Events
Scientists as Entrepreneurs: Developing an Idea Into a Brand
Hosted By: Applied Spectroscopy Technical Group
16 February 2023 14:00 - 15:00
Eastern Time (US & Canada) (UTC - 05:00)Researchers and scientists often categorize themselves in a specific role or field, such as physicists or chemists. Yet through their years of training, they have all come to possess the more general and essential ability of “problem-solving.” Thinking as a problem-solver rather than as a specialist will open more opportunities with a broader range of things a scientist can do. Through this series hosted by the Applied Spectroscopy Technical Group, two experts will help unlock the potential of scientists as problem-solvers by answering specific questions about entrepreneurship and using scientific ideas as means to solve problems in the real world.
This third interview in our series will discuss the practical aspects of entrepreneurship, using two startups, TurningScience and Optics11, as case studies. As the founders of these startups, both interviewees, Dr. David Giltner and Prof. Davide Iannuzzi, will answer questions about their motivations, challenges and strategies in their path to start a company. The heart of the discussion will focus on the steps from developing an idea into a brand or startup. Focusing on their journies of entrepreneurship, we will talk about how scientists can use their specific strengths and habits to make connections with the world outside academia, how to develop strategies to win the market and find customers, and how to create new opportunities.
What You Will Learn:
• The practical aspects of entrepreneurship
• The real challenges of playing in the real world of business for a scientist
• How to win in the startup game
Who Should Attend:
• This series will benefit PhD students, postdocs and researchers, as well as scientists interested in bringing their ideas from the lab to the market and becoming entrepreneurs, either through a startup or as a scientific employee in the private sector.
About Our Speakers:
Davide Iannuzzi from VU University Amsterdam and Optics11
Davide Iannuzzi is Professor in Experimental Physics at the VU University Amsterdam, where he serves as Chief Impact Officer. He is also one of the two founders of Optics11 BV (a scale up firm based in Amsterdam) and the founding father of the Demonstrator Lab (an academic entrepreneurship laboratory that he has directed for five years). After a career dedicated to education, research, and knowledge transfer, he is now focusing on creating the conditions for scientists to produce the financial and societal impact that our society expects them to deliver. Davide further serves in a number of Advisory and Supervisory Boards, and is author of the book “Entrepreneurship for Physicists”.
David Giltner of TurningScience
David Giltner has spent more than twenty years developing cutting-edge photonics technologies into commercial products. His experience spans the corporate spectrum with roles including technical contributor, R&D management, product management, and business development. This broad experience has taught him to function well in both highly technical and business circles where he often plays the role of interpreter between scientists and executives. In 2017 David started TurningScience to provide support for scientists of all disciplines seeking to work in the private sector as employees, collaborators, or entrepreneurs. He is the author of the books ‘Turning Science into Things People Need’ and ‘It’s a Game, not a Formula’ and is an internationally recognized speaker and career mentor. David has a BS and PhD in physics and holds seven patents in photonics technology.
