Whether in academia or industry, chemical engineers regularly conceive of new ideas or products that can change the marketplace—if they get there. Often, for engineers not trained in entrepreneurship and intellectual property, realizing the commercial value of a discovery can be daunting. However, with the challenges facing the global community in food, healthcare, energy, and other fields in which chemical engineers generally practice, it is imperative that we get better at this process. This panel will feature academics that have successfully translated their research into the marketplace, entrepreneurs, incubators and venture capitalists. All will talk about the current global challenges that they see that need to be solved, how they entered this realm and the challenges they faced, and advice for others in the field looking to commercialize their ideas more efficiently.
Session Chair: Siari Sosa, SoCalGas
Session Co-Chair: David Block, UC Davis