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India; an M.S. in microbiology from MS University in Baroda, India; and a B.S. in microbiology from St. Xaviers College in Bombay, India. Rajesh is currently a member of the Licensing Executive Society in the US.
Job Titles:
- Technology Portfolio Manager
Rayla Vilar joined the University of Minnesota's Technology Commercialization office as a Fellow in 2021 after obtaining her PhD in Environmental Engineering at Iowa State University. Currently, she works as Technology Portfolio Manager, managing intellectual property and early-stage technology development for innovations in physical sciences and engineering, including environmental science, industrial biotechnology, and food science.
Rayla has 6 years of experience working in engineering R&D projects both in industry and academia. During her doctoral studies she performed research on biocementation of soils, an environmentally friendly method to strengthen soils through the bio-mediated formation of calcite. During this time, she also participated in the NSF I-corps program as entrepreneurial lead and conducted engineering research projects for several state and federal government agencies. Prior to pursuing her doctorate degree, Rayla worked as a chemical engineer for the Moura Battery Group in Brazil and earned an MBA in project management from the Fundação Getulio Vargas.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Associate Director, Technology Strategy Group
Rebecca Gerber joined the University of Minnesota's Technology Commercialization office in 2008 after spending 10+ years in various market analysis, market research and scientific affairs roles within the pharmaceutical industry. While working in pharma, she primarily focused on conducting market assessments and creating financial forecasts for early-stage compounds as well as scientific and commercial message development. Rebecca has held a variety of roles during her time in technology commercialization that involve researcher outreach, IP strategy, business development, licensing, start-ups and investment programs, changes to IP policy, management, and she previously served as the office's Chief of Staff.
Rebecca earned MBA and MS degrees from the University System of Maryland as well as an undergraduate degree in microbiology from Iowa State University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Patent Administrator - Project Leader
Resa is responsible for leading the Patent Administration team, which handles sponsor compliance, data and records management, patent application formal documents, and the departmental patents email account. She is also responsible for recording and tracking intellectual property protection decisions and deadlines. Resa is also leading a collaborative process to improve administrative management of the patent portfolio.
Resa has served in law-related administrative positions for 29 years. She has been with Technology Commercialization for six years. Prior to coming to Technology Commercialization, she served as a courts operations analyst and a program analyst for the State Court Administrator's Office (SCAO) in the Minnesota Judicial Branch for ten years. Prior to that, Resa served as a management analyst for Colorado's Judicial Branch SCAO for two years. Before that, she served as the legal practicum administrator at William Mitchell College of Law for nearly eight years.
Resa earned a B.A. in urban and regional studies from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law, and an M.S.L.A. (Master of Science in Legal Administration) from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation, Technology Commercialization
- Senior Leader
Rick Huebsch serves as the senior leader responsible for the overall strategic direction, management, and administration of the technology commercialization and venture operations for the five University of Minnesota campuses and the University's collaborative research centers throughout the state. Rick also oversees personnel and financial operations of the Tech Comm organization, including a new gap funding initiative that he has helped to formulate and the University's Discovery Capital investment program.
Rick also provides leadership in partnering with the University of Minnesota Foundation on the Corporate Engagement Center. He serves on the Launch MN Advisory Board for the State of Minnesota and maintains robust partnerships with many Minnesota-focused organizations, including the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Medical Alley, Greater MSP, MNSBIR, and the Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship.
Before joining Technology Commercialization in 2008, Rick worked for 20 years in the software industry, including executive management with Control Data, OpenVision Technologies, Veritas Software, and Symantec. Rick received a BS in computer science and mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Director, Venture Center
Russ Straate heads up the Technology Commercialization Venture Center team, which is responsible for leading the formation and launch of new companies based on a broad range of technologies coming out of the research enterprise at the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining University, Russ was vice president of business development for a medical device startup.
During his career, Russ has cofounded two companies in the medtech and high-tech sectors and has worked as an intrepreneur for Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies. He has held senior-level management positions at IMI, plc, a UK-based fluidics company; Honeywell International Automation and Control; and Schneider Electric (Square D Company).
During time at these companies his focus was on driving new business growth. At Honeywell, Russ led high growth operational units and most recently was director, business development, Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions, where he reported to the general manager of Honeywell's $1.2 billion environmental controls business.
Russ has a B.S. in electrical engineering and post-graduate studies in marketing and finance. In addition to cofounding two startup companies and leading multiple product development efforts at established companies, Russ's credentials include five inventor patents and certification as a Six Sigma Green Belt.
Job Titles:
- Technology Portfolio Manager
Sandipan Banerjee is a Technology Portfolio Manager at Tech Comm. Sandipan handles the evaluation, protection, and commercialization of Intellectual Property developed at the University of Minnesota, primarily in the fields of Software, Computer Science, and Engineering technologies. In short, he works towards transitioning a Technology developed at the University, from lab inception to market integration. With over 7 years of industry involvement (including Fellow and Technology Portfolio Management experience in Tech Comm, and Senior Software Engineering experience in the Automotive and Aerospace sectors), Sandipan has experience and knowledge of multi-faceted aspects of a product life-cycle. In addition to that, he has a total research experience of 6+ years (in an academic setting during his MS and Ph.D. degrees).
Sandipan earned his Ph.D. and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville and the University of Delaware, respectively. His graduate research work was a combination of numerical simulations, heat transfer, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, among others. Before his graduate studies, Sandipan's work as a Sr. Software Engineer was aimed at improving the performance of aero-engine components in aircraft and audio infotainment units in vehicles.
Tim Cusack serves as the MNBridge Gap Funding Network Manager for the Technology Commercialization team. This function connects UMN inventors to non-dilutive capital and service partners to assist with advancing UMN inventions towards commercialization. In addition, Tim plays a role in coordinating Tech Comm's Early Innovation Fund, a competitive funding program available to the entire UMN research community to fund short-term projects that advance early-stage innovations.
Tim joined the University in 2021 after 35 years of experience working with major companies across various sectors, including consumer goods, industrial/institutional markets, food/beverage, and agriculture. His professional focus has primarily been on the creation of partnerships to support the adoption of emerging technology in new commercial products.
Tim has an MS in genetics from Pennsylvania State University and a BS in biological sciences from Stony Brook University.
Job Titles:
- Technology Portfolio Manager