NBIA's 20th International Conference on Business Incubation

Conference Sessions

With more than 70 sessions to choose from, including lectures, panels and roundtable discussions, NBIA’s 2006 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 1 | Tuesday, May 2 | Wednesday, May 3

Tuesday, May 2

Sessions, 9 – 10:15 a.m.

The Business of Incubation

Operating your incubator like a business provides a good example for clients. This session will explain how to take a business-like approach to establishing rental rates and pricing services. You’ll also learn how to create a transparent invoicing system that will be a model for clients.
Sandra Cochrane, COO, Southwest Michigan Innovation Center, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Bill Simon, Vice President and COO, Center for Emerging Technologies, St. Louis, Mo.

Guiding Entrepreneurs in the Pursuit of IP Protection

This session will explore how incubator managers can manage expectations and maintain a trusting relationship while guiding entrepreneurs in the pursuit of intellectual property protection. Topics will include laboratory notebooks, invention disclosure forms, patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights and agreements.
David Frey, Attorney, Gardner Carton & Douglas, Chicago, Ill.
Carol Larcher, Attorney, Gardner Carton & Douglas, Chicago, Ill.

Universities and Incubators: Exploring Different Relationships

This panel will feature seasoned incubator managers from three types of programs: stand-alone nonprofits, university-managed, and university-affiliated but not university-managed. By sharing their experiences, presenters will highlight the differences between these types of programs and explore approaches to managing each.
Susan Matlock, Executive Director, OADI Technology Center and President & CEO, Entrepreneurial Center, Birmingham, Ala.
Joel Stevenson, Executive Director, USC Columbia Technology Incubator, Columbia, S.C.
Joel Wiggins, President & CEO, Enterprise Center of Johnson County, Lenexa, Kan.

Evaluating Incubation Processes: A European Case Study

Since 2003, 32 individuals from 15 European Union nations have assessed start-up provision services on behalf of the European Commission. Two members of this EC task force will describe the assessment results and present newly developed tools for the management and measurement of start-up companies.
Uffe Bundgaard-Joergensen, CEO and Network Manager, InvestorNet, Lyngby, Denmark
Mary Spaeth, President, Transmera AB, Linköping, Sweden

The Business of Incubation

Global Update: Africa, Australia and New Zealand

Learn about incubation that takes place south of the equator as representatives of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand describe their experiences. The presenters will provide overviews of incubation in their respective regions and explore whether or not incubation will thrive as environments change.
Phindile Tshabangu, Chairperson, South African Business and Technology Incubation Association, Johannesburg, South Africa
Julian Webb, Managing Director, CREEDA Projects Pty, Dickson, Australia
Richard White, Manager of Incubation & IP Commercialization, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, Wellington, New Zealand

Roundtable: Commercializing Biotech Products

During this roundtable discussion, presenters will describe a method for biotechnology commercialization and then facilitate a discussion about the various aspects of this process in general. Participants will be able to share experiences, learn new approaches and network with colleagues.
Peter Abramo, Executive Director, Center for Emerging Technology, Lawton, Okla.
Peter Eberle, Instructor, Penn State University, Fayette, Pa.
Michael Edmondson, President, MEAPA, Haddonfield, N.J.
This session is sponsored by SalesForce4Hire®.

Sessions 10:45 a.m. – noon

Demystifying International Incubation: What Works and What Doesn’t

Find out how to extend your incubator’s reach by attracting international clients. Presenters will identify best practices in developing and managing programs for international companies, including how to recruit clients from abroad, how to leverage new sponsorship opportunities and how to measure program effectiveness.
Brian Darmody, Vice President of Research and Economic Development, University of Maryland, College Park, Md.
David Feldman, Consul, UK Trade & Investment, Washington, D.C.
Brian Smith, Director, BioAccelerator of Fairfax County, Springfield, Va.
Moderator: Lisa Smith, Principal, ANGLE Technology Group, Vienna, Va.

