NYC Tech Connect Connecting the Dots Between Entrepreneurship and Innovation Melinda Thomas
Presentation Outline 1. NYC Tech Connect 2. Entrepreneur-In-Residence 3. Melinda Thomas 4. Current Work 5. Future Impact and Importance
NYC Tech Connect A public and private partnership Partnership for New York City New York City Investment Fund Established because of the lack of development in science and technology in NYC Mission to foster the development of a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem in NYC in the hard sciences, such as bioscience, engineering, clean tech, and material science
Entrepreneur-in-Residence Hired by venture capital firms to advise them in their investments in other companies and advise the companies to yield good results Venture Capitalists: which companies are worth investing in Companies: how can they function with success Enable venture capitalists to invest intelligently and not make poor decisions as well as companies to achieve financial and corporate success
Melinda Thomas Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree from Harvard Business School Bachelor of Science (BSc) from U.C. Berkeley Vice President of Operations at CardioDx A company that develops and industrializes diagnostics for cardiovascular disease Based in the San Francisco Bay Area Held other leading entrepreneurial positions in various life and bioscience startups
Current Work Melinda Thomas works 1-on-1 with heads of companies as well as innovators and inventors Advises them on how they should move forward Emphasizes the option of creating start-ups, which are uncommon in NYC Helps connect various people to further innovative progress Maintains a blog Publically available on the NYC Tech Connect website
Current Work NYC Tech Connect holds various events, panels, and conferences for Post- Docs, other researchers and innovators, as well as investors and corporate heads Allows these individuals and companies to network Have reached over 1500 in their first 6 months Provide resources they have available to them to start-ups Lawyers (working pro-bono) available through PFNYC
Future Impacts Establish and further the hard science industry in New York City Strengthen and solidify the economy of New York City Introduce and implement potentially life saving technology to the world
Acknowledgements & References Thomas, Melinda. [Interview with Dr. Angelo Lampousis, producer and host of the Innovation Unedited show through WNYE 91.5 Cosmos FM and City College of New York]. Provided as an audio file by Dr. Lampousis. http://www.nyctechconnect.com http://pfnyc.org http://nycif.org/ http://www.blueprinthealth.org/index.php?page=mentor&user_id=7 http://www.savetheredwoods.org/league/press_detail.php?id=454#.ujnf9l SbPqJ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/fashion/weddings/17vows.html
Acknowledgements & References Special thanks to Melinda Thomas and NYC Tech Connect for their inspiring hard work and to Professor Angelo Lampousis for introducing and exposing the class, and I to this work.