Conference Sessions

With more than 60 sessions to choose from, including lectures, panels and roundtable discussions, NBIA’s 2005 conference will offer something for everyone.

Click on the following links to view detailed listings of sessions for each day of the conference.

Monday, May 16 | Tuesday May 17 | Wednesday, May 18

Wednesday, May 18

Sessions, 9 – 10:15 a.m.

County Update: Asia and Oceania

Get the latest information on the incubation industry in Asia and Oceania. Presenters will give reports on the history, current trends and state of the industry in their regions.
Robert Crompton, CEO, Information City Australia, Melbourne, Australia
Robert Waite, Chair, Business Innovation & Incubation Australia, Melbourne, Australia
Richard White, Manager of Incubation and IP Commercialisation, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Wellington, New Zealand
Dave Wrathall, Start-Up Director, The Icehouse, Auckland, New Zealand
Low Yen Ling, Head, Enterprise Development, Economic Development Board, Singapore

University Incubation: Case Studies From Pennsylvania

Encouraging new company formation from university technology is a growing trend among research institutions. This session will highlight how Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh are taking university technologies to the marketplace, with specific examples to demonstrate how a class project can become a thriving company.
Babs Carryer, President, Carryer Consulting, Pittsburgh, Pa.
S. Thomas Emerson, Director, Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Carolyn Green, Director, University of Pittsburgh Office of Enterprise Development, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Andrew Hannah, President & CEO, Plextronics, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Getting the Start-Up Started, Part 1

This two-part session will help incubator managers become more aware of the many business and legal issues client companies face. During this first half, presenters will focus on corporate and venture capital topics, including valuation, equity, securities laws, various funding sources and the legal issues involved in securing financing.
Karen Erikson, Attorney, Gardner Carton and Douglas, Chicago, Ill.
David Frey, Attorney, Gardner Carton and Douglas, Chicago, Ill.
John Goebel, Attorney, Gardner Carton and Douglas, Chicago, Ill.
Carol Larcher, Attorney, Gardner Carton and Douglas, Chicago, Ill.

Commercialization Assistance to Leverage SBIR Funding

The federal SBIR program grants more than $2 billion each year to small businesses for research and development activities. Yet, no federal or state programs assist with commercializing the resulting technologies. This session will explore how incubators can fill the gap by working with SBIR-funded companies.
Lyn Barnett, Portfolio Manager, Dawnbreaker Inc., Rochester, N.Y.
Carole Teolis, Vice President of Systems Engineering, Techno-Sciences Inc., Lanham, Md.
Moderator: Kesh Narayanan, Director, Industrial Innovation, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Va.

Effective Entrepreneurship Advocacy in Your Jurisdiction

A grassroots campaign led by Washington incubator managers has resulted in legislation allocating funds to support nonprofit incubators and directing state agencies to include incubators in economic development strategies. Learn about this campaign and how to formulate a legislative strategy to make incubators part of the policy dialogue in your state.
Jamie Beletz, President, Innovial, Tacoma, Wash.
Melody Curtiss, Executive Director, Center for Social and Economic Justice, Ruston, Wash.
Moderator: Deanna Adams, Executive Director, Mississippi Technology Alliance Innovation Center, Jackson, Miss.

Clustering Companies Around an Industry

Clustering companies around a particular industry can be a successful economic development tool, but too often these initiatives fail. Using case studies and discussion, this session will explore the pitfalls of clustering and explain how to nurture a successful cluster by using the existing resources of your community.
Michael O’Connor, Chief Executive, Cork BIC, Cork, Ireland
Moderator: Bong Jin Cho, President, Korean Business Association, Seoul, South Korea

Forum: Tribal Economic Development Challenges

Many Native American communities are considering business incubation and entrepreneurship support as economic development strategies. This discussion will share ways these communities cope with myriad challenges, such as rural locations and limited access to capital, as they strive to improve their economic health.
Moderator: Lisa Ison, President, The New Century Venture Center, Roanoke, Va.

Sessions 10:45 a.m. – noon

Incubation Strategies for Developed, Developing and Under-Developed Regions

Successful incubation programs make the most of available resources. By looking at models in developed, developing and under-developed regions of India, this session will explore some of the problems incubators face, the role of the regional environment and how to handle a scarcity of resources.
R.M.P.Jawahar, Executive Director, Tiruchirappalli Regional Engineering College – Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India
Moderator: Brij Khorana, COO, Rose Hulman Ventures, Terre Haute, Ind.

Service-Based Incubation: A High-Value, Cost-Effective Strategy

Although grants certainly benefit incubation programs, more reliable sources of funding are necessary to ensure sustainability. This session will explore incubator service offerings with revenue-generating potential, such as having affiliate clients, providing pre-incubation services, hosting venture conferences and partnering with local universities to offer educational courses.
Kim Fisher, Director, Prologue International, San Francisco
Moderator: Joel Wiggins, Director, Austin Technology Incubator, Austin, Tex.

Getting the Start-Up Started, Part 2

The second half of this two-part session will address several intellectual property issues, including patents, copyrights and trademarks. Presenters also will outline different types of agreements, such as for material transfer and consulting, and will discuss considerations for companies entering into relationships with research sponsors and commercial entities.
Karen Erikson, Attorney, Gardner Carton and Douglas LLP, Chicago, Ill.
David Frey, Attorney, Gardner Carton and Douglas, Chicago, Ill.
John Goebel, Attorney, Gardner Carton and Douglas LLP, Chicago, Ill.
Carol Larcher, Attorney, Gardner Carton and Douglas LLP, Chicago, Ill.

Defense Downsizing: An Opportunity for New Growth

A new round of military base closures means more communities must face fundamental economic shifts. Learn how communities can develop new incubators in response to military base closures and play a role in revitalizing their communities and creating jobs.
John Leigh, Project Manager; Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment, Alexandria, Va.
Lora Lee Martin, Director, University of California Monterey Bay Education, Science, and Technology Center, Marina, Calif.
Moderator: Thomas Shea, Defense Consultant, Alexandria, Va.

Serving Disabled Entrepreneurs

Come learn about programs in the United States and Canada that work with disabled entrepreneurs to create successful companies. You’ll see how your incubator can tap into this market and create opportunities for underserved entrepreneurs in your community.
Valerie Briggs, Senior Marketing Supervisor, Ticket to Work, Alexandria, Va.
Ed Hobbs, General Manager, Toronto Business Development Centre, Toronto, Canada

Forum: Critical Issues in Life Sciences Incubation

Join this structured NBIA Forum discussion of critical issues facing life sciences incubators. Topics will include identifying community support, accessing capital for life science companies at all stages of development, meeting specialized facility and equipment needs, and lease agreement considerations. Participants will decide discussion topics.
Moderator: Patti Breedlove, Incubator Manager, Sid Martin Biotechnology Development Institute, Alachua, Fla.