Creative Partnerships With Large Corporations

Large corporations often aid small companies by assisting with marketing, sales distribution and joint research. Presented from a corporate perspective, this session will provide an inside look at technologies, products and partnerships that appeal to large corporations.
Karen Meidlinger, Associate, Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, N.J.

Rural Solutions

Find out how creating an incubation network can help rural areas overcome barriers like resource scarcity, low population density and lack of stakeholder cooperation. This session will give tips on building partnerships, maximizing resources and evaluating the potential impact of incubation in rural communities.
Giles McDaniel, Executive Director, Northeast Alabama Entrepreneurial System, Anniston, Ala.
David Terry, Associate Director, West Texas A&M University Enterprise Network, Amarillo, Texas

Putting Best Practices Into Action

Modeling recognized industry best practices can improve incubator performance. In this session, a panel of experts will give tips for evaluating your program and explain how to implement best practices in client screening, tracking and graduation, client services and networks of expertise, and metrics and outcomes.
Carol Lauffer, Principal, Business Cluster Development, Palo Alto, Calif.
Joel Wiggins, President & CEO, Enterprise Center of Johnson County, Lenexa, Kan.
Chuck Wolfe, Principal, Claggett Wolfe Associates, Auburn, Calif.

Creating an Entrepreneurial Community

A community environment that encourages new business growth involves more than just having the necessary business and technical resources. This roundtable discussion will draw from both rural and urban experiences to explore some of the other characteristics that create an entrepreneurial community, including volunteerism, education, leadership development and more.
Susan Arcady Barich, Director, Marina Technology Cluster, Marina, Calif.
Pam Bishop, Business and Economic Development Officer, Southern MN Initiative Foundation, Owatonna, Minn.
Jonathan Zierdt, Executive Director, Greater Mankato Economic Development Corp., Mankato, Minn.

Forum: Bioscience

Find out how your colleagues are dealing with issues unique to bioscience incubation by joining this discussion. Topics will include physical infrastructure, shared equipment, university agreements, appropriate rental rates and more.
Moderator: Linda Clark, Director, Ohio University Innovation Center, Athens, Ohio

Sessions 2:15 – 3:30 p.m.

Advanced Managers: Keeping Your Program Fresh

Two decades ago, incubation was an emerging industry, and incubator managers were establishing programs. Several early incubators are still operating and have realized many successes by tapping into new opportunities and finding creative ways to keep their programs fresh and relevant to clients and stakeholders. Experienced panelists will share approaches. Please Note: This session is only for managers with five years of experience or more.
Susan Matlock, Executive Director, OADI Technology Center and President & CEO, Entrepreneurial Center,Birmingham, Ala.
Marie Longserre, President & CEO, Santa Fe Business Incubator, Santa Fe, N.M.
Moderator: Lisa Ison, President, The New Century Venture Center, Roanoke, Va.

Meet the 2006 Incubation Award Winners

Grand Ballroom A
Get an inside look at the 2006 NBIA Incubation Award winners. Representatives of this year’s incubator of the Year, the Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the year, and the Innovation Award winning incubator will discuss aspects of their programs that you may wish to emulate at your own.
Moderator: Charles D’Agostino, Executive Director, Louisiana Business & Technology Center, Baton Rouge, La.

CC to VC: Credit Cards to Venture Capital

Having sufficient capital is essential when starting and growing a business, and start-up financing options range from personal resources to institutional investments. During this session, presenters will describe different types of early-stage funding and provide tools for helping clients assess and fulfill fund-raising needs.
Charles Ross, Venture Catalyst, Advanced Technology Development Center, Atlanta, Ga.
Ed Rieker, Venture Catalyst, Advanced Technology Development Center, Atlanta, Ga.

Future Markets for Incubation

Many incubation programs are tapping into emerging technology markets, particularly in the bioscience industry. What hot technology trend will hit the industry next? Using extensive research, this presenter will explore potential future markets that could lead to economic development, job creation and industry diversification.
Melinda Richter, Director, Prologue International, San Francisco, Calif.

