UC Partners with 7 Universities for Major Conference on University Startups

A wealth of information for faculty, staff and students who have an interest in creating and advancing start-up companies featuring new technologies will be available at a conference, titled "University Start-Ups: Getting Beyond Challenges – Making It Happen,” scheduled for Nov. 9 and 10 in Louisville, Ky.

The conference will include expert panels discussing topics that include: leveraging and connecting to university startup resources; how to start a start-up; finding and working with professionals and entrepreneurs; partnering with industry; and how best to achieve your financing and capital-raising goals.

Technology transfer professionals, university and corporate scientists, business development professionals, state and local economic development officials, attorneys, investors, incubators and entrepreneurs will benefit from the conference, which is the 12th annual meeting of the OVALS University Partnership.

"Attendees to this year’s conference will hear terrific information on how to create a successful start-up company with particular focus on the Ohio Valley university ecosystems. This year’s OVALS conference has broadened its focus to include new technologies from all sciences, not just the life sciences in order to more fully leverage the opportunity potential of our region,” says Dorothy Air, PhD, associate vice president for entrepreneurial affairs and technology commercialization at the University of Cincinnati (UC), one of the conference’s organizing members. "The OVALS conference is a great opportunity to learn more about commercializing new technologies and networking with professionals.”

Mary Nan Mallory, MD, will highlight her experience as a faculty entrepreneur when she delivers the conference keynote address.  Mallory is a professor of emergency medicine and vice chief of staff at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and co-founder of InScope Medical Solutions, a startup company that is developing a new Bluetooth-enabled laryngoscope for optimized airway intubation. The startup has leveraged many community resources and raised capital by winning several recent, global business plan competitions.

This year’s conference takes place at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel, 500 S. Fourth Street, Louisville. All panel discussions and the keynote address will be held Nov. 10. A welcome networking reception and innovation showcase will be held on the evening of Nov. 9 to feature a poster competition of exciting university- and innovation-based product opportunities and startups.  

The conference registration fee is $125 for faculty/staff from academic institutions, $150 for regular admission, and $75  for students. Those who participate in the poster competition will receive one complimentary registration per entry.

Indiana University, Ohio State University, Ohio University, Purdue University, the University of Dayton, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville  also are organizing members of the conference. UC is a founding member of OVALS, which formed in 2002.  

For more information, details on the poster session or to register for the event, visit https://uc.edu/eventservices/ovals.html. Questions also can be directed to Air at dorothy.air@uc.edu.