Three Technology Incubators: Lessons Learned

Learn successful approaches to technology incubation from the experiences of three incubators in the St. Louis region. Moderated by an architect who was involved in designing each facility, the panelists will share lessons learned in securing initial funding, navigating the facility design and construction process, and managing technology companies.
David Broughton, Executive Vice President Emeritus, Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, St. Louis, Mo.
Scott Pickard, Director, Research Park & Incubation Facilities, EnterpriseWorks, University of Illinois, Champaign, Ill.
Bill Simon, Vice President and COO, Center for Emerging Technologies, St. Louis, Mo.
Moderator: David Chassin, Senior Vice President, Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, St. Louis, Mo.

25 Characteristics of a Feasible Incubator

The success of an incubator can be predicted by the presence or absence of certain traits. In this session, seasoned consultants who have helped launch numerous programs will draw from experience to describe the characteristics feasible programs share and to identify common indicators of failure.
Jim Greenwood, President, Greenwood Consulting Group, Sanibel, Fla.
Charles Stein, President, Strategic Development Services, Powell, Ohio

Sessions 4:00 – 5:15 p.m.

Advanced Managers: With Experience Comes Wisdom

Two decades ago, incubation was an emerging industry, and incubator managers were establishing programs. Several early incubators are still operating and have realized many successes by tapping into new opportunities and finding creative ways to keep their programs fresh and relevant to clients and stakeholders. Experienced panelists will share approaches. Please Note: This session is only for managers with five years of experience or more.
Tony Antoniades, General Manager, Advanced Technology Development Center, Atlanta, Ga.
Joe Kessinger, COO, Innovia Medical, Lenexa, Kan.
David Lohr, Executive Director, Virginia Biosciences Development Center, Richmond, Va.
Pat Longo, Executive Director, Hamilton County Business Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Moderator: Joel Wiggins, CEO & President, Enterprise Center of Johnson County, Lenexa, Kan

Corporate Best Practices for Incubators and Clients

Sarbanes-Oxley and other recently-enacted corporate governance laws require increased involvement from boards of directors, particularly in terms of overseeing the performance of management staff. Find out how these laws affect incubators and client companies, and learn best practices for ensuring compliance with them.
James Kearns, Partner, Bryan Cave, St. Louis, Mo.

Identifying Mentors for Your Clients

Learn how to identify mentors who can effectively help your clients achieve success. This session will outline the key characteristics of good entrepreneur enablers, explain how to successfully match them with clients, and provide tips for supporting these relationships.
John Thompson, Roger M. Bale Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England

Making Regional Incubation Work

Based on the experiences of a Welsh program, this session will explore how incubation can have a regional impact on economically depressed areas when incubators collaborate to make the most of available resources, leverage stakeholders and address specific challenges.
Tony Hepburn, Business Development Manager, Welsh Development Agency, Pontypridd, Wales
Evan Jones, Director, @Wales Digital Media Initiative, Cardiff, Wales

University Technology Transfer and Business Incubation

Successfully incubating companies that evolve from university technologies involves building relationships and maximizing existing resources. This session will describe strategies for working effectively with university technology transfer offices, using students to develop nascent technologies, creating partnerships with the business community, and more.
David Allen, Associate Vice President for Technology Transfer, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
Doug Collier, President, Boulder Innovation Center, Boulder, Colo.

Raising Millions for Your Incubator

Through effective fund-raising campaigns, incubators can secure resources to help ensure financial sustainability. During this session, a consultant who has raised more than $20 million to build, expand or operate incubators will explain how to implement five key elements of a successful capital campaign.
Charles Stein, President, Strategic Development Services, Powell, Ohio

Reinventing a Mixed-use Incubator

The Fulton-Carroll Center was a successful incubator in the 1980s, but the facility later spent several years under the control of property management companies. Presenters from FCC will explain how they reclaimed the building and revitalized the incubation-focused mission of offering services, space and community partnerships to start-ups.
Violette DesChampes, Property Manager, ICNC, Chicago, Ill.
Joyce Shanahan, Executive Director, Fulton-Carroll Center – ICNC, Chicago, Ill.